Just 1 Percent of Heidi Heitkamp’s Anti-Kavanaugh Campaign Cash Bonanza Came From North Dakota

News yesterday was that Senator Heidi Heitkamp was paid off for her vote against confirming Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh by a windfall of campaign cash. “Heidi Heitkamp raises eye-popping $12.5 million after Kavanaugh ‘no’ vote,” a headline at CNN reports.

“Heitkamp collected an eye-popping $12.5 million during the first 17 days of October, more than three times the $3.8 million she raised during the entire July-to-September fundraising quarter,” the news network reports.

That’s a lot of money. Where did it come from?

I went to the FEC database and downloaded the list itemized, individual contributions for Heitkamp’s Pre-General report which covers the dates of October 1 to October 17. In itemized contributions, Heitkamp took in a whopping $9.79 million in contributions.

Of that total, though, just 1.1 percent or just under $107,000, came from North Dakota contributors.

The rest, totaling more than $9.68 million, came from outside of North Dakota.

By contrast, in the same reporting period, Heitkamp’s challenger Congressman Kevin Cramer took in over $453,000 in itemized individual contributions. Of that total, nearly 23 percent or over $106,000 came from North Dakotans.

Which means that, in this short pre-general reporting period, while Heitkamp cashed in on her vote against Kavanaugh to rake in far more money than Cramer did nationally, the two candidates were essentially tied in what they collected from North Dakotan citizens.

At least among the donations reported. Remember that contributions under $200 don’t have to be itemized by the campaigns.

Here’s a graphical comparison: