Candidates and outside groups have spent at least a collective $18.5 million in the high-priced, contentious Indiana 5th Congressional District race to replace retiring Congresswoman Susan Brooks.
National media outlets labeled the historically red district one of the most likely to flip, as Democrat Christina Hale and Republican Victoria Spartz go head-to-head. That means the race has attracted donors from across the country, not just locally.
Hale had raised almost $3.5 million by Oct. 14 while Spartz had raised more than $1.2 million and loaned her campaign an additional $1.27 million. The two also face Libertarian Ken Tucker, who has not reported any fundraising to the Federal Election Commission.
Fact check: What’s true in Indiana 5th District ads about Victoria Spartz, Christina Hale
Because of campaign contribution limits, the biggest spenders in the 5th District race so far have been Victoria Spartz herself, due to her personal loan, and outside groups that make their own decisions on where to spend money.
Outside groups have spent more than $11 million since the primary, putting the 5th District on the list for the 25 Congressional Districts with the most outside spending dollars this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Here’s where money came from so far in the 5th Congressional District:
Outside spending
Many of the flyers and political ads aired in the 5th District have come from outside groups, not from the campaigns themselves. In fact, the campaigns aren’t supposed to have any say in what ads outside groups run.
Club for Growth Action, a conservative group, had spent at least $2,689,019 according to Oct. 29 FEC data to get Spartz elected in both the primary and the general election, the most any outside group has spent for this cycle in the 5th District.
The National Republican Congressional Committee spent the second highest amount, using $1,931,007 to help get Spartz elected.
The outside group that spent the most to get Hale elected is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, spending at least $1,528,458.
Here’s the list of outside groups that spent more than $100,000 according to the Oct. 26 data, and what they spent to try to influence the election:
Club for Growth Action: $2,689,019
NRCC: $1,931,007
DCCC: $1,528,458
House Majority PAC (in favor of Hale): $1,341,896
Congressional Leadership Fund (in favor of Spartz): $757,428
Women Vote! (in favor of Hale): $750,090
BOLD PAC (in favor of Hale): $400,000
Americans for Prosperity Action (in favor of Spartz): $378,284
5th District race spending
Outside groups have spent at least $9 million in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District race. Here are the top amounts spent by outside groups, in millions of dollars:
Where the candidates’ money is coming from?
Just over 15% of the money Hale raised comes from small contributions of less than $200, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Almost 62% comes from large individual contributions, roughly 14% comes from Political Action Committees and just 0.16% comes from money she gave herself, $5,700.
Spartz’s numbers look a bit different. More than 46% of her dollars came from money she gave herself, mostly in the form of personal loans. More than 11% of her funds came from small contributions, 28% came from large contributions and 8% came from PACs.
The Center for Responsive Politics’ analysis came from FEC data available on Oct. 22, so the numbers likely have changed since then.
Is the money coming from Indiana?
According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, 50.6% of Hale’s dollars came from in-state contributions when looking at those who gave $200 or more. Meanwhile, 66.2% of Spartz’s dollars are from in-state when considering the same contributors.
At the time the data was compiled, the ZIP code Hale received the most money from, when counting contributions of $200 or more, was 46220 in Indianapolis, followed by 46240 in Indianapolis and 46032 in Carmel. Spartz received the most money from 46032 in Carmel, followed by 46077 in Zionsville and 46060 in Noblesville.
Which profession has given the most to both?
For both candidates, Leadership PACs, retired individuals and groups that match each candidates’ ideology politically were in the top five sectors that gave the most money, when looking at the Center for Responsive Politics data.
For Spartz, health professionals and those in real estate also made her top five, and for Hale, law and the securities and investment industry made it on her top five list.
Who gave candidates the maximum amount?
Dozens of individuals gave either candidate the maximum allowed: $5,600 for the primary and general election combined.
Here’s some of the more notable people who have given Spartz the maximum amount, according to FEC data.
Carl Berg, California real estate tycoon.
Gary Schahet, chairman of Indiana-based Schahet Hotels.
Jim Purucker, the executive director of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Indiana.
Jay Ricker, former chairman of Ricker's convenience stores.
Patrick Mooney, a former Republican Congressional primary candidate in Florida.
Raymond Adler, a Noblesville attorney.
Robert Schuckit, a Carmel attorney.
Chuck Goodrich, state representative and CEO of Gaylor Electric, Inc.
Here’s some of the more notable people who have given Hale the maximum amount allowed:
Allen Blue, LinkedIn co-founder who lives in Los Angeles, California.
Deborah Simon and Cynthia Simon-Skjodt, daughters of the late Simon Property Group Inc. co-founder Melvin Simon. Both live in Carmel.
Pat Treadwell, former chief of Pediatric Dermatology at Riley Hospital.
Aman Brar, CEO of Jobvite, an Indianapolis-based software and recruiting corporation.
Gregory Hahn, attorney at Indianapolis-based Bose McKinney & Evans LLP.
Larry Dorfman, CEO of Indianapolis-based Dorfman Design Builders.
Stephen Mandel, billionaire hedge fund manager who lives in Connecticut and founded Lone Pine Capital.
Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270.