Who Gives, Who Gets: Money, Politics & Wine

Posted by Tom Wark on Mar 29, 2006

Over the past few months FERMENTATION has tried to cover a variety of political battes involving wine and wine distribution and sales in particular. We’ve been candid in our position that money usually sways the outcome of these battles. That is to say, campaign contributions tend to deliver not only access to office holders, but too often results in success in state houses across the country and in Washington.

With the 2006 campaign cycle roaring into high gear, we thought it time to take a closer look at money and politics and alcohol. This is the first of a series of posts concerning MONEY, POLITICS & WINE

We start with campaign contributions to candidates for federal office originating from alcohol companies. Below are two lists: The top 20 recipients of "alcohol dollars and the top 20 contributors to federal campaigns…

The figure represent amounts donated in 2005 up to the present time. The total amounts for this campaign cycle will not be totaled up and available until well after the election in November. This information was culled from the Open Secrets website.
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TOP 20 CANDIDATES RECEIVING CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM ALCOHOL RELATED COMPANIES (2005 – Present)

Rank,
Candidate,
Office,
Amount

1
Thompson, Mike (D-CA)
House
$139,204

2
Talent, James M (R-MO)
Senate
$65,350

3
Allen, George (R-VA)
Senate
$36,400

4
Burns, Conrad (R-MT)
Senate
$31,699

5
Reynolds, Tom (R-NY)
House
$30,200

6
Kyl, Jon (R-AZ)
Senate
$30,099

7
Northup, Anne M (R-KY)
House
$29,700

8
McHenry, Patrick (R-NC)
House
$27,900

9
McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)
Senate
$27,100

10
Hatch, Orrin G (R-UT)
Senate
$26,000

10
Hastert, Dennis (R-IL)
House
$26,000

12
Santorum, Rick (R-PA)
Senate
$25,200

13
Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA)
Senate
$24,998

14
Nelson, Bill (D-FL)
Senate
$24,250

15
Gard, John (R-WI)
House
$22,652

16
Conrad, Kent (D-ND)
Senate
$22,575

17
Boehner, John (R-OH)
House
$22,500

18
DeLay, Tom (R-TX)
House
$22,000

19
Cantor, Eric (R-VA)
House
$20,100

20
Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY)
Senate
$19,775
(Thomspson, number one on the list, represents the Napa and Sonma region. Jim Talent, number 2 on the list, hails from the home state of Anheuser-Busch)

TOP ALCOHOL-RELATED CONTRIBUTORS TO FEDERAL CAMPAIGNS (2005 – Present)

Rank, Contributor, Amount
1
National Beer Wholesalers Assn
$1,491,250
2
Anheuser-Busch
$448,868

3
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
$291,500

4
Silver Eagle Distributors
$77,584

5
Brown-Forman Corp
$73,958

6
E&J Gallo Winery
$71,501

7
Southern Wine & Spirits
$54,900

8
Empire Distributors
$45,500

9
Wine Institute
$45,204

10
Reyes Holdings
$43,250

11
Miller Brewing
$42,000

12
United Liquors
$40,905
13
Astrale E Terra Winery
$39,400

14
Georgia Crown Distributing
$37,500

15
Quintessa Winery
$33,400

16
Constellation Brands
$30,500

17
Abbe Ranch Vineyards
$25,000

18
Molson Coors Brewing
$22,799

19
Magnolia Marketing
$21,700

20
Golden Eagle Distributors
$19,350