By Emelie Rutherford
As Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) wages his toughest reelection battle in years, the defense industry is pumping significant funds in the war chest of this key Pentagon-policy writer.
Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), is the top recipient of donations from employees of military contractors, with $360,011 in such contributions for the 2009-2010 election cycle, according to the latest data from the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP).
That $360,011 is far more than donations to the industry’s second-biggest recipient, Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) member Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.); he has garnered $273,850 in defense-industry contributions, according to CRP’s analysis of the Federal Elections Commission campaign-contribution data up to mid-July. Pollsters predict Shelby will win his reelection bid this November.
Skelton, though, is not faring as well in surveys as he works to win an 18th term representing Missouri’s Fourth Congressional district. The Cook Political Report and The Rothenberg Political Report both peg the race between Skelton and Republican Vicky Hartzler as leaning toward the Democrat, as opposed to clearly being in Skelton’s favor.
Rothenberg predicts Skelton may pull it off, by running “as a proven commodity that has delivered for the military interests” of his constituents. Whiteman AFB, the Army’s Ft. Leonard Wood, and the Missouri National Guards headquarters, as well as offices for defense contractors including Boeing [BA].
Skelton is “a proven commodity for industry too, so they’re going to want to see him stay,” a defense lobbyist said.
Hartzler, a Republican activist and former state representative in Missouri, has garnered no significant contributions from the defense industry, according to CRP.
Out of all of Skelton’s contributors from all sectors, the top donors are: Lockheed Martin [LMT] ($44,000), General Dynamics [GD] ($40,400), Boeing ($23,900), Northrop Grumman [NOC] ($21,760), and Finmeccanica SpA ($18,250).
Pentagon matters have arisen in the Skelton-Hartzler battle, in which Skelton has run advertisements with military families and accused his opponent of not supporting the troops. Hartzler told the Associated Press she would be a strong advocate of the military.
Hartzler’s campaign was not immediately available for comment yesterday afternoon.
Asked about Skelton’s hefty defense-industry contributions, Skelton campaign manager Jason Rauch touted his boss’ work for troops.
“He works hard every day on behalf of our men and women in uniform to ensure they are the best-trained and best-equipped fighting force in the world,” Rauch said in a statement to Defense Daily. “His efforts are critically important to Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base.”
Polling organizations including Rothenberg, Cook, and Rasmussen Reports predict easy reelections for HASC Ranking Member Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), House Appropriations Defense subcommittee (HAC-D) Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), and HAC-D Ranking Member C.W. “Bill” Young (R-Fla.), as well as SAC Chairman Daniel Inouye (D- Hawaii) and SASC Ranking Member John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Still, those lawmakers benefitted from the defense industry’s largesse. McKeon rates as the third member of Congress receiving the most contributions from military contractors, with $262,150, according to CRP. Inouye is in fourth place, with $197,750.
Industry is also helping lawmakers waging less-certain reelection battles, including SAC member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has the sixth-most in defense company donations with $158,650, CRP data shows. Rep. Joe Sestak, the former Navy admiral running for Senate, raised $141,800 from the defense sector, making him No. 9 in terms of recipients.
Cook has labeled Murray and Sestak’s races “toss ups.” Rothenberg dubs Murray’s bid a toss up tilting toward her, and Sestak’s contest a toss up titling toward his GOP challenger. Rasmussen polls show Murray nearly tied with her GOP opponent and Sestak falling behind his rival by several percentage points.