Politics & Government

Milpitas 2012 Presidential Campaign Donations

What role is the 95035 playing in the most expensive political race in the nation's history?

 

The campaigns of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama announced last month that they raised $106 million and $71 million respectively. Those eye-popping sums got us wondering how much money donors from Milpitas have contributed to this year's race for president.

According to Open Secrets, a research group tracking political money, residents in the 95035 have so far given over $105,000 to candidates and political action committees in the 2012 campaign. That figure is about three times the average amount donated per zip code, the website states. 

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In terms of donations for the 2012 race for the White House, Milpitans have contributed more than twice as much to Barack Obama than Mitt Romney. Donations from Milpitas residents and the entire San Jose area add almost $2.5 million to the Obama campaign, while donations toward Romney's are a little over $845,000. Of those figures, about $37,000 came solely from Milpitans. 

Milpitans have also contributed a fair amount of dough to trade associations like the National Automobile Dealers Association and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Some of the largest donations from Milpitas residents, however, have gone to , a former White House commerce official who is eyeing the local Congressional seat.

Find out what's happening in Milpitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Khanna, a Fremont resident, raised $1.2 million in campaign funds in a quarter but didn't run out of respect for longtime incumbent Pete Stark.

Below is an alphabetical list of the top Milpitas donors to contribute to political races and trade associations. 

Do you plan to write a check for a political candidate or trade association between now and November 6? 

Name Occupation Date of Donation Amount Recipient William R. Piercey  Piercey Toyota Scion May 26 $5,000 National Auto Dealers Ass. Donald Bottomley Bottomley Distributing Inc.  Feb. 14 $5,000 National Beer Wholesalers Ass. Donald Bottomley Bottomley Distributing Inc.
Sept. 23 $4,000 National Beer Wholesalers Ass. Richard Nickson Linear Technology Corp. Jan 25 $2,500 Newt Gingrich Jayramarao Komati SWAGAT Nov. 3 $2,500 Rohit Khanna Sujeewa S. Pathiratne Four Star Furniture Nov. 19 $2,500 Rohit Khanna
Prashant M. Mehta PRC Company Nov. 19 $2,500 Rohit Khanna Pritpal Singh Singh Semiconductors March 31 $2,500  Jerry McNerney Pritpal Singh Singh Semiconductors March 31 $2,500 Jerry McNerney Kenneth A Eldred Living Stones Foundation Sept. 14 $2,500 Rick Perry Source: Open Secrets


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