Tierney Fundraising For Re-Election Campaign
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2002–Rep. John Tierney (D-Salem) raised almost $500,000 for his re-election campaign that he is expected to win on Nov. 5.
Campaign finance reports released on Oct. 15 showed that Tierney collected $494,098 by the end of September with 64 percent of contributions coming from individual donors mostly located in Massachusetts.
The largest contributions came from the North Shore area, with donors from Marblehead and Salem contributing a total of over $20,000 each. They include attorney Joseph Correnti of Salem with an $850 donation, architect Paul Durand of Salem with $1,000, and former Congressman Michael Harrington of Beverly giving $1,200.
Much of Tierney’s smaller contributions came from various local businessmen and attorneys, with lawyers providing the greatest industry contribution of $39,500.
About one-quarter of Tierney’s total donations came from unions and political action committees (PAC), with the Teamsters and Mechanists/Aerospace unions giving $10,000 each. Labor interest groups provided the most PAC money with a total of $79,000.
As of October Tierney had spent $272,753 of his money, with $35,000 going for contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington DC.
Other expenditures included payments to many North Shore businesses. Tierney frequented places like The Beverly Storage Warehouse in Beverly, Butterworth & O’Toole Office Supplies in Salem, and catering facilities at the Lyceum Bar & Grill in Salem.
Tierney’s opponent, Mark Smith of Burlington, did not raise nearly as much as the 3rd term incumbent. Over 60 percent of the almost $52,000 raised came out of Smith’s own pocket. As of October he had spent $28,000 from his campaign chest.
Smith received no money from the Republican Party or any political action committees. His biggest individual contributors were John Cabot of Manchester with $950 and Michael Cronin of West with $1,000.
Out of state contributions made up only three percent of contributions with donors from the Washington DC area and New York giving a little over $2,000 each.
Published in The Newburyport Daily News, in Massachusetts.
