Casino
magnate Sheldon Adelson poured $53 million into the 2012 elections via
controversial super PACs to back these candidates. All lost. From left
to right, Mitt Romney, Connie Mack, George Allen, Allen West, Joe
Kyrillos, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, David Dewhurst and Newt Gingrich.
West is demanding a recount, however, claiming 'disturbing irregularities at the polls.'
West is demanding a recount, however, claiming 'disturbing irregularities at the polls.'
Money can't buy happiness, nor can it buy an election, apparently.
The top donors to super PACs in 2012 did not fare well — casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, the No. 1 super PAC contributor with more than $53 million in giving, backed eight losers at this writing.
Adelson was top backer of the pro-Mitt Romney Restore Our Future
super PAC, with $20 million in donations. Romney lost to President
Barack Obama. In addition, Adelson's contributions to super
PACs backing U.S. Senate candidates in Florida, Virginia and New Jersey
were also for naught.
He was not the only conservative billionaire who had a bad night.
Contran Corp. CEO Harold Simmons, (No. 2), homebuilder Bob Perry (No. 3) and TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, (No.4), also bet on Romney. Collectively, the trio gave $13.4 million to Restore Our Future, and Ricketts' super PAC, Ending Spending Action Fund, spent an additional $9.9 million helping Romney's failed bid.
Fred
Eychaner, founder of Chicago-based alternative-newspaper publisher
Newsweb Corp., was the only one of the top five donors to super PACs to
back a winner -- President Barack Obama.
Decision 2012 on NBCNews.com: Senate election results
Decision 2012 on NBCNews.com: House election results
In
Florida, Republican Rep. Connie Mack lost his challenge to the popular
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who won with 55 percent of the vote.
Adelson gave $2 million to the pro-Mack super PAC Freedom PAC, and Simmons and Perry gave a combined $255,000 to the group.
The
hotly contested Senate race in Virginia attracted $2.5 million from
Adelson and Perry, both giving to Independence Virginia, the super PAC
supporting former Republican Sen. George Allen. His opponent, Democratic
Gov. Tim Kaine, won the seat with 52 percent of the vote.
Campaign
spending by super PACs in this election cycle topped $1 billion –
nearly four times the amount spent by such groups in 2008. Looking back
now, how much impact did that money have on the race? Former White House
Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and former RNC Chairman Michael
Steele discuss.
Adelson also invested in the re-election of
Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., in Florida's 18th District, who narrowly lost
to Democratic newcomer Patrick Murphy. On Wednesday, however, West's
campaign called for a recount, citing "disturbing irregularities
reported at polls."
The casino billionaire's $1 million to Patriot Prosperity,
a New Jersey-specific super PAC supporting the Republican candidate for
U.S. Senate, Joe Kyrillos, and the Republican candidate for U.S. House
in the state's 9th District, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, did not pay off.
During the primary season, Adelson's $16.5 million in contributions to the super PAC Winning Our Future
was not enough guide former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich to a
Republican presidential nomination, though it is credited with keeping
him in the race longer than expected. Nor were Adelson's contributions
enough to help Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst win the GOP primary for
Texas Senate earlier this year, a cause to which gave at least a
quarter-million dollars.
Shawn Thew / EPA
Sheldon
Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., pumped $53
million into the election, but apparently backed only one minor winner
by helping defeat a Michigan ballot initiative Adelson did score one point with his $2 million contribution that
helped sink a Michigan ballot initiative seeking to enshrine collective
bargaining in the state's Constitution. Adelson runs the only non-union
casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Win-Loss Rundown:
(Giving to candidate-specific super PACs in the federal election)
Sheldon Adelson, Republican, $53.7 million*
- Mitt Romney — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- George Allen (Virginia Senate) — loss
- Allen West (House, Florida’s 18th) — too close to call, but leaning toward loss
- Joe Kyrillos (New Jersey Senate) — loss
- Shmuley Boteach (House, New Jersey’s 9th) — loss
- Newt Gingrich (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
© Flor Cordero / Reuters
Billionaire Harold Simmons was the second-biggest donor to
super PACs in the presidential race, with $26.9 million in contributions.
- Mitt Romney — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- Rick Santorum (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- Newt Gingrich (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- Rick Perry (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
- Orrin Hatch (GOP primary, Utah Senate) — win
- Mitt Romney — loss
- George Allen (Virginia Senate) — loss
- Connie Mack (Florida Senate) — loss
- Rick Perry (GOP presidential primary) — loss
- David Dewhurst (GOP primary, Texas Senate) — loss
- Mitt Romney — loss
- Barack Obama — win
No comments:
Post a Comment