Treasure Map: Where are MAGov candidates finding their cash?
In last year's dash for campaign cash, gubernatorial candidates didn't have to travel far. A small handful of places accounted for a large share of the total amounts raised. Just 15 ZIP code provided a quarter of all campaign funds raised in 2013, with another 46 contributing another quarter. Together, these 61 ZIP codes accounted for as much cash as the smallest 2,180 ZIP codes combined. This concentration shows up on this map, which shows the total 2013 fundraising from Massachusetts for all the declared gubernatorial candidates. The deeper the green, the more cash the candidates have raised in that ZIP code. The gold signifies the mother lodes where candidates have mined $30,000 or more. (Gray signifies zero donations from that area.)
Perhaps not surprisingly, these jackpot zips cover some of the wealthiest communities in the state: from Hingham and Milton on the South Shore to Winchester and Andover to the north, and Brookline, Concord, Weston, Wellesley and Newton in MetroWest. (We did not adjust for income or population; these are the raw numbers from OCPF, downloaded January 6, 2014.) But there are also large swaths of the state, mostly in the west, with no donations to any candidate.
We've also broken out each individual candidate's fundraising on this Google Fusion Table, and in the maps below. Looking at the three candidates who have raised the most from Massachusetts -- Baker, Coakley and Grossman -- makes for some interesting comparisons. Baker and Grossman have very similar fundraising totals for the year, but Baker's money is more spread out across the state than Grossman's. More ZIPs on Baker's maps are shaded green than on Grossman's, while Grossman's has more dark green and gold ZIP codes, clustered around Newton and Brookline. Martha Coakley, who has raised roughly half as much as Baker and Grossman, has no gold and more gray on her map. There are only a handful of ZIP codes from which she has raised more than $10,000.
Here's Baker's fundraising map:
Here's Grossman:
And finally Coakley:
The other maps are available in this Fusion Table, which we encourage you to explore. One important caveat: these maps only show Massachusetts donations and so exclude the sizable amounts the Democrats Juliette Kayyem and Don Berwick have brought in from other states.
We plan to continue to monitor the fundraising totals as OCPF updates them throughout the year. For now, however, you can refer to the Fusion Table and read our previous posts on how much came from "small donors", how much came from out of state, and Charlie Baker's impressive haul despite a late start. If you notice anything interesting, please let us know via Twitter (@MassINCPolling) or Facebook.