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By Mark Fischenich

MANKATO — Democratic Congressman Tim Walz has a middle- of-the-pack reliance on political action committees when raising reelection funds, according to reports recently filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Walz is generating 60.2 percent of his campaign contributions from individuals, with most of the other 40 percent coming from PACs, which typically use contributions to try to tilt the balance of power in Congress in favor of their special interests.

Looking at Minnesota’s eightmember House delegation, Walz and Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen (61.8 percent from individuals) are in the middle.

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann is the champion of generating individual donations, particularly from supporters who live outside of Minnesota. Bachmann has gotten 98.6 percent of her contributions from individuals this election cycle and her $8 million from individuals easily surpasses the individual contributions of the other seven combined.

Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minneapolis Democrat who is on the opposite end of the delegation’s political spectrum, is second.

Ellison has received 82.7 percent of his contributions from individual donors rather than PACs.

Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson relies most heavily on PACs among the Minnesotans with just 21.9 percent of his money coming from individuals.

Here’s the rest: Republican Chip Cravaack (66.8 percent from individuals), Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum (56.5 percent) and Republican Rep. John Kline (56.2 percent).

Walz generated 71.9 percent of his contributions from individuals in his first run for office in 2006 and was at 61.6 percent in 2008 and 63 percent in 2010.

Parry makes a pitch

State Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, has accused former state Rep.

Allen Quist of trying to buy the Republican nomination in the 1st District because the retired St.

Peter farmer is spending large sums of his own money leading up to the Aug. 14 primary election where voters will choose Walz’s Republican challenger.

Just before the final pre-primary fundraising reports were due, Parry compared Quist to a pair of wealthy Democrats — department store heir Mark Dayton and hotel executive Jim Graves.

“As you know, Governor Mark Dayton contributed millions of his own money when he sought the governorship,” Parry wrote to

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potential contributors.

“ This year, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann faces a challenge from a wealthy self-funder who has poured slightly more than my opponent (nearly 250 thousand dollars) into the race for Congress. It is critical we don’t let wealthy individuals buy ANY election, especially in our own congressional district.”

In another appeal after the fundraising totals were released, Parry asked for an additional $20,000 in contributions to allow the campaign to execute a “ voter contact and get- out-the-vote plan.”

No mention of any plans to run TV or radio ads to counter the television advertising Quist has been airing, including on KEYCTV in the Mankato area.

Walz expenditures

While Quist and Parry have been battling for the chance to be the Republican facing Walz on Nov. 6, Walz has been piling up the cash — and spending it.

Walz has raised $1.5 million since the start of 2011, and he has $808,000 on hand for the final three months of the campaign. So where did the rest go?

Mostly to staff salaries and staff-related expenses such as health care and payroll taxes, according to OpenSecrets.org. Walz’s campaign has had at least a couple of people on the payroll from the start, and the staff had grown to six by the first quarter of this year. A payroll administration firm tops the list of bills for the Walz campaign at $66,000, and the combined paychecks to the top four staffers totals $109,000.

A fundraising consultant — Washington, D.C.-based Molly Allen Associates — was paid nearly $57,000.

The firm specializes in helping candidates raise money, including: “PAC fundraising. Design and execute plans to raise PAC money ...,” according to the Molly Allen website.

A union printing company ($48,000), an accounting firm ($27,000), an advertising company ($14,000), Delta Airlines ($14,000) and the U.S.

Postal Service ($13,000) rounded out the top expenditures by the campaign.

Coming attractions

The Walz-Parry-Quist joint appearance at FarmFest (along with three candidates from other congressional districts) comes at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. The annual agricultural exposition at the Gilfillan Estate in Redwood County also features a Senate forum at the same time on Wednesday, starring Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican challenger Kurt Bills.

For those who don’t want to travel to Gilfillan, which is midway between Morgan and Redwood Falls, they can see Parry and Quist on KSTP-TV’s “At Issue” show today — 10 a.m. on Channel 5.

There’s also a Nicollet County Board forum planned for the Nicollet County Fair in St. Peter Thursday night. First District Commissioner Marie Dranttel will be on hand, along with challengers Terry Genelin and James Golgart. The event runs from 7-8 p.m. on the Johnson Hall Stage at the fairgrounds.

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