The Senate recount battle between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman has attracted a national following, judging from the high-bucks list of donors in their most recent federal elections reports.
As expected, both candidates received substantial support from their national party leaders, as they spent roughly $6 million apiece on the recount and election trial.
Fundraising reports covering the past three months also read like a Who's Who of the corporate, media and legal industries, in Minnesota and across the nation.
On Franken's side, the list includes actors Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd ($12,300 apiece), author John Grisham ($10,000), comedians Steve Martin and Jason Alexander ($2,500 and $5,000 respectively), composer Burt Bacharach ($300), and tennis star John McEnroe ($2,000).
Coleman's big hitters don't have the same star power, but they have pockets as deep: billboard mogul Robert Naegele ($10,000); Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson ($10,000); Best Buy CEO Bradbury Anderson ($5,000); Travelers Companies chief financial officer Jay Benet ($500) and a host of other top Travelers' insurance executives.
Franken also seems to have friends among captains of industry, such as CitiGroup executive Lisa Caputo ($500), Aveda founder Horst Rechelbacher ($12,300), and perennial Democratic rainmaker George Soros ($10,000).
But Coleman seems to have the edge with homegrown corporate stock, including Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold ($5,000), Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel ($10,000), retired food mogul George Pillsbury ($500), and perennial GOP donor, former GOP state senator and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor ($10,000). Restaurateur Jeno Paulucci also kicked in $4,500.
Franken's donor list also includes several top Democratic senators, among them Majority Leader Harry Reid, who gave $5,000 through his political action committee. On the GOP side, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky kicked in $5,000 through his PAC.
