Hillary Leads In Industry Contributions

Democratic presidential candidates are amassing the largest contributions to the campaigns from the insurance industry by a solid margin, with Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., leading in industry contributions of the candidates remaining in the race.

According to the website of the Center for Responsive Politics, a bipartisan watchdog group, through January, Clinton has raised $781,361 from the insurance industry. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who is ahead of her in the vote for delegates for president, received $594,760 through January from the insurance industry.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the presumptive Republican nominee, has raised $381,482 from the insurance industry during the comparable period, according to the CRP website, opensecrets.org.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who dropped out of the race in January, was the leader through January in contributions from the insurance industry, with donations of $798,612 from insurers. The Senate Banking Committee, of which Dodd is chairman, has primary oversight over insurance regulatory issues in the Senate.

In total, Obama leads in contributions, according to the CRP website, amassing $113.3 million in donations through January, the latest numbers available.

Clinton is next of the remaining candidates, with $105.4 million in donations, and McCain third, with $48.5 million in donations.

The total numbers are for the 2007-2008 election cycle.