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Craig Raises 75 Percent of Cash from Outside Idaho Associated Press Idaho Mountain Express - August 14, 2002

BOISE -- A constant stream of fund-raising appeals and several major pre-primary fund-raisers on both coasts enabled U.S. Sen. Larry Craig to stage one of the most successful fun-raising pushes ever in Idaho politics.

The Federal Election Commission made public last week the details of Craig's hunt for re-election funding between May 8 and the end of June.

The details showed that the Republican raised more than $10,000 a day during that seven-week period, generating $527,000. That left him $1.5 million short of the $4 million Craig said he needs to defeat Democratic challenger Alan Blinken, a former Wall Street investment banker and Clinton administration ambassador to Belgium who lives in Blaine County.

Craig had about $1.25 million in the bank at the beginning of July. The two-term politician has warned that his campaign will be very expensive because of Blinken's personal wealth.

By contrast, Blinken raised and spent less than $1 million through the end of June -- half of it out of his own pocket. His campaign treasury balance on July 1 was $3,100.

Seventy-five percent of Craig's campaign cash came from identified contributors out of state. Out-of-state donors accounted for less than half of those giving money to Craig during the weeks before and after the May 28 primary.

Many of Craig's individual financial supporters were retired people, business owners, executives and those involved in agriculture. Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot gave $1,000.