Islanders break ranks with state, pollsters say

Jamestowners do not follow the pack, at least when it comes to giving money to presidential candidates.

A recent campaign finance report by the Washington Post details the contributions made by Jamestown residents to presidential candidates. The figures were obtained from filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Hillary Rodham Clinton leads the Democrats and the Republicans statewide in fund-raising.

In Jamestown, however, Clinton is in second place among the Democratic candidates, trailing primary rival Bill Richardson.

During the third quarter of 2007 in Jamestown, Richardson raised $5,600 while Clinton received $1,000. Barack Obama was third in Jamestown with $350.

Most of the national fund-raising was done in the third quarter. The amounts do not differ much from the overall campaign summary.

John McCain raised the most money in Jamestown among Republican candidates with $1,100 during the third quarter. Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani did not receive any contributions locally during the same time period.

But Romney was the big winner among the Republicans in Jamestown for the overall campaign fund-raising with $4,600. Guiliani garnered a total of $4,513, while McCain received only $1,300.

Former Gov. Bruce Sundlun, a Democrat and island resident, alerted the Jamestown Press to the Washington Post report. Sundlun said he believes the campaign contribution numbers reveal that Jamestown is "probably overwhelmingly Republican in national politics."

Sundlun, an astute political observer, said if you relate dollars as votes in Jamestown, the campaign finance report puts Richardson in first place, Romney in second, Giuliani in third, McCain in fourth, Clinton in fifth, and Obama in sixth.

Of course there remains quite a bit of time until the Rhode Island presidential primary in March 2008. The lead in the race could change several times.

- Jeff McDonough