WASHINGTON — Political action committees representing a variety of business interests contributed nearly half of North Carolina U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's $700,000 campaign take in the first three months of this year.
Burr's Senate campaign received money from drug companies, health care companies, tobacco companies and energy companies. Telecommunications firms, financial services groups and defense manufacturers also sent money his way.
That leaves Burr, a Winston-Salem, N.C., Republican, with about $1.6 million in the bank toward his re-election bid next year, according to the federal campaign finance report he filed this week. Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of the Cook Political Report in Washington, said Burr's fund-raising was "perfectly acceptable." They might not fend off Democratic opposition, though.
"Were the numbers enough to scare the likes of a Roy Cooper out of the race? No," Duffy said.
Cooper, the North Carolina attorney general, is thought to be considering a run for Burr's seat, though he has not announced a candidacy.
Burr models himself as a pro-business Republican, and records show that about $333,615 came from political action committees. Most were associated with companies, though Burr received money from idealogical groups as well.
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