Dec. 17, 2010 -- Rep. Sam Graves has been designated by Republican leadership to lead the House Committee on Small Business, according to an article in the New York Times. Graves, who represents the 6th District of Missouri, is currently serving as the Small Business Committee's ranking minority member.
The following are the top ten contributors to Graves's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Services/Products | $64,900 |
| Air Transport | $63,999 |
| Automotive | $47,500 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $47,000 |
| Insurance | $43,150 |
| Banks and Credit | $38,900 |
| Public Sector Unions | $33,500 |
| Railroads | $33,000 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $32,788 |
| Telephone Utilities | $31,400 |
Rep. Graves will replace the Small Business Committee's chairperson for the 111th Congress, New York Democrat Nydia Velazquez. The following are the top ten contributors to Velazquez's campaign by interest group:
| Interest | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Banks and Credit | $65,600 |
| Securities & Investment | $50,900 |
| Health Professionals | $45,300 |
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $41,515 |
| Accountants | $25,500 |
| Special Trade Contractors | $25,500 |
| Insurance | $22,500 |
| Real Estate | $21,150 |
| General Labor Unions | $20,000 |
| Misc Finance | $19,150 |
Contributions above are for the last two years of available data, Oct 14, 2008 - Oct 13, 2010. Contributions from political parties and from other candidates are not included in the "Top 10" lists. Contributions data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics (OpenSecrets.org).
