The following list is of the 25 candidates -- all incumbents -- in the 1996 U.S. House elections who raised the highest percentage of their funds from sources out of their House district. (The list is from a May 1997 report produced by U.S. PIRG called "Carpetbagger Cash.") Candidates in bold are "untouchable" incumbents who have won at least their last two elections by landslide margins of 20% or more. Districts are underlined if the incumbent is a Democrat and Bill Clinton received more than 57% in the districts. Districts are in bold if the incumbent is a Republican and Clinton received less than 41% in the district.
Note that the top 11 on the list are "untouchables" who have won all three of their elections in the 1990s by landslide. In all, 19 of 25 are untouchables, most represent districts that are very safe for their party and most others are well-established, long-time incumbents.
| Rank | CD | Candidate | $: Out-of-District % | 1996% | 1994% | 1992% | Clinton '96 | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | SC 2 | Floyd Spence (R) | 93.5% ($300,600) | 90% | 100% | 88% | 41% | 1970 |
| 2. | CA 26 | Howard Berman (D) | 91.8% ($389,050) | 66% | 63% | 61% | 65% | 1982 |
| 3. | IL 1 | Bobby Rush (D) | 91.1% ($178,335) | 86% | 76% | 83% | 85% | 1992 |
| 4. | AL 7 | Earl Hilliard (D) | 90.0% ($188,050) | 71% | 77% | 70% | 73% | 1992 |
| 5. | PA 12 | John Murtha (D) | 89.8% ($592,787) | 70% | 69% | 100% | 46% | 1974 |
| 6. | CA 40 | Jerry Lewis (R) | 89.5% ($497,336) | 65% | 71% | 63% | 38% | 1978 |
| 7. | WV 3 | Nick Rahall (D) | 89.2% ($302,380) | 100% | 64% | 66% | 58% | 1976 |
| 8. | WV 1 | Alan Mollohan (D) | 89.1% ($186,850) | 100% | 70% | 100% | 49% | 1982 |
| 9. | MN 8 | James Oberstar (D) | 88.7% ($423,727) | 67% | 66% | 59% | 53% | 1974 |
| 10. | NY 24 | John McHugh (R) | 88.3% ($297,653) | 71% | 79% | 61% | 49% | 1992 |
| 11. | CA 30 | Xavier Becerra (D) | 87.8% ($220,323) | 72% | 66% | 58% | 71% | 1992 |
| 12. | WA 6 | Norm Dicks (D) | 86.3% ($433,875) | 66% | 58% | 64% | 50% | 1976 |
| 13. | CA 31 | Matthew Martinez (D) | 86.1% ($94,500) | 67% | 59% | 63% | 65% | 1982 |
| 14. | IL 2 | Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D) | 86.0% ($521,795) | 94% | 76% (Spec., 1995) | 80% | 1995 | |
| 15. | CA 48 | Ron Packard (R) | 85.9% ($281,966) | 66% | 73% | 61% | 34% | 1982 |
| 16. | IL 3 | William Lipinski (D) | 85.6% ($375,015) | 65% | 54% | 64% | 53% | 1982 |
| 17. | MA 7 | Edward Markey (D) | 85.5% ($563,340) | 70% | 64% | 62% | 64% | 1976 |
| 18. | NY 9 | Charles Schumer (D) | 85.5% ($2,548,492) | 75% | 73% | 89% | 66% | 1980 |
| 19. | TX 25 | Ken Bentsen (D) | 85.1% ($1,324,141) | 57% | 52% | - | 51% | 1994 |
| 20. | TX 28 | Frank Tejeda (D) | 84.1% ($180,650) | 75% | 71% | 87% | 62% | 1992 |
| 21. | NC 12 | Melvin Watt (D) | 84.0% ($105,200) | 71% | 66% | 70% | 70% | 1992 |
| 22. | TX 24 | Martin Frost (D) | 83.8% ($1,612,295) | 56% | 53% | 60% | 53% | 1978 |
| 23. | UT 3 | Bill Orton (D) | 83.8% ($549,516) | LOST | 59% | 59% | 29% | 1996 |
| 24. | NY 15 | Charles Rangel (D) | 83.6% ($925,729) | 91% | 97% | 95% | 89% | 1970 |
| 25. | NY 22 | Gerald Solomon (R) | 83.0% ($527,680) | 60% | 73% | 65% | 45% | 1978 |
Produced in July 1997 by
The Center for Voting and Democracy
P0 Box 60037, Washington, DC 20039