If money is any measure, the teachers’ unions certainly have a thing for Hillary Clinton.
According to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, the 3.2-million-member National Education Association may have endorsed Barack Obama for president, but Clinton got just a little more of their money: $23,000 compared with the $22,000 received by Obama.
And the American Federation of Teachers, which first endorsed Clinton for president, gave her a whopping $32,000 compared with just around $11,000 for Obama, whom they later endorsed.
The NEA made it into the top 10 “heavy-hitters” list of political givers since 1989 as the seventh most generous giver, handing out contributions adding up to $28 million, including 7 percent to Republicans. The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees was the biggest giver, with $39.6 million in contributions. The AFT ranked at number 15, with nearly $25 million in contributions.
So far, in the 2008 election cycle, the NEA has given out $746,000 to Democrats and nearly $72,000 to Republicans.
The AFT, while the smaller union with 1.4 million members, has given out more in political contributions this year: nearly $1.3 million. Of this, only $1,000 has gone to Republicans.