Jamaica Plain: Top Republican Presidential Campaign Contributors

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA - Massachusetts voters will take to the polls on March 1 to cast their ballots for the presidential nomination in each party, and if campaign contributions are any indication of appeal, it could be a close race on the Republican side.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has raised $634,775 in individual donations in the state, according to publicly available contribution data from the Federal Election Commission, despite polling in last place among remaining candidates nationally.

Here’s how much the other Republican candidates have taken in from Bay Staters:

• Neurosurgeon Ben Carson - $241,501
• Texas Sen. Ted Cruz — $230,654
• Ohio Gov. John Kasich — $174,766
• Donald Trump — $55,790

This seems to contradict national contribution numbers, with Rubio leading the way instead of Carson. The neurosurgeon trails Rubio in state contribution numbers, followed by Cruz, Kasich and Trump.

Those numbers, though, are a bit misleading.

While the campaigns have raised plenty of money through individual contributions, Super PACs have poured tons of money to support campaigns as well.

Outside groups have raised $46,726,605 for Cruz, $13,807,549 for Carson, $34,313,903 for Rubio, $6,729,311 for Kasich and $1,894,509 for Trump, according to OpenSecrets.

No one in Jamaica Plain gave individual contributions of at least $500 to Republican campaigns:

Marco Rubio

• None

Ben Carson

• None

Ted Cruz

• None

John Kasich

• None

Donald Trump

• None

The maximum amount of money an individual can give to a campaign under federal law is $2,700.

Following voting in four states, Trump holds a commanding lead in delegate count with 82. Cruz has 17 pledged delegates, Rubio 16, Kasich 6 and Carson 4.

The last time Massachusetts voted in a Republican presidential primary, the state’s citizens chose Mitt Romney over Rick Santorum, 72 to 12 percent.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on election day.