If money talks, Democrats in Lawrence are shouting.

Campaign finance reports show federal Democratic candidates and political action committees are receiving more checks for larger amounts from Lawrence than their Republican counterparts during the 2004 election cycle, according to the Web site OpenSecrets.org.

“I think it reflects the phone calls I’ve received — people who haven’t been active before are active now, the reason being that we can’t stand another four years of (President) Bush,” said Marilyn Greathouse, chairwoman of the Douglas County Democratic Party.

John Kerry, the Democratic nominee, has raised more than three times what Bush has received from people in Lawrence, according to the site. Kerry’s take is $29,150, compared with $8,135 for Bush.

Chris Miller, chairman of the Douglas County Republican Party, said he hadn’t seen the numbers.

“I understand there’s a lot of Democrats in Lawrence,” he said. “We’re kind of known for that.”

The Web site is sponsored by the Center for Responsive Politics, which describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit research group that tracks money and its effects in politics. The site displays, by ZIP code, all contributions of more than $200 reported to the Federal Election Commission; the data was last updated Aug. 2.

Democratic energy

According to a Journal-World analysis of the data:

On the Street: Does it surprise you that John Kerry has raised more funds in Lawrence than President Bush? 6News video: Lawrence donors contribute to presidential campaignsContribution data by ZIP code66044 | 66046 | 66047 | 66049 OpenSecrets.org: Lawrence presidential contributions

• There have been 450 contributions made from Lawrence during the 2004 cycle, totaling $244,332.
• Of those contributions, 294 went to Democrats — or to PACs that generally support Democrats — for a total of $169,664.
• Of the top 10 Lawrence contributors, eight supported Democratic candidates and PACs; one supported definitively Republican causes.

The remaining contributor, Lawrence car dealer Dale Willey, made the bulk of his donations to the National Auto Dealers Assn. — and contributed to the campaigns of both Democrat Dennis Moore and Republican Jim Ryun, Lawrence-area incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives.

• Nancy Boyda, the Democrat challenging Ryun, led congressional candidates in receiving Lawrence money, with $36,616. She was followed by Moore, with $33,250; Ryun, with $18,050; and Republican Kris Kobach, Moore’s challenger, with $4,250.

Burdett Loomis, Kansas University political science professor, said support for Democrats in Lawrence was no surprise.

“First, I think you can look back to past elections and see that it’s part of a long-term trend in Lawrence — though not as pronounced as this year,” he said. “And second, this year you’re looking at higher levels of contributions … if you’re looking at energy in this election, the energy is on the side of the Democrats.”

Loomis’ wife and son both made contributions to Democratic causes.

‘Ridiculous’

Hortense Oldfather, a well-known Lawrence philanthropist and community activist, was the biggest contributor from Lawrence, making 16 donations totaling $14,400 to an array of Democratic candidates and causes.

“Because that seems to be the way we elect people these days,” Oldfather said Friday, adding that the amount of money spent on campaigns is “ridiculous.”

“I guess I think there might be better ways,” she said. “I think elections should be publicly supported in some ways, not by individuals. There ought to be a lot less money (in politics).”

But for Democrats, who have little hope of seeing the state’s electoral votes go to Kerry, political contributions may be the most effective way of having a voice in the presidential election.

“There’s people who go to register voters in Missouri and stuff like that,” Loomis said, “but on the national scene you do get to vote — and vote with your contribution.”