The national party transfers don't include large individual soft money donations raised directly by state and local parties in North Carolina. All that money helped inflate the cost of N.C. politics. Last year, for example, candidates who won legislative races spent 85 percent more than they had just two years before. A lot came from soft money filtered through parties. The hunt for big money led Hayes to companies like First Union.
Critics say big donors buy big leverage.
Though Democrats and Republicans shared almost equally in soft money from national parties, Republicans raised more within the state. For some donors, the ultimate use of their money may be less important than the fact that they gave it. Whoever makes that contribution gets credit'' with the politician soliciting it, says Baddour. Take Chapel Hill lawyer Adam Stein. I was hopeful that it was going to help Harvey,'' Stein says.