In an era of multimillion-dollar political campaigns, contributors such as Ruth Upson and Hilda Stern stand out. The base of contributors to each candidate also is smaller than it was eight years ago. At the same time, the average contribution and the largest single contribution collected by both Mr. Taft and Mr. Fisher is larger. Ms. Lewis said the 1998 gubernatorial campaign, which already is on track to become the most expensive in state history, has violated the spirit of campaign finance reform. Yet we watch them fritter away millions of dollars on pointless, mindless TV ads.
Experts say the number of small donors can help gauge the health of a political campaign.
Mrs. Upson, for instance, described herself as a family friend who has known Mr. Taft all of his life. Mr. Taft and Mr. Fisher have each raised less than Mr. Voinovich did eight years ago. By contrast, 9.8 percent of Mr. Taft's funds and 7.8 percent of Mr. Fisher's funds have come from small donors. Large contributions from individuals and PACs that once jumped out from campaign finance reports are illegal now. On the campaign trail, Mr. Taft has cited his work on campaign finance reform as one of the top accomplishments during his eight-year tenure as Ohio's top elections official.