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PHYSICIAN

Total Donated

$186,402,640

Contributions

536,585

Unique Donors

26,937

Top Employer

PHYSICIAN

Contributors who listed PHYSICIAN on federal itemized receipts account for $186.4M, according to FEC.gov aggregates on LobbyVault. That sum is 536,585 contributions from 26,937 donors. PHYSICIAN is a self-reported employer/occupation string, not a NAICS health-care sector, and it is not merged with DOCTOR, DENTIST, or a hospital employer name. Practice groups, health systems, and 'self' appear in other rows when that is the typed employer.

Key figures

  • PHYSICIAN-labeled receipts total $186.4M.
  • 26,937 donors produced 536,585 contribution lines.
  • DOCTOR, DENTIST, and hospital-name rows are separate.
  • PHYSICIAN is FEC self-reported text, not a NAICS industry.

A credential used as an industry key

Many clinicians write PHYSICIAN in occupation and repeat it in employer, or they name a clinic in employer and PHYSICIAN in occupation. LobbyVault's industry ranking for this page keys on the PHYSICIAN label. That is why a medical title sits in the same table as RETIRED and GOLDMAN SACHS.

The $186.4M figure is not 'health care spending on politics' and not AMA membership giving. It is itemized individual receipts grouped under this one string. NAICS 62 (health care) is a different classification system the FEC does not apply here.

26,937 donors, 536,585 lines

26,937 donors produced 536,585 PHYSICIAN contribution lines. Repeat giving across committees and dates accounts for receipts exceeding unique donors. The cluster is smaller in dollars than the attorney row and larger than the doctor row, which uses a different English word.

No party share is published on this industry total. Specialty (cardiology, pediatrics) is not in the industry key unless the donor typed it — and even then it would be a different string.

Full analysis: PHYSICIAN on FEC schedules: $186.4M disclosed

Questions

How much have PHYSICIAN donors given in federal races?
LobbyVault attributes $186.4M to the PHYSICIAN FEC string, from 536,585 contributions and 26,937 donors. DOCTOR is a separate label. Neither figure is a NAICS health-care total. Figures on this answer are limited to that FEC string as indexed on LobbyVault; unitemized gifts and non-federal filings are omitted.
Does this include hospital employees who are not M.D.s?
Only if the grouped label is PHYSICIAN. Nurses, administrators, and staff who typed a hospital name or another title are in other rows. The $186.4M is the PHYSICIAN string only. Figures on this answer are limited to that FEC string as indexed on LobbyVault; unitemized gifts and non-federal filings are omitted.
Why isn't DOCTOR included?
FEC fields store literal text. PHYSICIAN and DOCTOR do not match, so LobbyVault keeps two industry rows. Merging them is a researcher choice. Figures on this answer are limited to that FEC string as indexed on LobbyVault; unitemized gifts and non-federal filings are omitted.
How many unique physician donors are listed?
The rollup counts 26,937 donors and 536,585 contribution lines. Repeat gifts raise the receipt count. This is not a count of all licensed physicians. Figures on this answer are limited to that FEC string as indexed on LobbyVault; unitemized gifts and non-federal filings are omitted.

Industry labels come from FEC employer/occupation self-reports, not NAICS. Data from FEC.gov via LobbyVault.

Industry ties

All data ties →

Cycle-over-Cycle Trend

PHYSICIAN political contributions by election cycle.
CycleTotalContributionsDonors
1980$569,178810632
1982$162,21418499
1984$247,41521498
1986$158,20014372
1988$194,47518896
1990$189,286282140
1992$253,063374156
1994$193,928367136
1996$307,829425149
1998$194,394255115
2000$298,117342128
2002$296,64723297
2004$332,12824584
2006$213,53322183
2008$354,02134395
2010$218,66621470
2012$1,344,86529195
2014$265,40323280

Top Donors

Top PHYSICIAN donors ranked by total donated.
#NameTotalContributionsCity / StateOccupationHistory
1CHASIN, RICHARD$12,00016CAMBRIDGE, MA1980
2HARRIS, CYNTHIA DR$10,0003CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH1980
3MCGOVERN, JOHN P$9,0005HOUSTON, TX1980
4MCGOVERN, JOHN P DR$7,0003HOUSTON, TX1980
5LANJEWAR, DATTATRAYA DR$6,0002PELHAM MANOR, NY1980
6DEMING, JOHN W DR$5,60015ALEXANDRIA, LA1980
7CARROLL, CARL DR$5,0001HOUSTON, TX1980
8BLETZ, DONALD B$5,0002SHAWNEE MISSION, KS1980
9MC GOVERN, JOHN P$5,0001HOUSTON, TX1980
10LERNER, DIANA DR$5,0002LA JOLLA, CA1980
11KIM, JAY W DR$4,0004POTOMAC, MD1980
12HERTZOG, F C JR MR$4,0001LONG BEACH, CA1980
13HERTZOG, F C DR JR$3,7502LONG BEACH, CA1980
14HAMPERS, C L$3,0004DUBLIN, NH1980
15CROY, DAN J DR$3,0002TESUQUE, NM1980
16LIND, CARL JOHN JR$3,0003HOUSTON, TX1980
17BIGGS, THOMAS M DR$3,0002HOUSTON, TX1980
18CAMPBELL, JOHN P$2,7504BIRMINGHAM, MI1980
19BROOKS, JESSE M DR$2,7505ATLANTA, TX1980
20GIANAKON, HARRY G$2,7503HAVERFORD, PA1980
21FLOYD, C EDWARD$2,7004FLORENCE, SC1980
22DEWALL, RICHARD A$2,5003DAYTON, OH1980
23DE WALL, RICHARD A MD$2,5002DAYTON, OH1980
24MEEKER, WALTER B DR$2,5003TROY, OH1980
25HERTZOG, F C JR DR$2,2502LONG BEACH, CA1980
26COLEMAN, ARTHUR DR$2,0621SAN FRANCISCO, CA1980
27FRIST, THOMAS F JR DR$2,0503NASHVILLE, TN1980
28BICKEL, F G DR$2,0001SAINT LOUIS, MO1980
29GRIMES, DON DR$2,0004REXBURG, ID1980
30HYROOP, GILBERT$2,0001OKLAHOMA CITY, OK1980
31JARRELL, WALTER G DR$2,0002JACKSONVILLE, FL1980
32BORCHERS, CHARLES L DR$2,0001VICTORIA, TX1980
33LIND, CARL J MD$2,0002HOUSTON, TX1980
34KLINE, NATHAN S$2,0002NEW YORK, NY1980
35BARTON, ROBERT K DR$2,0007SEWANEE, TN1980
36CASEY, WATT M DR$2,0004ALBANY, TX1980
37HORNER, DAVID B DR$2,0002SANTA MONICA, CA1980
38DEMING, JOHN DR$2,0003ALEXANDRIA, LA1980
39GALLUN, ARTHUR B DR$2,0002BOISE, ID1980
40MONTELARO, LOUIS V DR$2,0001NEW ROADS, LA1980
41KUHN, ROGER C DR$2,0001SAN FRANCISCO, CA1980
42HOLTZMAN, ROBERT N$2,0002NEW YORK, NY1980
43BOSHELL, BURIS R MD$2,0002BIRMINGHAM, AL1980
44CUCE, EDMOND B MD$2,0001MURRAY HILL, NJ1980
45BAKER, H M JR$2,0001LUPPERTON, NC1980
46KALDIS, LOUISE C$2,0002HOUSTON, TX1980
47KALISMAN, MICHAEL$2,0002NEW YORK, NY1980
48LIEBESKIND, ROBERT S$2,0002PLANTATION, FL1980
49CHASTAIN, J B MD$2,0002COLUMBUS, GA1980
50BING, PETER S$1,9002LOS ANGELES, CA1980

Top Recipients

Top political committees that received PHYSICIAN donations.
#CommitteeTotalContributions
1AMERICAN CROSSROADSC00487363$1,000,5003
2ACTBLUEC00401224$293,21248
3DNC SERVICES CORP / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEEC00010603$292,282110
4DSCCC00042366$284,73148
5DCCCC00000935$258,31136
6NRSCC00027466$169,11688
7REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEEC00003418$163,14293
8REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE - CONTRIBUTIONS (AKA REPUBLICAN NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEEC00003376$154,848102
9WINREDC00694323$134,51927
10NATIONAL REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL COMMITTEE - CONTRIBUTIONS *C00091009$115,910103
11NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTIONSC00002931$97,43095
12OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012C00494740$81,30013
132001 PRESIDENT'S DINNER - NON-FEDERAL INDIVIDUALC60001872$75,0003
14NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR AN EFFECTIVE CONGRESSC00003558$56,05010
15NRCCC00075820$55,52321
16RNC REPUBLICAN NATIONAL STATE ELECTIONS COMMITTEEC60000015$54,20015
17NRSC - NONFEDERALC60000148$53,0005
18CARTER/MONDALE PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE INCC00108407$44,05066
19OBAMA FOR AMERICAC00431445$43,96743
20TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEC00001214$43,42054
21TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN COMMITTEEC00618371$42,82721
22FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE PACC00703975$42,20618
23MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN PACC00580100$35,78517
24NRCCC - NON FEDERAL #1C60000205$30,2504
25HARRIS VICTORY FUNDC00744946$29,2899