Sen. Hillary Clinton (D., N.Y.), a potential presidential candidate in 2008, has bucked the fashion industry’s GOP contribution trend and is a top recipient of retail and apparel manufacturing contributions in this election cycle.
Clinton, who is running in a virtually uncontested reelection race for a second term in the Senate this November, has close ties to designers and apparel retail executives.
She is the second-largest recipient of retail contributions in this two-year cycle, having received $112,895 from the retail sector through July 10, according to the Center for Responsive Politics and Federal Election Commission records. Rep. Mark Kennedy (R., Minn.), a member of the Financial Services Committee, as well as the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, has received the most campaign contributions from retailers with $132,150. Clinton also has received $15,900 from the apparel manufacturing sector and is the third-largest recipient of its campaign donations.
While most retailers, apparel companies and industry political action committees did not contribute to Clinton, with the exception of Gap Inc., which gave $1,000, and Limited Brands Inc. with a $5,000 contribution, individual designers and apparel executives gave heavily to the senator.
Among the designers and retail executives who have contributed to Clinton or her own PAC this election are: Diane von Furstenberg, $9,000; Millard Drexler, chairman and ceo, J. Crew Group, $5,700; Leonard Lauder, chairman, the Estée Lauder Cos., $2,100; Oscar de la Renta, $5,000; Nicole Miller, $1,000; Kenneth Cole, $3,000; Vera Wang, $3,200, and Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue, $1,000.
Paul Charron, chairman and chief executive officer of Liz Claiborne Inc., has close ties to Clinton and has given $6,000 to her in the past few years.
“I have great admiration for Hillary and respect for her intellect,” said Charron, who has known Clinton for years. “I think she is slightly to the left of center on social issues and slightly to the right of center on economic issues and, frankly, that is kind of the way I am.”
Von Furstenberg, labeling herself an “unconditional Democrat,” said she believes women should hold more positions of power.
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“I think Hillary Clinton is competent, compassionate and effective,” said von Furstenberg, recently elected president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “She is formidable and she represents New York really well, and I hope she continues to do so.”
Clinton has taken in $33.1 million in this election cycle, spent $16.7 million and retains a $22 million war chest for a potential presidential bid. According to FEC regulations, candidates can carry over campaign funds into future elections.
“Because she is a senator from New York and so much of the fashion industry and [a large portion] of the retail industry is headquartered in New York, it is an industry and constituency that is very important to Senator Clinton,” said Ann Lewis, director of communications for Clinton’s reelection campaign. “She is very proud of the creativity and economic engine that fashion represents.”
Lewis recalled an event honoring Oscar de la Renta that Clinton could not attend and instead sent her husband, former president Bill Clinton, in her absence.
Donna Karan also has held a number of fund-raising events for Clinton this year at her town house, Lewis said.
While Clinton embraces most in the fashion industry, she has distanced herself from at least one key player, the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a company whose board she sat on for six years while her husband was governor of Arkansas.
Clinton returned a $5,000 contribution to Wal-Mart late last year, citing “serious differences” with the company’s current practices.