Tom Humphrey noted that across Tennessee Democrats vastly outspent Republicans in state-level races.

The Tennessee Democratic Party spent almost $2.6 million from its state-level fund, versus about $640,000 spent by the Tennessee Legislative Campaign Committee, the name given by Republicans to their party’s primary state-level fund.

However, in federal races within the state it was Republicans who came out on top:

Both parties have separate and larger federal-level funds, registered with the Federal Election Commission. The Tennessee GOP federal fund had expenditures totaling almost $5.6 million in 2006 while the Democratic counterpart spent about $5.2 million, reports show.

The Democrats’ Randy Button says that it is Republicans who are the party of the rich, getting their donations “by the dump truck load,” while the GOP’s Chris Devaney counters that Democratic talk that Republicans are the party of the rich is bunk. Let me offer a counterproposal:

The incumbent party is the party of the rich.

That explains both the Democratic fundraising advantage in state legislative races and the advantage afforded the then-reigning GOP in Congress.

I’ll lay odds that the trend will continue in ‘08. Unless there is something which portends a drastic shift in power, I’ll bet you a beer that Democrats will out-fundraise Republicans in Congress and in the State House, while Republicans will lead the way in the State Senate.

Any takers?

UPDATE:

Ben Cunningham has the breakdown of expenditures in greater detail.

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