Republican presidential contenders are landing big-money donors, but the biggest fish remain at large.
Marco Rubio made the latest splash last week when Norman Braman, a wealthy Miami auto dealer, pledged to contribute upwards of $10 million to a super PAC backing the Florida senator's potential presidential candidacy. It came amid a string of moves by Republican presidential prospects who are asking the party's top donors and fundraisers to commit to their campaigns. Jeb Bush has spent the last several weeks scooping up top GOP donors all around the country, including New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, who was a top fundraiser for Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign. Home Depot cofounder Ken Langone and former Texas Republican Party finance chairman Ray Washburne are helping Chris Christie raise early cash. And even long-shot presidential contender Rick Santorum has Foster Friess, a millionaire businessman, on his side as he considers a second bid.
Still, some of the most prominent Republican donors and bundlers from the past few elections have yet to commit to a 2016 presidential candidate. Here are seven of them.
Paul Singer: After Woody Johnson signed on to help Bush, Singer is one of the biggest remaining bundlers from Romney's 2012 campaign. Singer kept up his political giving habits during the last election, contributing more to super PACs in 2014—$10.5 million—than any other Republican in the country, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Singer's staunch support for same-sex marriage sets him apart from the rest of the GOP donor community, so any candidate who shifts to the middle on that issue could win his backing. One of Singer's most recent donations went to Rubio's leadership PAC last December, but for now, he is keeping his 2016 options open.