Private-practice lawyers have contributed one-third of all money given to the four declared candidates for governor, campaign reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission reveal.

Four sectors -- law, oil and gas, financial services and health care -- provided more than half of all receipts through June 30.

With the 2010 general election still 17 months away, almost $1.8 million has been contributed to the four campaigns. Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat who started fundraising almost two years ago, has taken in $973,211.09 -- more than the other three candidates combined.

Of Edmondson's total, just over 50 percent $488,364 came from lawyers and other employees of private law firms.

About 18 percent of Edmondson's contributions came from out of state.

"Several of the out-of-state contributions are from members of Drew's family," said a campaign spokeswoman, Emily Lang. "And he has friends he's known for years."

She said an unusually large number of contributions from lawyers in Minnesota, for instance, came from a fundraiser put on by an old friend.

Edmondson has also had contributions from Washington, D.C., Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, California and Arizona. His donors include former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer; Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor; Fran Tarkenton, a former NFL quarterback; state Sen. Tom Adelson, who is running for Tulsa mayor; and large numbers of employees of AT&T, Pre- Paid Legal Services and the law firm of Riggs, Abney, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis, which is representing the state in its lawsuit against the poultry industry.

Lang said she expects other sources to weigh in as the campaign progresses.

"I don't think there's any other option," she said. "It's going to take every resource available to raise the $6 million experts say will be needed."

Although not approaching Edmondson's take from the legal profession, the Republican front-runner, U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, has also received substantial support from it -- $33,375 or about 7 percent of her total.

Oil and gas, the biggest financial supporter of Fallin during her two terms as the Fifth District's representative, have been her biggest source of cash in this campaign, too. Despite problems in the energy industry, oil and gas sources contributed $52,101 to Fallin -- about 11 percent of her total.

"Mary has been a consistent advocate for pro-energy policies that would bring jobs to Oklahoma and reduce our dependence on foreign oil," said Fallin's communications director, Alex Weintz. "For this reason, we welcome the support of Oklahoma's energy companies. With that said, our campaign will be fueled by grass-roots efforts, not any particular industry."

Fallin has already received the $5,000 maximum from both Devon Energy's founder, Larry Nichols, and the Devon political action committee, but other high-profile industry names have yet to show up on her donor list. Most notable of the missing are Aubrey McClendon and his Chesapeake Energy.

Fallin's donors include Bill Mathis, a furniture store owner; Daryl Woodard, a Tulsa businessman; state Rep. David Dank; Joe Robson, a real estate developer; and Robert Funk, the owner of Express Personnel.

Another Tulsa developer, Jay Helm, gave the maximum to both Edmondson and Fallin.

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who is contesting Edmondson for the Democratic nomination, has picked up $64,450, or about one-quarter of her total, from the legal profession. Health care ($27,280) and farming and ranching ($26,800) are her other major income sources.

Askins, like Fallin, has received very little money from out of state. Her donors include former Speakers of the House Loyd Benson and Larry Adair, state Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach and Taylor.

State Sen. Randy Brogdon, the other Republican in the race, is far behind Fallin in fundraising, but he did pick up the pace in the second quarter. Howard Rich, a New York developer who has given regularly to Brogdon's campaigns, contributed $5,000.

Rich is a major financial backer of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights movement, with which Brogdon is associated.

Contributions by sector

Through June 30

Sector: total, % of all contributions

Law: $588,344 33.4%

Oil & gas: $114,746 6.5%

Financial: $101,525 5.8%

Health care: $96,920 5.5%

Total: $901,535 51.2%

Randy Krehbiel 581-8365

Originally published by RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer.

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