The MAPPS Political Action Committee (MAPPS PAC) today announced it has provided $56,000 in support for 41 candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for the November 7 election.
"MAPPS strongly supports these candidates. They were selected for support from our PAC based on their records on geospatial and general business issues, committee assignments, leadership positions, and the status of their election campaigns," said MAPPS Executive Director and PAC Treasurer John Palatiello. "This year, we implemented a comprehensive new process of candidate evaluation, input from our members, and staff analysis."
Palatiello added, "The candidates we are supporting are those we recommend to our members in their respective districts and states on Election Day. We also remind our members that if they are traveling on Election Day, to the MAPPS-ASPRS conference in San Antonio or elsewhere, they should be sure to vote absentee before departing their homes."
The following candidates received financial support from the MAPPS PAC:
Representative Rob Andrews (D-NJ)
Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Representative Henry Bonilla (R-TX)
Representative Chris Cannon (R-UT)
Representative Ben Chandler (D-KY)
Representative John Culberson (R-TX)
Representative Tom Davis (R-VA)
Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Representative John Duncan (R-TN)
Representative J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ)
Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)
Representative Sue Kelly (R-NY)
Representative Jack Kingston (R-GA)
Representative Don Manzullo (R-IL)
Representative Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
Representative Anne Northup (R-KY)
Representative Jim Oberstar (D-MN)
Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA)
Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV)
Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT)
Representative Adam Smith (D-WA)
Representative Charles Taylor (R-NC)
Representative Mark Udall (D-CO)
Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA)
Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM)
Candidate Michele Bachmann (R-MN), open seat
Candidate Mac Collins (R-GA)
Candidate John Gard (R-WI), open seat
Senator George Allen (R-VA)
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Senator Jim Talent (R-MO)
Candidate Bob Corker (R-TN), open seat
The PAC is the legal, ethical and professional way for membership organizations, such as MAPPS to engage in our great political process. The MAPPS PAC is a separate, segregated political fund that does NOT use dues money. The MAPPS PAC accepts voluntary, personal contributions from individual MAPPS Member Firm principals and executives to support candidates for Federal office who support the geospatial community and the free enterprise system. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), the statute that governs the financing of federal elections, groups, such as trade and professional associations, can form committees to collect voluntary, individual contributions from members in a pool, and to make contributions from those committees to candidates for Federal office. MAPPS must rely on the generous, voluntary, personal contributions of individual executives from its member firms. That is where the MAPPS PAC fits in.
About MAPPS
MAPPS is the oldest and largest association of private sector firms in the mapping, spatial data, and geographic information systems field in the United States. Formed in 1982, MAPPS has more than 160 private sector firms employing over 10,000 individuals in geospatial related positions.
