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91% of 2024 CMC-Affiliated Political Donations Go to Democrats
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
CMC-affiliated donations over time.
According to the nonprofit OpenSecrets, over 91% of the $22,782 in political donations made by Claremont McKenna-affiliated individuals in 2024 went to Democrats. While CMC-affiliated donations have leaned consistently left since 2012, 2024 marks the starkest partisan divide in donations yet, with donations to Democrats exceeding donations to Republicans by over a factor of 10.
Although CMC itself does not make political contributions, the donations of individuals affiliated with the college can provide insight into the preferences of the CMC community. OpenSecrets defines affiliated individuals as an “organization's individual members or employees... and those individuals' immediate family members.”
The candidate receiving the most funds was Aditya Pai, a Democrat and CMC alumnus who was defeated in the primary for California’s 45th congressional district. Pai took in $7,725 from CMC-affiliated donors.
In the presidential election, CMC affiliates donated $6,306 to Kamala Harris and $1,800 to Donald Trump.
As recently as 2012, a majority of CMC-affiliated donations went to Republicans. Since then, donations in every election cycle have favored Democrats, though none as sharply as 2024. 91.3% of 2024 donations went to Democrats, an increase from 86.5% in 2016 and 88.3% in 2020.
The partisan divide in donations was even sharper for the other Claremont Colleges. 99.7% of the $69,595 donated by Pomona-affiliated individuals went to Democrats, along with 99.7% of the $9,923 donated by Scripps-affiliated donors and 99.4% of the $9,656 donated by Harvey Mudd-affiliated donors. Data for donors affiliated with Pitzer College were not available.
Reading this post made me think about how much I rely on student academic support UK resources during exam season. Most of my coursework at uni in Leeds revolves around strict word limits, and going over by even fifty words can cost marks. I never really noticed how small details like that shaped my grades until this term. I started using a free online word counter tool last month, and it became part of my daily routine. I paste my draft, check the count, and trim extra sentences before submitting. It saves me from sudden panic every time.
This is a well-sourced piece of data journalism that raises genuinely interesting questions about ideological consistency in elite liberal arts institutions. The historical comparison is the most thought-provoking part — the shift from a Republican majority in 2012 to a factor-of-ten Democratic advantage in 2024 maps closely onto broader national trends in education-level partisan affiliation. As a politics student, I used Reflective Writing Support resources while reflecting on academic echo chambers for a module journal, and this article provided exactly the kind of empirical evidence that made my personal reflection feel grounded and credible.
This is a well-sourced piece of data journalism that raises genuinely interesting questions about ideological consistency in elite liberal arts institutions, particularly one like CMC that markets itself on viewpoint diversity and intellectual independence. The historical comparison is the most thought-provoking part the shift from a Republican majority in 2012 to a factor-of-ten Democratic advantage in 2024 maps closely onto broader national trends in how education-level correlates with partisan affiliation. The 99.7% figures at Pomona and Scripps make CMC's 91.3% look almost moderate by comparison. As a politics and data journalism student currently preparing postgraduate applications with support from a Statement Of Purpose Writing Service, I have been researching how campus political homogeneity influences academic discourse and the range of…
Wild that 91% of the $22,782 went to Democrats — a factor-of-10 gap really is the starkest split since 2012. The bit about OpenSecrets counting immediate family members too makes me wonder how much that skews things. By the way, I keep a free AI goatee and beard style preview tool I like to share: https://goatee.io/
This article offers a fascinating glimpse into political leanings within the CMC community. It's interesting how individual contributions can highlight trends, even without direct institutional involvement. The clear shift towards Democrats in 2024 is a significant finding. For those of us who enjoy a good word puzzle, it’s almost as engaging as finding the daily Wordle Unlimited answer! It really makes you wonder about the bigger picture behind these numbers.