In Obama campaign, tech industry donors could be outspending their Hollywood counterparts

A set of internal documents published by the New York Times has shed light on the “bundlers” who help raise money for Obama’s campaign, and many of them are from the world of technology. After analyzing the data, BuzzFeed found that through 2011 and 2012, $27 million of the $180 million raised came from people in the tech industry, including Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. What’s more, tech industry donors could be outspending their counterparts in the entertainment industry, long a powerhouse in Democratic fundraising. BuzzFeed counted only $9.5 million from the entertainment sector over the same period of time, although Los Angeles donors still outspent those in Silicon Valley.

Since the data only covers the Obama or general Democratic campaign and may not be complete, it’s hard to say whether both parties are seeing an influx in tech spending. Buzzfeed also admits that the list is somewhat subjective in deciding who fits the bill, and different parts of the tech industry — like web companies and telecommunications ones — are often at odds with each other. It’s no secret, however, that giants like Facebook and Google have stepped up overall lobbying and donations in the past few years, and protests like those over SOPA and PIPA have thrown political conflicts between tech and other industries into sharp relief.