Al Franken: The 48th biggest political donor in Minnesota in the 2008 cycle.

The top 100 political givers in Minnesota have contributed $4.1 million to campaigns so far during the 2008 election season, or more than $40,000 per household. Republican donors have cut checks for $2.3 million, while their Democratic counterparts have handed out $1.8 million. To get a better understanding of the state’s most generous political patrons, the Minnesota Independent commissioned a study by the Center for Responsive Politics looking at the top 100 contributors. The analysis covers the first eighteen months of this election cycle.

In our first examination of these figures, we concentrated on the bottom quarter of the list, donors who have contributed between $23,471 and $28,900. The second installment in this series examined the next 25 names on the list, occupying slots 51 through 75. Today we crack the top 50, looking at places 41 through 50.

The donors in this decile have contributed between $32,750 and $36,800 each. Democratic candidates received slightly more than Republicans ($187,380 to $160,700) from this group. All but one of the ten donors gave exclusively to one major party or the other. The lone exception: Rebecca and Robert Pohlad. The latter is one of three sons of banking scion and Twins owner Carl Pohlad, as well as the top executive at beverage distributor PepsiAmericas. The couple have slightly favored Republicans in their largesse this election cycle ($19,700 to $16,500), but have also given $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama while stiffing John McCain. They are just one of three Pohlad households to crack the top 100.

The most immediately recognizable name on this portion of the list is Al Franken. The U.S. Senate candidate and his wife, Franni, wrote checks totaling $33,800 to Democratic candidates and causes through the first 18 months of this election cycle. Among the beneficiaries: Third Congressional District challenger Ashwin Madia ($4,600); Maine Rep. Tom Allen ($4,600), who is challenging Sen. Susan Collins for her post; and the Mind Matters PAC ($5,000), which focuses on mental illness and addiction issues.

The most conspicuous name on the Republican ledger is Michael Wigley. He is one of the state’s staunchest conservatives and a longtime influential donor. Wigley’s political resume lists practically every important conservative institution in the state. He’s the founder and chairman of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, a founder of the Freedom Club of America PAC and a board member at the Center of the American Experiment. Wigley has made millions in construction over the years and is the chief executive officer of Great Plains Companies.

The businessman has never been shy about wielding his clout. In 2000 he threatened to cut off funding for Republicans if Rep. Steve Sviggum wasn’t removed as Minnesota House Speaker. Sviggum’s sin? Failing to deliver sufficient tax cuts. At the time Wigley was breathtakingly blunt in laying out the quid pro quo that he expected for his political contributions. “Last cycle, I estimate that the Freedom Club and its members contributed somewhere in the neighborhood of $500,000 to individual House candidates, the House caucus and independent expenditures,” he wrote in an email to House Republicans. “If Steve resigns, we have a chance to get some of that money back in the game. If he doesn’t, most of it is gone.”

Wigley was an early backer of Rep. Michele Bachmann, helping the fledgling politician oust moderate Republican Gary Laidig from a state Senate seat in 2000. He also helped lead the conservative revolt against Gov. Tim Pawlenty after he signed off on a bump in the cigarette tax in 2005, breaking his pledge to not raise taxes. “Sure, Governor Pawlenty still insists that the tobacco tax increase is really a ‘health impact fee,’ not a tax,” Wigley and fellow anti-tax activist David Strom wrote at the time. “But outside the reality-challenged bubble of the Governor’s office, nobody seems to be fooled by these verbal gymnastics.”

But perhaps the most telling sign of Wigley’s influence on Republican politics in the state came at a 2003 Humphrey Institute forum featuring Wendell Anderson and three other former Governors. “Where’s Mr. Wigley?” Anderson asked the crowd. “He runs state government. Do you know Mike Wigley? Why would you want to be governor and not be able to do anything?”

Other political contributors occupying slots 41 through 50 on the list are less well known to the public. Shayna Berkowitz is a longtime DFL activist and executive producer of the 2004 documentary Wellstone!. Marlene and Tom Kayser are also easily recognized in progressive circles. The latter is a partner at legal powerhouse Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, while his wife has long been active in feminist causes.

On the Republican side, Hugh Schilling is the founder and chairman of Horton Holding, a Roseville company that manufactures truck parts. Among his political beneficiaries this election cycle: Sen. Norm Coleman ($2,300), North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole ($1,000) and the maximum allowed for John McCain ($4,600). Fredric Corrigan is a retired Cargill executive, who also served as president of The Mosaic Company, a fertilizer production business. In his final year at the helm of Mosaic in 2007, Corrigan earned $2.7 million, making him the 28th highest compensated executive of a publicly traded company in the state, according to the Star Tribune. The Minneapolis resident is currently a director with Xcel Energy.

Here’s the complete list of donors occupying slots 41 through 50:

41. Tom and Marlene Kayser, St. Paul, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, $38,680

42. Michael Wigley, Plymouth, Great Plains Companies, $37,800

43. Shayna Berkowitz, Minneapolis, philanthropist, $37,300

44. Hugh Schilling, St. Paul, Horton Holding, $36,500

45. Robert and Rebecca Pohlad, Edina, PepsiAmericas, $36,200

46. Irving Weiser, Minneapolis, retired, $35,100

*47. Ann Hoffman, Waconia, retired, $33,900

(Ann Hoffman is the wife of Norman Hoffman, who also appears on this list. When taken together, their contributions to federal candidates this election cycle actually total $94,100, which would place them 11th on this list of the state’s biggest donors.)

48. Fredric Corrigan, Minneapolis, retired, $33,800

(tie) Al and Franni Franken, Minneapolis, Alan Franken Inc., $33,800

50. Tina Smith, Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis, $32,750

The Crunch will be back on Wednesday for a look at donors 31 through 40 on the list of Minnesota’s 100 top political givers.

Previously in The Crunch:

Minnesota’s top 100 political givers: 51 to 75

Minnesota’s Top 100 political givers: 76 to 100