When Ian and Annette Cumming moved to Wyoming last fall, Utah Democrats lost a pair of generous and loyal supporters.
In 1997 and 1998 the Cummings and their businesses, which include Leucadia National Corp. and a variety of subsidiaries, gave the Utah Democratic Party $50,326, state political party financial reports show.The couple gave more than $21,000 to legislative candidates in 1996. And that year their firms gave more than $33,000 to state candidates, including large donations to Democratic Attorney General Jan Graham.
They could be counted on to give some money to "lost causes" -- Democratic races that had no real chance of success -- like Democrat Jim Bradley's 1996 run against Gov. Mike Leavitt's re-election.
Since their departure, some Utah Democrats have wondered if they can count on the wealthy couple's political money in election seasons to come.
So will the Cummings' Utah support continue?
"We have no plans to" financially support Utah Democratic candidates or the state party, said Annette Cumming in a telephone interview from her new Jackson home.
"We've left Utah, we're gone," she said.
"Others will step in. I've resigned all my board positions (in Utah)," she said. She added that she and Ian are "redesigning the last third of our lives," and that it was a difficult decision but one they feel is the best for them.
State House Minority Leader Dave Jones, who is now running for Salt Lake mayor, said it's his understanding that a group of well-to-do Utah Democrats, brought into the party fundraising fold by the Cummings, will continue to give. In effect, there will be a Cummings legacy of supporters. But whether that pans out in the years to come remains to be seen.
Before he left Utah, Ian Cumming, who shuns the news media, was listed as one of the wealthiest men in the state. Forbes Magazine estimated his wealth four years ago at $345 million. Cumming has since dropped off of Forbes' 400 richest men in America list, and so his current wealth hasn't been estimated by the magazine.
While the couple has moved, several of their businesses remain. Leucadia still owns Park City Mountain Resort, American Investment Bank and various real estate holdings in the state.
If the Cummings don't continue their political donations to Utah Democrats, it won't be the first time the minority party in Utah has had large donors turn away.
In the early 1980s then-American Stores boss L.S. Skaggs had an argument with former Democratic Gov. Scott M. Matheson over appointments to state boards.
Long a supporter of the Utah Democratic Party, Skaggs withdrew much of his financial aid. In the 1988 elections Skaggs supported GOP Gov. Norm Bangerter's re-election.
Vowing never to be strapped financially by one big donor jumping ship, Democratic leaders worked hard to broaden their financial base.
Party records show that in 1997-1998, Democrats raised and spent around $800,000. The Cummings' $50,000 is only 6.5 percent of the Democratic Party's total financial aid over that time.
"People are actually surprised" when they learn the Cummings weren't playing a greater role in state party funding, says Utah Democratic Party executive director Todd Taylor.
But it's not just the amount of money given, it's also the timing. And, adds Taylor, it's the fact that Democratic leaders had a go-to source when specific needs arose.
For example, Annette Cumming gave the state party $25,000 in August 1998. The money was needed to fund a get-out-the-vote/Democratic voter I.D. telephone campaign for the 1998 elections.
Annette Cumming also gave the state party $600 a month in the months preceding the 1998 elections.
And party financial reports show she picked up some specific bills that the party needed paid, $676.64 here, $932.17 there.
The Cummings supported political and social causes, as well.
Annette Cumming was on the board of Utahns For Choice, whose offices are housed in a lower-Avenues house owned by the Cummings. She gave political contributions to candidates who were pro-choice and supported other women's issues.
Annette Cumming's giving in 1998 was due in a large part to her relationship with current state Democratic Party Chairwoman Meg Holbrook.
Holbrook and Annette Cumming worked on a number of party issues together over the years. Annette Cumming supported Holbrook's run for party chair in 1997 and at the State Democratic Convention that elected Holbrook, she and Annette Cumming together walked the hallways of the high school where the convention was held greeting well-wishers.
While Utah Democrats and candidates won't be seeing the Cumming support, national candidates and issues may.
On the national level the Cummings have been more than generous. In the 1995-1996 election cycle they and their companies gave $338,660 to federal candidates and the National Democratic Party, Federal Election Commission reports show.
In the 1997-98 federal election cycle they did even more -- $419,250. Of that, $300,000 went to the Democratic National Committee and around $40,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an Internet search of FEC records shows.
"We're still involved on a national level, a place where maybe we can see a difference," said Annette Cumming. "It's awfully tough in Utah. Wyoming isn't much better" as far as Republican, conservative politics are concerned, she said. Both states are overwhelmingly Republican.
Annette Cumming was a Utah delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention and she said her Utah Democratic friends may see her at a future national convention as well. "We may well be there," she added.