The Hill News

Individuals and PACs associated with the financial sector have increasingly donated to Republicans this election cycle.

The trend, reported by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, amounts to what observers note as the sector's strongest show of support for the GOP since May 2008. 

A new survey of second-quarter campaign finance data indicates the shift has come at great expense for Democrats, who received 70 percent of federal-level political donations from the financial sector in March 2009, but since December, have consistently lost that edge to Republicans.

Individuals and organizations within the securities and investment industry show the greatest preference for Republicans, the survey notes. In June, 70 percent of their donations went to the GOP â€" a significant reversal since early 2009, when 60 percent of donations had gone to Democrats.

The shift corresponds with the lead-up to, and eventual passage of, financial! reform legislation, which was signed in July by President Obama.