The Georgetown neighborhood’s political checkbook is heavily weighted to the left, it would seem.

An analysis released by the Associated Press showed that zip code 20007, which includes all of Georgetown except the university, ranked 11th highest in donations for presidential election candidates. Residents of the area have so far made contributions amounting to $614,663, most of which has gone to leading Democratic contenders.

As of this week, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign has received a total of $313,350 from the 20007 zip code, while Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) received $125,450, according to the Federal Election Commission’s Web site. Two leading Republican candidates – Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani – have taken in just over $30,000 each from the neighborhood.

Georgetown’s zip code was beaten out by zip codes in New York, Massachusetts and California. Other large contributing zip codes in the nation included Beverly Hills, Calif., which donated a total of $747,000 to leading presidential candidates, and seven zip codes in Manhattan, which contributed about $7 million in total.

Many prominent Georgetown faculty members who live in the 20007 zip code have made major donations to the candidates.

According to statistics from the Federal Exchange Commission, adeleine Albright, professor of diplomacy and secretary of state under former president Bill Clinton (SFS ’69), made two donations of $2,300 to Hillary Clinton as of March 31. Former senator Tom Daschle, a professor at the Public Policy Institute, donated $2,300 to Obama (D-Ill.). That is the maximum amount an individual may donate to a candidate under campaign finance laws, although they may make one donation for the primary campaign and one for the general election.

Arturo Valenzuela, director of the Center for Latin American Studies, who donated $2,300 to Clinton in both the primary and general elections, said that his work at the White House as special assistant to President Clinton and his relationship with the former first lady prompted him to contribute to her campaign.

Valenzuela said that the 20007 zip code probably does have more Democrats than Republicans but added that there are also strong Republican supporters in the neighborhood. He said he believed Georgetown’s high giving rate to be due more to its residents’ political awareness than their affluence.

“People in the District of Columbia are much more engaged in politics . than other communities,” he said. “I would attribute the great interest to the fact that [there are] people who work with government.”

He said also that Georgetown is a historical area, which makes it “a good place for fundraisers.”

A resident of Georgetown for 16 years, Valenzuela said he was not surprised that the community was a top contributor for the presidential campaign.

George Smaragdis, a spokesman for FEC, said that this year’s pre-election presidential campaign fundraising has seen the highest giving amount.

Other Georgetown faculty members, although they do not live in the 20007 zip code, are involved with the upcoming presidential election in many ways. Stephen Wayne, a government professor, said that the university and the faculty both are actively engaged in presidential campaigning. He said that the university offers candidates an academic setting in which they can deliver public addresses. He added that faculty advise many officials and participate in government activities.

“Many people on our faculty . have served in the previous administration and [acted] as advisers,” he said. “The candidates call on them from time to time to get information.”