House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) bowed out of running for a 12th term today, blaming partisan gridlock. Democrats have said they plan to mount a serious challenge to take the seat — but, as with several other retirements announced in recent months, the biggest loser might end up being the industry groups that have become so close to the lawmaker.

McKeon came to Congress in 1992, as the Cold War faded and critics of defense spending began to gain ground. As chairman of Armed Services, though, McKeon has been a staunch adherent of the old ways, fighting budget cuts under sequestration and voting against overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

And some of the most prominent beneficiaries of big defense spending have lavished McKeon with significant campaign support. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are almost exactly tied as his No. 1 donor over the course of his career: Lockheed Martin’s corporate PAC and employees have donated $190,400, while Northrop Grumman’s have given $190,200. Among McKeon’s top 20 career sources of campaign funds , eight are defense contractors.

But the defense industry has been McKeon’s major backer over the years, and continues to be so far this cycle. In the 2012 cycle, for example, McKeon was the single biggest recipient of campaign cash from the defense sector by a wide margin — he picked up $566,850, far ahead of the runner-up, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who pulled in about $283,000.

His top two donors in the 2014 cycle are Northrop Grumman ($23,700 in donations) and Airbus ($16,700). The two companies, which teamed up on a bid to build the new Air Force tanker plane, both have hired lobbyists who have donated to McKeon (for a total of $4,500.)

Still, it’s not all bad for the military contractors. McKeon will be around for another 11 months. And at the press conference announcing his retirement, McKeon endorsed his vice-chairman, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) to replace him. Judging from Thornberry’s top 10 donors so far this cycle, he’s a friendly face on the dais — seven are defense contractors.

Follow Russ on Twitter: @russchoma

Image: Buck McKeon at a press conference, July 19, 2012. (Photo by Lingjing Bao,Talk Radio News)

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