That makes him odd man out in Tar Heel Democratic political circles, where most of the party fundraisers, elected officials and operatives support the presidential bid of John Edwards, former senator and favorite son.
But Sullivan, 43, a Raleigh public affairs consultant, rose in national politics in the 1990s as a lieutenant in the Clinton organization. And he is sticking with his friends.
Although Sullivan says he is "a big fan of Senator Edwards," his longstanding friendship with Bill and Hillary prompted him to back the New York senator's presidential bid.
"I'm a big believer in relationships, loyalty and friendship," said Sullivan, who has worked for the Clintons off and on for 12 years.
Sullivan, or "Sully" as he is known to his friends, may be able to fly out of Raleigh-Durham International unnoticed because of his low profile in North Carolina. But he is a fixture among the high rollers of Wall Street, K Street and Hollywood.
"He's wired," said Jay Dunn, who is Sen. John Kerry's chief fundraiser. "You can go to any major finance city -- New York or Miami or California -- Richard is known in all the circles and is widely respected."
By his own estimate, Sullivan has raised a half-billion dollars for Democratic presidential candidates, the party or Democratic causes since he entered the political game in 1988.
As a member of Clinton's finance committee, Sullivan estimates that he is responsible for bringing in between $450,000 and $500,000 of the $26 million that Clinton recently reported she raised during the first three months of this year.
A good mixer
Sullivan is soft-spoken and speaks hesitatingly, carefully weighing his words. With his Southern preppy look, he can easily mix in corporate board rooms. His friends call him "a Boy Scout," which is probably not the image that most people would associate with a big-time political fundraiser.
"He has a winning way about him," said former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt. "People like him right off the bat. He engenders trust. He works in a way that is pleasing to people. He has integrity. He's not loud and aggressive. He's understated."
Sullivan seems to be one of those people who is drawn to politics for the love of the game, rather than because of ideology. He describes himself as a moderate Democrat who doesn't like new taxes.
"I enjoy the competitive part of it," Sullivan says. "I enjoy the networking, the relationship building. It certainly helps you in business over the long haul."
He is comfortable in the world of big-time fundraising. Money raised, he says, is also a way of gauging whether a candidate has broad backing.
"It's clearly a measure of a person's talents," Sullivan said, "that people are willing to give money to support you as a political leader."
The son of a South Carolina legislator, Sullivan was weaned on Democratic politics. He grew up in Columbia, where he worked his way through college on the state Senate staff. He attended the University of South Carolina, which has turned out an uncommon number of political operatives, including the late Lee Atwater -- who helped elect Ronald Reagan and the senior George Bush -- and Bill Carrick, a Democratic strategist for former House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt.
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