• Ben Szalinski
    OCT 18, 2024

    UNLOCKED

    Huge stacks of cash give Illinois Democrats advantage in final weeks of campaign

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    Illinois Capitol 

    Fall quarterly financial reports continued to confirm an ongoing trend in Illinois politics: despite Republicans’ best efforts, Democrats have virtually unlimited resources thanks to a multi-million-dollar cash advantage.  

    The state’s top political committees for the state parties and legislative caucuses turned in quarterly financial reports earlier this week reflecting fundraising and spending between July 1 and Sept. 30 — a period that also included major fundraising events during the national political conventions and Illinois State Fair. The reports ultimately paint a picture of the resources available for the state’s top political leaders a month before Election Day on Nov. 5.  

    Republicans generally were able to post seven-figure fundraising numbers across the board, though a deeper look at the reports reveal much of the financial gains involved shifting money around from accounts of legislative Republicans as the party struggles to find reliable donors. 

    Across the aisle, money rained down from labor unions and beefed-up campaign accounts for Illinois’ Democratic elected officials as top Democratic political organizations posted even larger multi-million-dollar fundraising numbers in addition to massive spending figures. When it’s all added up, Democrats still have millions of dollars to play with over the final weeks of the campaign cycle while Republicans try to maximize their limited spending abilities.   

    The Illinois Republican Party, under new leader Kathy Salvi since mid-July, raised $1.5 million over the summer. However, $1 million of that came from the House Republican Organization. The party recorded $1.1 million of expenditures in the third quarter mostly on campaign materials — and mostly direct mail — for a variety of General Assembly Republican candidates and Lake County State’s Attorney candidate Mary Cole. The party began October with $978,272.   

    The Democratic Party of Illinois raised $6.6 million the third quarter mostly thanks to three large contributions: $4.5 million from House Speaker Chris Welch’s (D-Hillside) political fund, $1 million from the Senate Democrats’ political fund and $500,000 from Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign. The party has since focused on providing campaign resources for candidates with heavy emphasis on mailers. The party spent $3.9 million but still has $3.5 million remaining.   

    House Republicans are spending as much as they can despite being greatly outspent by a combined effort of the Democratic state party and Welch’s Democrats for the Illinois House operation. The House Republican Organization (HRO) raised $2.2 million in the third quarter, though $1.7 million was transferred over from House Republican Leader Tony McCombie’s (R-Savanna) political fund. A variety of mostly business organizations also contributed and much of the remainder of the fundraising came from other House Republican members.  

    HRO ultimately spent the $2.2 million they raised, after transferring $1 million to the state Republican Party, and began October with $90,504 to play with. McCombie’s organization has focused on trying to assist specific legislative candidates with campaign resources from data to polling to advertising methods. HRO’s three largest expenses, each around $97,000, were for data collection and digital ads for Rep. Brandun Schweizer (R-Danville) and Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Bourbonnais).   

    HRO is also helping Desi Anderson in McLean County, Gabby Shanahan in Will County, Rep. Nicole La Ha (R-Homer Glen), Liz Bishop in La Salle County, Dennis Reboletti in DuPage County, Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt), Jay Keeven in the northern half of the Metro East, and Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Hanover Park). Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills), Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva), Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), Hannah Billingsley in Kane County and Tosi Ufodike in Lake County have received smaller amounts of help for one or two items.   

    McCombie has previously said her goal is to pick up five seats this year, while protecting others from Democratic challengers. Reboletti, who is seeking to win an open race to replace outgoing Rep. Jenn Ladisch-Douglas (D-Elmhurst), received the most money from HRO with $125,465. That was followed closely by Shanahan, who is seeking to beat Rep. Harry Benton (R-Plainfield), and received $120,670. The other top five challengers to receive money from HRO were Bishop, Anderson and Keeven.   

    On the other side of the coin, HRO is seeking to protect incumbents in seats sought by Democrats. Schweizer led incumbers in financial help from HRO after receiving $115,551, followed closely by Haas, who received $111,489. Not all vulnerable incumbents are receiving HRO help. McLaughlin received $5,000 for polling, but previously told The Daily Line he believes his campaign operation is good enough to win without HRO assistance. Also not receiving help was Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton), who represents an increasingly liberal district.   

    McCombie’s own political account shows $950,065 of fundraising followed by $1.8 million of transfers — all to HRO. She still has $614,453 left.   

    Welch’s spending is less targeted thanks to a massive war chest. Accounting shows Welch has provided resources to far more candidates than McCombie, including in races not targeted by the Republicans, as he looks to expand his House supermajority beyond 78 members.   

    Welch raised $4.5 million in the third quarter, with unions supplying a healthy portion of the money. He spent $6.9 million, but the only transfers directly to individual campaigns went to Maria Peterson, who is competing against McLaughlin, and Marti Deuter, who is facing Reboletti. He still has $5 million to use at his discretion this month.   

    Wech’s Democrats for the Illinois House raised $4.8 million with $2 million of it coming from Welch’s personal campaign and smaller six-figure contributions from other House Democrats. He spent $3.8 million on various forms of advertising and aid to candidates and still has $2.1 million to use over the home stretch.  

    On the other side of the aisle, the Senate caucus have narrowed their focus on one race between Sen. Patrick Joyce (R-Reddick) and Republican opponent Phil Nagel of Braidwood. Joyce, one of the legislature’s most moderate Democrats, easily defeated Nagel in 2022’s matchup as Republicans hope the district will seek Republican representation in the Senate given voters’ approval of the moderate Joyce.   

    Senate President Don Harmon’s ISDF account raised $3.1 million following a $2 million contribution from Harmon. ISDF spent $2.3 million with transfers to the Democratic Party, Joyce and Sen. Rachel Ventura’s (D-Joliet) campaign. Accounts under Harmon’s control have $16.9 million on hand.   

    Curran has narrowed his focus specifically on Nagel with likely no other competitive Senate races this fall. Curran’s campaign boosted the Senate Republican Victory Fund’s $1.1 million third quarter fundraising total with a $705,000 transfer. The caucus account transferred $467,885 to Nagel’s campaign in the third quarter in addition to covering other costs for him.   

    Curran made a $100,001 loan to his campaign in August, making him the last legislative leader to bust legal fundraising caps and establish a self-funding designation.   

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