GOP Candidate Bailey, Democrat Leaders Winners in Campaign Finance Report
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), a GOP candidate for Governor, speaks to supporters at an anti-lockdown rally last year.
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Quarterly campaign finance reports were due at midnight Friday night. Here’s our updated spreadsheet. Here’s a quick rundown:
Governor
Governor JB Pritzker’s multi-million dollar self-funded campaign continues to lead the way with cash on hand. He filed with $24.6 million cash after spending about $8.1 million last quarter. About $7 million of that spending was on ad buys. Pritzker has been a constant on television and digital over the past couple of months. He also appears to have 16 staff on payroll thus far, including former campaign manager Quentin Fulks. Fulks was paid through the end of the quarter after being replaced in July by Mike Ollen. Fulks was then named campaign manager for Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock. We’ve asked the campaign about his status and will let you know.
Republican Jesse Sullivan was boosted by the nearly $11 million he reported in the early days of his campaign. He raised $10.8 million, spent $791,000, and has just over $10 million cash on hand. He spent $300,000 on digital advertising and $172,000 on television ads. We wrote about a poll he had in the field last week, and it appears Sullivan’s campaign has hired DC firm Guidant Polling & Strategies. It looks like he has three staff on salary.
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) had a hell of a quarter. He had under $200,000 cash on hand at the beginning of the year and filed yesterday with over $1 million cash. He raised almost $900,000 last quarter (including $169,000 in small donations) and spent around $363,000. He spent around $70,000 with Pittsburgh-based Cold Spark Media Group. The expenses are for “consulting,” and Bailey has not bought any TV yet. Cold Spark has worked with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Notably, the company’s founding partner, Mark Harris, was general consultant to former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign in 2018, including in his primary race against former Rep. Jeanne Ives. Bailey and Ives are allies.
Listen, based on these fundraising numbers, you can say Bailey can’t win a general election, you can call him a “fringe” candidate, but he is absolutely a contender to win the Republican primary. If you aren’t sure of that, you aren’t paying attention.
Secretary of State
Alexi Giannoulias has almost $3.5 million cash on hand compared to $707,000 for Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia and $460,00 for Chicago Alderwoman Pat Dowell. Alderman David Moore has $13,100 on hand, showing he’s not a serious contender in the race.
General Assembly
House Democrats reported about $2.1 million cash on hand. House Republicans are around $276,000 when you combine both of their accounts. Senate Democrats have $1.3 million cash compared to just under $500,000 for Senate Republicans.
The big difference is in leadership. Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) has around $1.1 million in the bank. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) has a little over $600,000 on hand.
House Speaker Chris Welch has around $3.1 million cash on hand. Senate President Don Harmon reported almost $7 million on hand.
I’ll have more Tuesday on how union money appears to have boosted numerous vulnerable House Democrats.
A couple of other notes:
Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park), who is under indictment, filed with just $741.09 cash on hand. Add the fact he was drawn into a district with Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) and the speculation will just intensify that he won’t be running for re-election next year.
Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) is in a primary with Rep. Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett) in the new map. Grant has $4,600 cash on hand and Lewis has around $13,000 cash. They’ll both have to pick it up.
Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) was drawn into a primary with Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine). Bos has $4,800 on hand compared to $39,000 for Morrison.
Rep. CD Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) has $222,000 cash on hand and faces a potential primary with Rep. Randy Frese (R-Paloma). Freese has around $49,000 cash.
In the retirement watch, Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) has a little under $2,000 cash in the bank and Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) has around $17,000 cash.