Why Don't Illinois Republicans Raise More Money?
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and his caucus traditionally trail behind Democrats in fundraising. There are multiple theories why.
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For years, it’s been a constant refrain in political fundraising in Illinois. Madigan raises trucks of money. Cullerton raises trucks of money. Now Welch and Harmon are continuing on the tradition, as the House Speaker has more than $4 million cash on hand and the Senate President is sitting on more than $12 million.
Republicans continue to lag far behind.
Outside of leadership, just one Republican, Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena), has more than a million dollars n hand.
Why do Democrats constantly tower over the GOP on fundraising? Numerous lawmakers and strategists we spoke to say it has to do with power. Democrats have super majorities, Republicans don’t, and that’s why donors flock to Democrats.
“Duh,” one Republican lawmaker dismissed my question. “They have twice as many people and the majorities. What do you expect?”
“They have unions and trial lawyers while we have businesses and families who are struggling,” said another GOP lawmaker.
Millions from unions have gone a long way in prompting the divide between Democrat and Republican fundraising.
“The union support is very consistent,” said a former Republican lawmaker, who said the GOP has seemed to go out of its way to antagonize unions. “The new right wears their disdain for unions on their sleeve or like a badge of honor. It makes it very easy and very attractive for unions to double down on Democrats.”
A longtime Republican consultant says GOP candidates got lazy during the Rauner years waiting for the former Governor to write checks.
“They got used to Rauner and big donors funding everything,” said the operative. If you let a candidate off the hook for fundraising, they’ll happily take that excuse to avoid having to do the hard work.”
With JB Pritzker’s infusion of millions into Democratic politics, the same operative worries Democratic candidates may get lazy, too.
But all Republicans say they need to focus on small and medium sized business owners who are frustrated with the state of government. That, they say, is how they start chipping away at the Democrat advantage.
