Led by Pritzker's millions, Democrats dominate political funding

[August 29, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – As the November election nears, campaign finance totals show Illinois Republican candidates lag behind state Democratic candidates as Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues his large spending.

According to campaign finance numbers collected by Illinoissunshine.org, Illinois Democrats are leading the way in funding their candidates with over $110 million.

Since his first campaign, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has given himself more than $303 million to fund his political ambitions.

This election cycle, Pritzker started the year with $90 million in his campaign fund and he added an additional $35 million in March. After spending millions during primary season, the billionaire has $61 million on hand. His opponent state, state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, has raised about $10 million.

Alisa Kaplan of Reform for Illinois said that having one wealthy candidate can help the rest of the party.

"The money raised can be transferred to other candidates, it can be transferred to party committees, the money that goes to party committees can be transferred into candidate committees, or it can be spent directly on messaging for the candidate," Kaplan said.

The numbers also show a significant difference in the other November races.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, has raised over $13 million for himself and Democratic members. Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, has over $16 million.

Kaplan explained why these numbers are vital.

"Money is essential to running an effective campaign," Kaplan told The Center Square. "You need that money to get on TV, radio, and those Facebook ads."

Kaplan said the money could be used to silence an opponent's messaging.

"No matter how effective the less wealthy candidate's message is, if their opponent can drown that out by running 10 or 20 ads that say something else, that is a huge advantage."

Bailey has been receiving help from billionaire Richard Uihlein.

"We are seeing now the billionaire Dick Uihlein, who gave Darren Bailey some $9 million directly, putting most of his money into the People Who Play By The Rules PAC," Kaplan said. "That pact is spending money mostly to attack Pritzker."

Although the top 5 earners in this year's election are Democrat-affiliated, that does not always mean a victory, Kaplan said.

"It is a tremendous advantage, it can save you time and fundraising, it can get you those ads, it can really make a huge difference in winning or not winning, but it is not a guarantee," she said.

Illinois Senate Democrats Fund Political Party Committee has raised the most for the Democrats, with nearly $10 million.

The general election will be held on Nov. 8. Early voting begins Sept. 29.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.