* Press release…

The Dold for Congress campaign today released impressive early fundraising numbers for Q1 2016, as Bob Dold heads into the General Election.

Strong support from Illinois donors contributed to Dold’s incredible $730,000 raised for the first quarter, which also puts Dold’s Cash on Hand at nearly $2 million.

“From backing massive Medicare cuts to breaking his promise to oppose the disastrous agreement that gives Iran a green light to fund terrorism and build nuclear weapons, the 2016 version of Brad Schneider is proving to be even more desperate and dishonest than the Brad Schneider that voters fired in 2014. That’s why 10th District voters are demonstrating unprecedented support for Bob Dold and his record of effective, independent leadership that serves the entire 10th District—rather than the party bosses and D.C. special interests that own Brad Schneider,” said Dold for Congress spokeswoman Danielle Hagen.

* Press release…

Following the March 15th primary election, Democrat Brad Schneider enters the race against Republican Bob Dold in a very strong position. Schneider will build for November from a solid foundation. After an 8-point win in the primary, Schneider has more than half a million dollars already on hand for the general, a massive volunteer and donor network, a robust field program, and an established record with voters as a principled, proven leader for the Tenth District.

As in 2012 when Schneider beat Dold by more than 3,000 votes, 2016 turnout will greatly exceed midterm numbers with presidential and U.S. Senate races at the top of the ticket. Historically in presidential years, nearly 100,000 more voters turn out in IL-10. The electorate trends younger and more diverse than in midterms, which favors Democrats. This was evident in this year’s primary as 94,758 ballots were cast in the Democratic congressional primary, nearly as many as the 95,992 TOTAL votes Dold received in the 2014 General Election.

Even though Schneider won in 2012, 2016 shapes up to be an even stronger year for him in at least three ways:

* The Governor of Illinois, Republican Bruce Rauner, is unpopular.
* In 2012, Schneider won a difficult primary and emerged with just $226,000 on hand and a donor base of 1,000 individuals. In 2016, Schneider starts the General Election with a donor base of more than 14,500 and more than $525,000 in the bank.
* Schneider is now well known throughout the district, a fact only bolstered by the Democratic primary.

In Q1 of this year, Brad raised more than $818,000, a number that will almost certainly again rank him among the top congressional fundraisers in the nation. The average donation of just $48 and a median donation of $10 both reflect the depth and breadth of the grassroots campaign we have built. This strong showing, along with a base of low dollar donors who will continue to contribute in the months ahead, will serve as the basis for successful fundraising through November, providing the necessary resources to effectively communicate with voters.

It is already shaping up to be a difficult year for Republicans, and national news outlets continue to report on Republican Bob Dold’s tough path forward. The difficult national climate for Republicans is further exacerbated by the top of the ticket in Illinois. During 2014, Dold himself proclaimed far and wide that the top of the ticket had the ability to drag down a candidate in the Tenth District. This will surely hit home for him this year with the increasing unpopularity of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, and tepid support for incumbent Senator Mark Kirk.

Our race continues to be highlighted as one of the nation’s most competitive. In a race this close, every one of our advantages will make the difference. We look forward to building on our strong foundation in the weeks and months to come to secure victory in November.

All emphasis added.