* As I told you last week, today is the filing deadline for six-month campaign finance reports. As of this moment, Gov. Pat Quinn has not filed. I’m not sure when he will, but I’m figuring it’ll be later in the afternoon or evening. So, hopefully, this little QOTD won’t be mooted right away.
* The Question: What’s your over/under on how much Quinn reports raising? I’ve been told it’s higher than we might think, so there’s a hint. [Please scroll down for our new question]
*** UPDATE - 12:42 pm *** The Quinn campaign just called. They’re releasing the report in a few minutes or so, but they’re claiming to have raised about $860,000 in the first six months, with cash on hand of about $700k.
Contest over.
Just about everybody guessed way too low. One person was too high.
…Adding… Here’s the press release…
Taxpayers for Quinn, Governor Pat Quinn’s campaign organization, today announced contributions totaling $860,000 for the first half of 2009, ending June 30.
“As we work to bring honest, effective government back to Illinois, we are greatly encouraged by the level of support we have received,” Governor Quinn said. “These resources will help us to bring our message of reform and responsibility to the people of Illinois.
“We are pleased by this success, and we will build on this strong foundation as we make the tough choices needed to put the Land of Lincoln back on the right track - both ethically and economically,” Quinn said.
Details of Governor Quinn’s Fundraising, Jan.1-June 30, 2009:
Total Receipts: $860,000
Cash on hand: $700,000
Total Contributions $250 or Less: 1,065
(74% of Individual Contributions) [emphasis added]
The full report is not yet online as I write this.
* ALTERNATE QUESTION OF THE DAY: What do you make of this report?
- Niles Township - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:33 am:
$400,000 for the period.
- WOW - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:33 am:
Over $500K but under $550K. He will also have about $100-$150K in expenditures (little to no staff) so he will have around $400K on hand.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:35 am:
$300 k
- Obamarama - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:36 am:
$600,000 raised for the period ($100K per month), $150,000 expended for the month ($25K per month) for a net $450K gain for the period.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:37 am:
Just wondering however, I wonder what the old Pat Quinn would say about a governor raising big bucks while the GA was in session?
I think I know.
- notacelebrity getmeouttahere - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:37 am:
Honestly doesn’t matter to me. He’s an absolute sell-out and I’ll never vote for him.
- Speaking at Will - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:40 am:
$400,000 and 10 free night stays at Sleep Inn.
- dznuts - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:44 am:
$330K excluding in-kind donations of sweat-stained shirts for parades
- Anon - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:54 am:
Hmmm . . . since he appears to be channeling Blago on occasion, does this report cover pre-2009 contributions (before the restrictions on state contractors)? It might affect the answer.
- Obamarama - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 11:56 am:
===does this report cover pre-2009 contributions===
No D-2’s are semiannual reports. It covers the time between January 1 through June 30th.
- susie - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
not more than $500,000
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:23 pm:
“Higher than we might think” is quite a range, and leads me to believe he might approach the 1/2 million number. I’ll still bet the under on that.
On the other hand, nobody in Illinois political history has done more campaigning for less money than Pat Quinn. $500,000 for Pat is a million for Dan Hynes and practically anyone else.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:28 pm:
I will guess $375,000 net gain.
- Cosmic Charlie - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:30 pm:
Slightly higher than $1 million. So I will say $1,098,500.50.
- Zoble - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:35 pm:
230,000
- Amy - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:40 pm:
$650,000
- Capitol View - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:57 pm:
The issue isn’t how much he has to spend in his next election, but is there anyone else Da Speaker and Da Mayor want to see slated more.
They tolerated Blago in a second run, because the Walker rebellion put in the Republicans for a generation. For that same reason, they will coast with Quinn.
Why would Da Mayor want Jack Franks in that office? And Dan Hynes is still young — offer to combine Comptroller and State Treasurer in the next round of state constitutional amendments, and he’ll stay put over that bigger combined office.
- Obamarama - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:00 pm:
Interesting how that was framed. Assuming all the contributions of $250 and under were the full $250, that adds up to $266,250. So while that is 70+% of the aggregate number of checks written, there’s still a lot of meat left on that bone. It will be interesting to see who the whales are.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:01 pm:
Updated:
On the other hand, nobody in Illinois political history has done more campaigning for less money than Pat Quinn. $700,000 for Pat is $1.4 million for Dan Hynes and practically anyone else.
Overall, it’s a good report. Let the vetting begin!
- state employee dreaming of Vermont - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:22 pm:
I’m not surprised, he’s already sold us working people out, and IN LIKE QUINN with the monied interests. That reminds me, I need to go to OPENSECRETS.org to check out WHO is PAYING him, should be very interesting. I’ll know exactly who is fighting against state employees and social services, and who he’s protecting.
- state employee dreaming of Vermont - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:30 pm:
No, that was for U.S. monies, needed to go to
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=79849&gclid=CIPqy9j05JsCFRPyDAodwX0xAQ and that info’s a bit stale - shocking how many labor org’s including mine AFSCME have given him, wow did he BETRAY ALL OF US BIG TIME!!!!!! Never again!!!!! No more Democrats or Rebulicans, AFSCME!!!!!!!
- Altgeld's Ghost - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:32 pm:
Here comes the new boss, same as the old boss. His claim of 74% of donors gave $250 or less is disengenious at best. it’s 74% of the checks recieved, not 74% of the money raised. When we finally get to see the report, and not just the press release, it will become clear that he’s taking the same kind of large payoffs (oh I mean contributions) as his running-mate Rod took. Just do the math, 1065 donor of $250 or less multiplied by the max $250 contribution totals $266,250, less than a third of his total raised. Just like his budget. All smoke and mirrors.
- state employee dreaming of Vermont - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:32 pm:
Who is Robert Shapiro ($20,000 given in even the old info), anyone know??
- WOW - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:37 pm:
State employee … go to teh State Board of Elections web site and run a search under that name (under contribution searches) and if he has given over $500 to anyone it will list employee and occupation. Must be a busy day at your state job.
- state employee dreaming of Vermont - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:41 pm:
WOW,
ACTUALLY it is very busy and I’m on a break now, NOT THAT I OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION. What is YOUR JOB????
By the way, You’re welcome - for keeping your taxes down, on our state employees’ pension money continually raided by the legislators.
- WOW - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:44 pm:
I own a small business and actually support raising the income tax … a total oddball here at the blog. Enjoy your break.
- state employee dreaming of Vermont - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:47 pm:
WOW,
Well I thank you for your enlightened stance on that. And no, you’re not an oddball for supporting smart fiscal policy of raising taxes. There are only a very few people on this blog (besides the politicians who passed the bill), who support that borrowing bill passing, and no one even has the ____ to defend it passing, I asked them to.
- MikeintheSuburbs - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 1:48 pm:
Looks like he has less money than Jack Franks, but at least he raised someplace other than from his own family.
- Yellow Dog - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 2:03 pm:
Thank God Quinn is showing signs of life.
His fundraising should go even better now that Lisa Madigan is out of the race.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 2:05 pm:
I think that fact that he has raked in so much than he has before creates a real problem and makes it eaiser to compare him to Blago. It was mostly raised during session which doesn’t look great to the average voter.
- Rob_N - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 2:17 pm:
Total Contributions $250 or Less: 1,065
(74% of Individual Contributions)
Those are donors he can go back to and ask for either more $ or boots-on-the-ground help.
And Altgeld’s Ghost, nobody implied the 74% was from all cash raised rather than from total donors. Obama had a similar story (though clearly w/ different numbers): relatively a lot of small donors vs big donors, even though large donors made up the bulk of the cash raised.
- Will County Woman - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 2:35 pm:
@ Capitol View - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 12:57 pm
i think you may be right about hynes. time is of the essence here and he comes from the same “play it safe” political mentality/tradition of the madigan and daley families. he could have positioned himself as somewhat of a fiscal conservative democrat and strong leader in times of crisis alternative to pat quinn, but he won’t. besides, to do so might mean he would have to alienate labor and a lot of the GA. he can keep doing his polling, but in all honesty the results won’t change from week to week: quinn has the momentum only because hynes has been too typical and too cautious. oh well dan… nothing ventured, nothing gained. obama was not supposed to be president. hillary was, according to the political conventional wisdom. but, look what happened, as a result of obama’s venturing. playing it safe can be overrated. ho hum.
as a moderate dem, i would’ve have voted for hynes in a heartbeat, but now i have to take a look at the republican side. based on quinn’s inability to lead, i cannot vote for him. he’s a nice guy and all, but not a good governor.
- Anonymous45 - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 3:01 pm:
There is absolutely no comparing Quinn’s fundraising to that of Blago, thank God! Who in the heck wants to be Governor now anyways? At least with Quinn, there wasn’t endless gridlock…even though his actions were hard to
predict, at least he kept the dialogue alive…
- Anon 3:27 - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 3:28 pm:
That is enough money to re-instate the Dunn Fellowship that Governor Quinn threw out the window. After the program has been building up good people for thirty years.
- Ghost - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 3:45 pm:
in short, Quinn has established he is now a player. If most of that we before Lisa announced, then contributions whould flow even better for him now.
It is still a pitifully small chest from which to wage a statewide campaign.
- Will County Woman - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 3:58 pm:
@ Anonymous45
Oh please!
“There is absolutely no comparing Quinn’s fundraising to that of Blago, thank God!”–Anonymous45
Yeah um, well that’s not for lack of trying. After all it was a member of the quinn’s campaign who was exposed for trying to dole out “face time” with him for at least $15,000 a couple of months ago.
“Who in the heck wants to be Governor now anyways?”–Anonymous45
pat quinn, that’s clearly who. haven’t you noticed? I mean, the man has bascially reversed himself on everything for which he has stood over the last 30 years. Why? because he wants to be governor. His actions as of late remind me of an old saying in politics: power corrupts. absolutely.
Now, i’m NOT saying that quinn has done anything corrupt, but he has done some questionable and arguably some unethical things as governor. (bear in mind that unethical is not always illegal.) i liked him much better before he became governor. I like perhaps many illinosians, thought I knew him, which is to say that i was sure that he was honest, decent, full of integrity and friend of the taxpaying citizen. but, i guess not.
re: pat quinn: et tu, babe?
- Niles Township - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 4:08 pm:
Quinn can play with 700k. Assuming he only doubles that to $1.4 million by the end of the year, and adds a bit more in January, he is very credible. This may be more money than he has ever had in any campign he has run.
- jake - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 4:29 pm:
This definitely means he is a player, or reinforces that he is a player. His style leads people to underestimate him, until they notice that he has walked all over them. He is the “Lieutenant Columbo” of Illinois politics, looking completely clueless until just before he pulls the trap.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 4:30 pm:
jake, has he actually ever pulled a trap? this episode appears to be running quite long, if you ask me.
- phocion - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 4:36 pm:
LOL, Rich! Hey, is the filing deadline at 5 pm or midnite?
- True Observer - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 4:51 pm:
Do we get a cross check of friends and relatives of donors and gubernatorial appointments?
Just to be sure, the diagnostic test should be run in 6 months.
- take it back - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 5:19 pm:
Quinn should give it back… or folks that contributed…should request it back. Today our facility was informed of the number of positions it needs to cut… we will be forced to close.
- jake - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 5:59 pm:
Rich,
Look at where he is standing now, compared to where he might be standing. At this writing, I think he would be favored to beat Hynes in a primary, if it comes to that. If he does make it through the primary, he has ribbon cuttings for capital projects all over the state for all of next year. In the popular mind, it is the legislature rather than the Governor who will be wearing the jacket for the service cuts and layoffs that are coming down. And in spite of his flip-flopping he still has a reputation for being honest.
The specific coup he pulled was getting the legislature to give him a budget that he could sign that gives him enormous flexibility, instead of having to accept a much more constrained budget passed over his veto. I can readily imagine ads showing the emphatic veto of the first budget he was sent with a voice over of the draconian service cuts that would have come from the grants budget he vetoed, as opposed to the more modest cuts that he will now make. The Speaker immediately denounced the veto, but then wound up giving the Governor a budget more to the Governor’s liking. When was the last time a sequence like that happened?
- profiles in courage - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 5:59 pm:
I don’t know where to start…
1. Quinn has been adopted by the Trial Lawyers. $25,000 from Corboy & Demetrio, $25,000 from Powers, Rogers & Smith, $20,000 from Shapiro, $10,000 from Keefe, etc….
2. Who said Pay to Play is dead. Quinn gets $1,000 from Mayor Tom Weisner who is then appointed to the Pension Commission?
and the band plays on….
- Bobs yer - Monday, Jul 20, 09 @ 9:08 pm:
Glad to see Iraq-man raising some good dough. That should make him look legit, and dissuade other dems from hopping in. Makes the office easier to take for the R’s. Go Dillard.