* Our old friend Scott Kennedy ran some campaign money numbers. Here are the dollars raised (including in-kinds) for just the fourth quarter. Notice the huge total for Democratic House candidates. Wow…
Democratic Party of Illinois $1,786,444.01
Friends of Michael J. Madigan $1,747,639.53
Democratic Majority $1,632,063.67
13th Ward Democratic Org $638,950.00
Citizens for John Cullerton for State Senate $884,520.00
Senate Democratic Victory Fund $1,554,358.12
Committee to Support John Cullerton for State Central Committeeman $476,011.73
Dem Senators Not On Ballot This Cycle $637,882.30
Dem Senate Candidates $1,792,328.42
Dem House Candidates $7,190,292.50
Total $18,340,490.28
* On the GOP side…
Citizens for Rauner, Inc $4,199.00
Turnaround Illinois $1,320.78
Illinois Republican Party $179,912.70
Citizens for Durkin $344,572.77
House Republican Organization $282,875.47
Citizens for Christine Radogno $303,275.39
Republican State Senate Campaign Committee $306,385.96
Rep Senators Not On Ballot This Cycle $259,036.64
Rep Senate Candidates $705,473.89
Rep House Candidates $1,185,456.33
Total $3,572,508.93
* And then he added in cash on hand and A-1’s from this year to date, subtracted out money already spent and came up with these numbers for the Democrats…
Democratic Party of Illinois $2,865,324.67
Friends of Michael J. Madigan $2,756,209.71
Democratic Majority $3,063,478.46
13th Ward Democratic Org $1,491,009.03
Citizens for John Cullerton for State Senate $2,080,723.82
Senate Democratic Victory Fund $3,616,883.51
Committee to Support John Cullerton
for State Central Committeeman $738,523.74
Dem Senators Not On Ballot This Cycle $5,066,601.70
Dem Senate Candidates $7,912,107.69
Dem House Candidates $19,537,947.24
Total $49,128,809.57
* And the GOP…
Citizens for Rauner, Inc $20,927,593.93
Turnaround Illinois $4,254,601.97
Illinois Republican Party $1,074,787.88
Citizens for Durkin $1,188,319.11
House Republican Organization $732,881.13
Citizens for Christine Radogno $676,277.00
Republican State Senate Campaign Committee $1,064,260.18
Rep Senators Not On Ballot This Cycle $1,402,724.95
Rep Senate Candidates $2,576,200.65
Rep House Candidates $5,611,413.41
Total $39,509,060.21
And don’t forget the $9 million in IllinoisGO’s account and $4.5 million in Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC, along with various other groups that you can see by clicking here.
* Scott’s conclusion…
The battle for the State House in 2016 is going to be intense. There is already almost $90 million in play, it will certainly eclipse the $100 million mark and may push to $150 million.
And his conclusion in an e-mail to me…
This is some unprecedented [stuff]. Your standard targeted races could all be $5 million contests this cycle. That’s crazy.
- wordslinger - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:02 pm:
I suspect you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Rauner’s funder network could go all exponential on these numbers in a New York minute.
For crying out loud, Griff shelled out $200 million for a Manhattan condo in the middle of a nasty divorce. He could swamp the field with the stroke of a pen.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:09 pm:
Millions to be made if you run campaigns, do Ads, social media…
Lots and lots of free money out there, lol
- Junior - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:09 pm:
Looks like each side has plenty of cash to get the message out. This is a good thing, imo.
- Federalist - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:11 pm:
Thank you for this information.
It is common CW in certain in much of the media that Republicans have the big bucks and the Democrats. don’t Most of us know better. And this extends to national politics as well. Not that Republicans are hurting.
But the most frightening issue is the amount of dollars that BOTH parties have to spend. Absurd and another notch in making for a dysfunctional democracy.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:13 pm:
After what Walker did in Wisc. I knew the fight was inevitably going to come here. Looks like a win for the tv stations. Ugh, never ending campaign ads…
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:19 pm:
There’s a functional limit to the amount of ad time that be purchased for radio/TV. In addition to the legislative contests, we’re going to have a tier 1 US Senate campaign and certain areas will also have targeted Congressional campaigns. Border regions like the Quad Cities and maybe the metro east will see significant Presidential spending in their markets for Iowa and Missouri. Unless the campaigns are sending daily mailers from Oct. 1 forward - and they might - it could be difficult to spend $150 million on legislative races.
- Junior - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:21 pm:
Anonymous - I spend a lot of time in WI, it was a constant campaign for a couple years.
- Politix - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:28 pm:
What exactly will they be doing with all this money? There is only so much airtime available and you can’t keep peppering people with flyers. Where does it go?
- thechampaignlife - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
Imagine if Citizens for Rauner and IllinoisGO were to sit out the election! Those poor, defenseless GOP legislators.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
Why is Kennedy wasting his time selling light bulbs? Seriously, somebody should go hire him.
- illini - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
I’m thinking I need to become a political consultant, PR guru or media buyer. Obviously, I’m missing a golden opportunity to finally be paid for my 40 years of involvement in partisan campaigns!!!
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:35 pm:
Keep in mind Proft got DOUBLE what Radogno and Durkin have, COMBINED.
Rauner wants Raunerites, NOT Republicans.
The Turnaround Agenda PAC and IllinoisGO also say it’s so.
This isn’t a Republican thing, it’s a Raunerite takeover.
- illini - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:36 pm:
So, is anyone hiring???????????
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:39 pm:
“AWillyWord Consulting” might have to have a board meetin’… See where the firm stands, with $150 million out there.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:40 pm:
Kennedy also listed 25 other committed with the largest cash on hand. Interesting to see the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee raised 887,432 last quarter (also his predecessor in the treasurer’s office, while not fundraising, still has 779,764 on hand with Citizens for Giannoulias).
- illini - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:46 pm:
Willy - count me in if I am invited to come on board.
By the way - Jason is still involved as a Rubio delegate.
Do you think he, or his Dad, would hire either of us?
- Anonymous - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 12:47 pm:
Durkin and Radogno will get theirs as well.
Some complained about members and leadership depositing their checks during session. Remember? Some of the commenters here harped on it for weeks. So, those checks will most likely be distributed later, like Madigan does it.
Criticize him when he gives them money. Criticize him when he doesn’t. The same broken records playing the same old song, without comprehension or recalling even their own statements.
- AlabamaShake - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:05 pm:
** Interesting to see the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee raised 887,432 last quarter**
Rutherford didn’t raise $887k in Q4. That’s how much he had in investments.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:06 pm:
- @MisterJayEm - has a good rule to ignore ” - Anonymous - ” commenters.
It’s a good rule.
- MOON - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:08 pm:
There is more than enough money for both sides.
Money is not going to be the deciding factor.
The ground game, organization and workers will decide the majority of these races. That’s where the Dem’s will shine.
- Soccermom - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:28 pm:
Soccermom is available for all of your political communications needs.
Soccermom Consulting ™
“Win with Soccermom, Lose without Soccermom”
- Capitol View - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:29 pm:
Ridiculous spending for a dysfunctional state government. Ads will be personal, ugly, not substantively based, and will turn off the voters.
Newspapers, radio, and even local tv stations need the revenue — that is the only plus I see to this divisive election year. I’ll do my best this year to spend the maximum time out of state and put my nose in a book when I am home.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:33 pm:
- Soccermom -,
Standing offer, full partner, run the Democratic part of the shop…
Lots of pool money out there, why fight amongst ourselves..
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:36 pm:
- illini -
We should share cannoli and talk…
Knowing Jason is with Rubio has me giddy; a comeback has to be on the horizon…
- Come on Man! - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:46 pm:
I would hope the laws of diminishing marginal returns exists in the campaign economy.
- Rabid - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:47 pm:
Awillywordconsulting taking interns?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 1:55 pm:
- Rabid -,
Talk to - AA -, he runs the Store, I’ve been relegated to an office out of sight, by the coffee maker and the unplugged copy and fax machines.
We encourage all, heck, I’m sure your work space will be better than mine.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 2:58 pm:
I’m not greedy I’ll take the GOTV door hanger contract for either party, plus for an extra fee I’ll provide the walkers.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 3:02 pm:
I’m going to bring up national politics, but only in the context of how it will affect these races. What happens with Trump or Cruz at the top of the Republican ticket? I would imagine different people expect different results from that, but my guess is all that money will be drowned out by the chaos up above.
If I wanted to make a hard run at Lege Dems I’d do it in an off year.
- illini - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 3:04 pm:
Willy - the cannolis are still on me and anything else you might have a craving for.
A “comeback” - wouldn’t we enjoy that!
- zatoichi - Friday, Jan 22, 16 @ 4:15 pm:
So basically here come $90M reasons to ignore TV commercials, radio spots, not see road signs, hang up on robocalls, turn the page on newspaper ads, and trash the mailbox. Good money for the ad and electronic media world. For everyone else..get it over with.