* Tribune…
Labor unions are coming up big in Democrat Susana Mendoza’s bid for state comptroller against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s hand-picked candidate.
Mendoza, the Chicago city clerk, this week reported $320,200 in campaign contributions from June 30, with more than $244,000 coming from unions. Leading the way by maxing out at $53,900 each were D.C.-based political funds of the Laborers’ union and the International Union of Operating Engineers. A Chicago Federation of Labor fund gave $15,000, and a south central Illinois laborers’ fund gave $10,000. […]
[Comptroller Leslie Munger], of Lincolnshire, so far has reported raising $82,600 from April through June. She started April with about $225,000 on hand. That’s likely to put her well behind Mendoza, who started the second quarter with $1.1 million on hand and has reported collecting $332,700 since then. It’s a low-profile contest, so both candidates are going to need to build up name recognition with voters. The comptroller’s office controls the state’s checkbook.
Rauner, of course, can make that financial disadvantage go away for Munger in a flash, given his propensity for writing large personal checks to his campaign fund and Illinois GOP accounts.
Yes, Rauner and his buddies most certainly can. And since everything they do is about Speaker Madigan (who may be even more unpopular in Illinois than Donald Trump), I would expect to see photos like this appearing in advertisements…
* And you gotta wonder whether they already have this robocall audio file…
* Meanwhile…
- Spliff - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:45 am:
The Senate who? There is only one person that controls all the power and his name is Bruce Rauner … sorry mistook my elected officials, Madigan House Speaker Madigan …
No one has cared about the SGOP since they had it handed to them back in 2006.
- The Captain - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:47 am:
The comptroller’s race still feels under the radar even though it’s very likely to be the one we’re talking about the day after the election. For the Governor to help Munger he just needs to write a big check, something he can do at any time. For the Speaker to help Mendoza the best thing he can do is help with fundraising, something that has to happen sooner rather than later because it just takes time. The Friends and Family program is incredibly effective in state legislative districts but you can’t F&F your way to a statewide win, the state is too big, you need to be on TV to win statewide.
Eventually someone will blow the caps in this race, that may have been what the money from Rauner to Liberty Principles is for. When that happens labor can go all in for Mendoza but so far only the operating engineers and the laborers are even at the max. There’s still some cavalry left to be rounded up.
Mendoza’s fundraising has been impressive so far, relative to Munger, but it’s far from enough. Early voting now lasts almost a month, you need to be on tv sooner and for a longer period of time than you used to otherwise you’re missing out on people who have voted before you even started communicating. So far Mendoza has enough for 2-3 weeks of a really strong statewide buy, she’s going to need a lot more.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:48 am:
Reality?
In a POTUS voting universe, and motivated Labor and Democrats, upset with Rauner, can’t figure out how to motivate and make their partisan anti-Rauner mantra equate to a ground and GOTV game, then they deserve to be beaten,
Munger can go millions over Mendoza in minutes. Not days or hours. That’s minutes. Money for the incumbent isn’t a fear, or a want, it’s there by the buckets.
Can Munger beat back the “Rauner Proxy” image that will feed Democrats and Labor?
How’s that Lincolnshire (Munger’s Hometown) Right to Work thingy going?
Let’s not forget that crackerjack response to Mendoza calling Munger out as where she stands on RTW Zones in her own hometown.
Embarrasingly weak deflection.
“Let’s talk about Rahm!”… silence on RTW Zones.
Mendoza Crew is just as inept, and when they think they were making hay, they really were explaining what the heck they were trying to say. Not a Crew ready for prime time.
I haven’t even talked about that “Wingman” quote…
Mendoza’s strategy only needs to be rallying around the POTUS universe and getting Labor and Democrats to “Vote Accordingly” at a rate where Munger is far below 20% in the city, and run up a huge turnout in those pluralities where Labor had helped Rauner before, but “lesson learned” is now the reality of November
Munger will get $8-9 million to spend at the absolute bare minimum, not a single dollar less than $500K a week in the last 10 weeks, ruining Mendoza as a “Careerfella” and warning of Madigan, but doing all that statewide in the POTUS voting universe.
Munger is going to win, it will be close, but Munger will win because the micro beating Rauner will be more important to HDems than beating Rauner statewide and the millions and millions Munger will have to stifle the less than stellar Mendoza Crew.
It’s my top race. There is no other race that has my complete attention like this one. It’s not even close. The statewide proxy battle many have been itching for since January.
Can the street crews drag Mendoza over the finish line, with Labor and Democrats united? Can Munger continue to seem independent, while take Rauner’s millions to eviserate Mendoza at every turn?
It’s going to be a heck of a race.
- Obamas Puppy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:53 am:
Keep running against MJM, I guess the 10th time is the charm.
- Heightened Scrutiny - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:56 am:
Susana Mendoza is by all accounts a kind & likable person. But she has no real record of accomplishment during her tenure in the General Assembly. She does seem to be doing some things as Chicago’s Clerk; such that those things register as important. How these things correlate to the duties & responsibilities of Comptroller is what matters.
Having the necessary financial qualifications to serve of as Comptroller is what matters. Her political qualifications — good demographics and strong Madigan support — was certainly good enough to run Daniel Biss, a person with General Assembly accomplishments & some decent financial qualifications, but bad demographics and obviously less Madigan support, out of a primary.
Exactly when does Mendoza’s actual qualifications matter, especially the financial ones, because they obviously don’t matter to Madigan or his union’s allies.
- Doug Simpson - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:56 am:
Hook Bruce to the National Republican Guy. They are both Republicans.
Its kinda humorous to watch the National Speaker of the House who has endorsed him. And then watch his tortured body language when he trys to separate himself from the next crazy thing that guy says.
Democrats have it so easy this year.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:59 am:
- Heightened Scrutiny -
Munger was a failed General Assembly candidate.
Yet, Rauner felt her qualified.
You want to go down this road? We can…
I’d choose a different tact.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 9:59 am:
===Keep running against MJM, I guess the 10th time is the charm===
Careful what you wish for.
And, keep in mind, nobody’s ever put this kind of money behind that message.
Yeah, it’s a tough year for the GOP. But they’re also looking at softening Dems up for 2018.
- Heightened Scrutiny - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:10 am:
Oswego Willy,
You choose whatever path you want, clearly you have. I was, conversely, responding to the merits of the post by merely asking about Mendoza’s qualifications to hold a job steeped in the need for financial acumen. I doubt that a question about qualifications offends anyone other than partisans.
- Doug Simpson - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:14 am:
At every opportunity reporters should be getting Mungers reaction to what Trump says.
As a voter, I deserve to know.
- Judgement Day - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:29 am:
“Keep running against MJM, I guess the 10th time is the charm.”
———-
Allow me to re-word it for you:
“Keep running against the name “Madigan”, I guess the 10th time is the charm.
Remember once upon a time, back when “Jim Ryan” (IL Atty General) was running for Governor to replace George Ryan. Remember how that worked out for Jim Ryan?
Same set of outcomes could apply to Lisa Madigan. Her days of being able to run for Governor (or any other higher office) may be totally eliminated.
The “Madigan” name may have little, if any political future in Illinois.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 10:45 am:
=== was, conversely, responding to the merits of the post by merely asking about Mendoza’s qualifications to hold a job steeped in the need for financial acumen. I doubt that a question about qualifications offends anyone other than partisans.===
Munger’s qualifications, as the appointed Comptroller is losing a General Assembly race and being Vice President for Ron Gidwitz at Helene Curtis.
Hmm.
What qualified Munger? A loss to Carol Sente or working for Ron Gidwitz?
- wordslinger - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:09 am:
–The “Madigan” name may have little, if any political future in Illinois.–
“May,” huh. Really going out on a limb with a strong statement.
What is the future “name” running against her?
Because I can say, without equivocation, you can’t beat somebody with nobody.
- JoeMaddon - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 11:29 am:
** For the Speaker to help Mendoza the best thing he can do is help with fundraising, something that has to happen sooner rather than later because it just takes time.**
LOL - how do you think she’s raising all that money from Labor?
- The Captain - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
Well they need to ramp up. She had $1.1 million at the end of March and raised about $330,000 more (plus low dollar). She probably needs another $3.5 million to run an effective campaign against Munger and she probably needs the first two by Labor Day.
- Bleh - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:44 pm:
I imagine that while this race is an important one, there will be much more money poured into the Kirk-Duckworth campaign, and then getting Latinos to GOTV against Trump. If the last two campaigns can just tie in Munger to Rauner/Kirk, Mendoza can have a good chance at riding that wave.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
- Bleh -
What makes this race so unique and special is that is a statewide, “Illinois” race, no national narrative, no ridiculous DC talking points and DC money that will talk… DC.
Kirk-Duckworth will be, and has been, driven by the personalities and framing those personalities within DC narratives.
Munger-Mendoza won’t have that noise.
- Angry Inch - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 3:28 pm:
Are we insinuating Madigan will be a bigger drag on Mendoza than Rauner/Trump on Munger? Get real
- jack28 - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 4:49 pm:
With Munger saying the job is prioritizing vouchers when there is no money and placating those who won’t be paid, WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT this position?
- retired guy - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 7:37 pm:
Isn’t this the office that was discussed as being merged with the Treasurer’s office?