* The end of the quarter is today, so that means a big push is on to raise campaign money before the contribution reporting period deadline. Here’s the Tribune…
Going into Friday, Pawar has reported $160,542 in contributions of $1,000 or more this year.
Another Democratic candidate, Chicago businessman Chris Kennedy, emailed supporters Thursday with a nod to the deadline.
“My campaign staff wanted me to send out one of those end-of-quarter emails to convince you of the urgency of the moment,” Kennedy said. “I told them, we should send out an email that treats people like adults, with respect, and recognizes that every American today understands the urgency of this moment.” […]
Rauner has raised $16,000 in large donations so far this year. But his re-election campaign fund started the year with $50.8 million — with $50 million coming from Rauner’s pocket in December.
Rauner was the guest of honor at a Thursday night fundraiser where tickets topped out at $40,000.
* Ald. Pawar poked a little fun at the governor’s fundraiser yesterday while simultaneously showing why so many Democrats are leery of the unknown, under-financed candidate…
* A group of labor union protesters showed up to picket Rauner’s fundraiser, but he apparently avoided them…
* From the Kurt Summers campaign last night…
We have an important fundraising deadline coming up tomorrow, and I need your help. Our message of fighting for those who need it most and putting people over politics is already gaining traction! The end of the quarter deadline will help us show that our efforts are funded by people like you, not by millionaires and corporations.
If you pitch in $15, $50, or $100 today, it will send a message to Governor Rauner and Trump’s Republican pals in Illinois that we are standing up against unbalanced budgets, attacks on working people, and their failed leadership.
* Chris Kennedy…
Illinoisans have lost faith in our political system. Instead of seeing government as a force for leveling the playing field and creating opportunity, they see the growing dominance of a small group of wealthy individuals who use government as a tool to grow their own personal wealth. They see a small group of wealthy friends seeking to protect what they have, even if they have to impoverish the rest of our citizens to do so.
The result is an agenda that destroys the American Dream by cutting off support for education, defunding programs that help the poor, decimating unions, opposing the minimum wage, and sabotaging our job-creating economic engines like community colleges and universities.
Already, our campaign has more contributors in 6 weeks than Rauner received during the entire first year of his first campaign for governor.
That’s because this campaign isn’t about me or Governor Rauner – it’s about you and the future we need to build for Illinois. This state has given me enormous opportunities. The kind of opportunities all citizens deserve.
Please contribute before today’s midnight reporting deadline to restore faith in our politics and rebuild our future.
I haven’t received anything from the Biss campaign in the past 24 hours or so. But maybe I’m not on that list.
…Adding… I’m not on the Biss list, so this was forwarded to me by a helpful reader…
Today’s the quarterly fundraising deadline — which may not be such a big deal if you’re a millionaire or billionaire who can fund your campaign with your own personal wealth, or with now-legally-unlimited contributions from all your wealthy friends.
On the other hand… if you’re a former math professor trying to build a movement of people to take back their state from money and the machine, today’s deadline turns out to be pretty important.
Daniel may not have millions of dollars in personal wealth, but he has you — this rapidly growing movement of people ready to build a new politics in Illinois. And today is our first real test.
- LizPhairTax - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:24 am:
Should’ve gotten a fully loaded SUV with navigation
- Union proud - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:27 am:
I think Biss was the only candidate to go to the labor rally last night.
Oh yeah and the “counterprotest” was hilarious. About a dozen or so people standing across Michigan Ave holding “fire madigan” signs.
- JoeMaddon - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 11:45 am:
I’ve received at least 2 emails from Biss in the last 24 hours.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
The questions are…
Biss? - Will Biss show over $2 million “on hand”
Kennedy? - Breaking the cap, will Kennedy get over $2 million?
Pritzker? - How much “upfront money is Pritzker willing to lay out? Seven-figures?
That’s my first take on all these…
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
The LIUNA pic looks like it’s from last year’s Springfield rally. The weather was nice and thousands were in attendance.
The rally yesterday was well-attended by the union side, considering the weather. It rained for part of the day before the rally.
It was comical seeing the very few Republican protesters across the street, with a “Jail Madigan” sign.
Once I was at another union rally and I happened to turn around. Sen. Biss was standing there. Since he supports adult-use marijuana legalization, he’s very compelling to me.
- JoeMaddon - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:13 pm:
**Biss? - Will Biss show over $2 million “on hand”**
That’s a pretty high bar… I doubt he nets that much ($650k) this quarter, and he only announced a few weeks ago.
**Kennedy? - Breaking the cap, will Kennedy get over $2 million?**
Kennedy was telling folks he was going to raise $1M without breaking the caps. I suspect that his breaking the caps was because his fundraising wasn’t going nearly as well as he hoped, and he needed to break the caps to get to $1M.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:22 pm:
That video of the Guv’s luxury SUV with blackened Windows sneaking in through the out door to hide from the protestors is a much more damaging image (imho) than yesterday’s video of the comptroller getting in her SUV.
- D. Darnall - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 12:57 pm:
Thanks for sharing our tweet, Rich. @LiUNAchicago
- Just Sayin ... - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 1:59 pm:
Wait … was that the Gov’s new SUV with 4X4, with power windows, navigation, heated seats, tinted windows, etc that the ISP bought New for $56 k this year for the “transport of public officials?”
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 31, 17 @ 2:00 pm:
===That’s a pretty high bar… I doubt he nets that much ($650k) this quarter, and he only announced a few weeks ago.===
I’d be surprised if Biss falls too short of $2 million. We’ll see.
===Kennedy was telling folks he was going to raise $1M without breaking the caps. I suspect that his breaking the caps was because his fundraising wasn’t going nearly as well as he hoped, and he needed to break the caps to get to $1M.===
That’s why, A) I set that number as I did, B) Reports tell a great deal on where the mining is at, “easy picks”, “ordinary people”, “family and friends” or serious players looking to get in early.
My numbers weren’t arbitrary, they are measures along with depth to reach those measures…