* ILGOP…
Hey Rich,
Wanted to flag this Register-Mail article for you. Mark Kleine is running an impressive campaign for Congress in IL-17. So far, his campaign has raised $507k, with 90% of those funds coming from donors within the district. $100k of that total comes from Kleine himself.
Cheri Bustos probably hasn’t noticed the groundswell of support for Kleine because she’s too busy helping Madigan and Chicago Democrats anoint J.B. Pritzker with the Democrat nomination for governor.
This will be a race to watch next year.
Thanks,
Aaron
* The article…
Mark Kleine, a local entrepreneur running to represent Illinois’ 17th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced Tuesday his campaign has raised close to $400,000 since he announced his candidacy in late August.
Kleine said that money came from donors. He provided roughly $100,000 in his own money. The total contributions amount to $507,000, and over 90 percent of the donated funds came from donors living in the 17th district, Kleine said.
“I’m investing in my own campaign because I want to utilize my money to help people throughout the district,” Kleine said.
* Bustos’ campaign just sent out a fundraising e-mail entitled “Urgent Message → Read Immediately”…
This needs your IMMEDIATE attention:
The Register-Mail:;Donors give nearly $400,000 to’ Cheri Bustos’ Republican opponent
We can’t afford to sugarcoat this: Since Cheri was one of only TWELVE Democrats to win a Trump-district — this fundraising haul could doom our campaign.
We need to fight back — so we’re asking 5OO people to chip in $5 before Saturday.
Will you RUSH a $5 donation to Cheri’s Democratic Campaign?
Look, Cheri’s Republican opponent is ramping up his campaign arm.
The GOP knows their best chance of passing their extremist agenda is to replace strong Democrats like Cheri.
And since Cheri is FIGHTING BACK to stop Trump and the GOP from gutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, they’re desperate to defeat her.
That’s why hitting Saturday’s goal is critical. Everything we care about is at stake.
A bit on the dramatic side. She won by 20 points last year even though Trump slightly won her district.
- Rahm's Middle Finger - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:58 am:
ALL of Rep. Bustos’ emails are ridiculous and over the top. Especially the ones that they send around 11pm asking… “Are you up?”. Pretty creepy.
- A guy - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
She needs $2500 really bad?
- Flip357 - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
The district elected one Republican in 35 years, and he was promptly voted out of office. Winning in a year expected to be a wash for the GOP will be a tough order.
- PJ - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
I’d love to meet the people these fundraising emails work on. They all operate from the same manual: use odd titles, preferably in all lowercase, to make people feel like it’s personal and worth clicking on. Use your name a lot for the same reason. Pick something your base doesn’t like, scare them about it happening, then ask for EMERGENCY money for Rep. X to fight back against it.
A trained monkey could do that job.
- jim - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:41 pm:
it’s the oldest con in the world — act as if the sky is falling and watch the cash roll in.
- JoeMaddon - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:52 pm:
Bustos Campaign Warns of Viability Issue
- Stand Tall - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:53 pm:
Yes the Democrats gerrymandered this district really well, a Republican doesn’t stand hardly a chance.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:07 pm:
Always run like you’re behind. There’s no upside to do it any other way.
- dbk - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
–the Democrats gerrymandered this district really well–
Well, somebody also gerrymandered IL-18 “really well”, so there’s that, too. Believe me, it’s true: my family home is literally on the border.
Re: Bustos, oh, all her fundraising messages are like that; there’s some kind of disconnect between her and her staff, I think, on this issue. It’s irritating, but you just say “Oh, another RepCheri fundraising hair-raiser.”
Having said this, she’s an incredibly hard worker and she’s out on the hustings all the time she’s not in DC. Some of her trademark stuff like “Cheri on Shift” and “Supermarket Saturdays” probably sound hokey to Cook County sophisticates, but her constituents really respect her. She listens, carefully, to their concerns and she doesn’t try to do all the talking. And she’s a very active representative.
One of her other initiatives is less hokey: Build the Bench. It’s designed as a workshop-resource for first-time local political candidates in IL-17. She runs dynamite workshops - and she funds them out of her own campaign resources.
As somebody upthread noted, she won by 20 points. She’s starting to build a national reputation.
- Ghost - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:20 pm:
Can’t type, sending my 5 now before the sky falls, dogs and cats begin living together and they staypuff Republican attacks
- Decaf Coffee Party - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:33 pm:
Mailed 500 pennies. Hope they get there in time to save her.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 2:14 pm:
IL 17 rebelled in 2010 against Old Man Hare. Lost to Pizza Man. Pizza Man lasted one term and lost to the Bustos Family & Friends Show, starring Cheri Bustos.
The Bustos Family & Friends Show, starring Cheri Bustos fit this district like reruns of Will & Grace fit the Christian network. She ought to be nervous. Her ratings have never been great and voters are realizing that she belongs with those family and friends back in Chicago, north of Division, right around Broadway instead of in Galena.
She’s ripe for a loss and the right GOP candidate can do it.
Reminding us that Lane Evans kept this district blue for generations doesn’t describe either the Democratic party or the 17th anymore.
Ancient history.
- Well well well - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 2:16 pm:
Maybe Bustos should focus on her district instead messing around in Davis and Bost districts.
- Anon57 - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
Aaron no math good
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 3:52 pm:
Kleine is actually quite impressive.
She ought to be concerned.
- Downstate43 - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 4:07 pm:
== IL 17 rebelled in 2010 against Old Man Hare. Lost to Pizza Man. Pizza Man lasted one term and lost to the Bustos Family & Friends Show, starring Cheri Bustos.
The Bustos Family & Friends Show, starring Cheri Bustos fit this district like reruns of Will & Grace fit the Christian network. She ought to be nervous. Her ratings have never been great and voters are realizing that she belongs with those family and friends back in Chicago, north of Division, right around Broadway instead of in Galena.
She’s ripe for a loss and the right GOP candidate can do it. ==
Half of the current 17th was largely the 16th in 2010 and 12, so that part doesn’t hold up. The 17th now is one of the most perfectly gerrymandered districts in that it doesn’t even look gerrymandered on a map. Lane Evans’ district was solidly blue, as a product of Republican ‘mandering.
I’m not sure if you’re living in the 17th, but she is popular here. Definitely not the Democrat candidate that will automatically incite Republicans to vote, let alone vote against her.
I live in the district and I have not heard her opponent’s name once.
- Pizza man - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 4:32 pm:
Uh, problem with Kleine is that he’s running on the Romney platform. Too corporate. Not enough focus on working families.
Corporate GOPer can’t win here.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 4:33 pm:
===Corporate GOPer can’t win here.===
Bruce Rauner
- RIJ - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 5:58 pm:
I live in the 17th, and the way people around here talk about Rauner and Trump, I’d be pretty darn startled if any Republican won, much less Kleine. There is no “groundswell.” The general view is that the Republican Party has gone slightly insane.
- David - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 6:35 pm:
I am in 17 near Galesburg. I know the building he owns but never heard of him.Good luck with the Rauner Trump anvil.I would not out owning the Galesburg antiques mall building in the same crowd as Rauner.
- Jaxon - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 7:28 pm:
I wish she would run for Gov. National profile and great connections down state plus she is genuine
- theCardinal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 7:39 pm:
Was there recently in 17 talking to friends that are not politcal animals they stated her act is thin whatever that means.