Sunday campaign money roundup
Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
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* Tribune…
The frenzied final weekend of in-person campaigning supplements the nearly $65.7 million spent by candidates and interest groups on TV commercials in the governor race so far. The contest could become the most expensive race to be Illinois’ chief executive in state history.
That TV spending total — in just the primary — is more than the record $65.3 million Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent on his entire 2014 campaign.
* JB Pritzker was on Newsradio WJPF the other day and was asked about this now outdated graphic from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform…
* Starting at about the 30-second mark…
Interviewer: And they had it done in a pie chart and yours was all orange, and orange said ’self.’
Pritzker: [Three-second pause] Hehehehehe. Well, you want me to react to that?
Interviewer: Go big or go home, right?
Pritzker: Hehehehe. Well, remember that this whole campaign began in December of 2016 when Bruce Rauner wrote himself a $50 million check into his own campaign account. And then he accepted tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers’ right-wing network. And you know, they’re aiming at, uh, destroying labor unions and lower wages in the state, lowering workplace safety. So, I knew when I entered this race that we’d have to go fight fire with fire. Sen. Paul Simon, who is I think a hero to many of us who care about public service, once said, you know, that when you’re fighting for campaign finance reform, which I am, you can’t unilaterally disarm in the middle of it just because you’re in favor of campaign finance reform and the Republicans are spending so much money. So, I really believe that what I’ve tried to do throughout this campaign is to build the infrastructure of the Democratic Party, or at least of my campaign so that going into the general election we can win up and down the ticket for Democrats. So that’s what I’ve been doing and I’m excited about going into this Tuesday primary. I feel good about our chances. And most of all I feel good about our ability to beat Bruce Rauner in the general election.
* That’s not a bad (albeit far too-wordy explanation), but he’s also had to fend off well-funded attacks by Rauner and attacks by his opponents over stuff like this…
* Meanwhile, not long ago, Chris Kennedy was bitterly complaining about all the money JB Pritzker was handing out to ward, township and county party organizations. On Friday, Kennedy’s campaign gave $2,500 to the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization.
* Back to the Trib…
Ives, who once said she needed $10 million to run an effective race against Rauner, has raised nearly $4 million — including $2.5 million from conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest. In recent days, Vincent Kolber, a transportation asset manager from Chicago, loaned her $250,000 in addition to $410,000 he already had given.
Ives said Saturday she’ll have enough money to keep airing ads through Tuesday despite a fundraising email pitch from her campaign Saturday, seeking money for “our final chance to get on TV.”
* By the way, the Teamsters’ national DRIVE committee gave Speaker Madigan’s 13th Ward Organization a fat $55,400 check yesterday.
* Related…
* Pritzker Now at $70 Million, Rauner Feeling Pressure from Ives: Biss also commented on the matter and said, “JB Pritzker is trying to buy the election because Mike Madigan told him to.” … According to Rauner however, “she’s weak, weak on Madigan, weak on taxes.”
* Illinois governor race more fierce, costly as primary nears
* Recognize these names? Meet the Macon County donors who gave $420,000 to political candidates
* Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day: Democrat for governor Chris Kennedy said he is confident ahead of the vote. “All we have to do is reject big money and politics on Tuesday,” Kennedy said.
