For weeks now, some Democrats have been wondering if their party intends to run a “coordinated campaign” this year and have asked what it might look like. A coordinated campaign means all the party’s candidates are working together under one umbrella group.
The party’s standard-bearer J.B. Pritzker has kicked off “Blue Wave Illinois” and will soon make a $5 million contribution. Democratic sources say much more cash is expected to follow.
The new group won’t be a separate, stand-alone entity, but will instead be an internal branch of Pritzker’s campaign apparatus.
The House and Senate Democrats will each receive a million dollars. Sen. Kwame Raoul’s attorney general campaign will get about $50,000 (around the maximum he can legally receive) and the other statewide nominees will eventually receive money as well.
To stay within campaign finance contribution limit laws, a million bucks will be transferred to the Rock Island County Democratic Party, which is run by Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Chairman Doug House. Chairman House appears to be playing a key role in this new “Blue Wave” organization. House personally endorsed Pritzker ahead of his statewide group’s endorsement session.
Pritzker refused to take any campaign contributions during the primary except from himself, but that will also change. Pritzker’s campaign committee will raise the money to fund its “Blue Wave” operation from small individual donors and large contributions from others, including his wealthy friends and family. I’m hearing $30 million may be the target number.
Pritzker will retain responsibility for funding his own race, I’m told. His initial $5 million contribution can be seen as seed money to get the group going (and the million each to House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton could help soothe any possible paranoia on their part). And since contributions to Pritzker’s big-spending campaign will have no legal caps on them, Pritzker will be able to vacuum up every possible dime that contributors can afford to give. He has told others that he doesn’t want to compete with other Illinois candidates’ fund-raising, so he will travel to other states to raise cash.
Any Statehouse-connected dollars will bring the sort of criticism that the self-funder was able to avoid until now, so we’ll see how this works out. And, of course, giving money to Madigan’s operation has already prompted Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign to claim that the two men are in cahoots.
But this move also means Democrats will have a centralized funding source with no direct ties to Speaker Madigan. The benefit can work both ways. Some liberal big-money folks just don’t like Madigan, and even more candidates are skittish (to say the least) about taking money from the House Speaker. It also seems clear that Pritzker wants his own, independent organization outside of Madigan’s Democratic Party of Illinois – which has been accused in the past of redirecting coordinated campaign money toward Madigan’s favored House candidates.
The Pritzker cash will be used to fund campaigns “up and down the ticket,” from statewide campaigns, to legislative races to county races. The money will also be used for training in messaging and the use of digital technology. The Pritzker campaign wants to concentrate on the most winnable races, but they also say they don’t want to leave any stone unturned.
Local political organizations, including township and ward organizations in Chicago and county party organizations throughout the state, will also likely receive contributions in the future. Chairman House will apparently play the lead role in working with those organizations in an effort to build up a party that is sorely lacking at the local level outside Cook County.
Pritzker won kudos during the primary for opening 18 campaign offices and hiring about 100 field staffers, although there was some internal party criticism for the way at least some of those offices were run. It reminded some influential folks of the DCCC – helicoptered-in staffers who didn’t know the lay of the land.
Whatever the case, the Pritzker campaign plans to continue building out those local field offices and will use them to help Pritzker and other regional and statewide candidates.
A true coordinated campaign also involves congressional candidates. At this point, I’m told, Pritzker’s “Blue Wave” group figures its field work will benefit all candidates at all levels.
One of Pritzker’s slogans has been “think big,” and this definitely has the potential to be the biggest effort of its kind that this state has ever seen.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 11:49 am:
Rich,
Great work, breaking it down and leaving it out there to be fully absorbed, like this…
===To stay within campaign finance contribution limit laws, a million bucks will be transferred to the Rock Island County Democratic Party, which is run by Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Chairman Doug House. Chairman House appears to be playing a key role in this new “Blue Wave” organization. House personally endorsed Pritzker ahead of his statewide group’s endorsement session.===
Why $1 million? Why Rock Island?
Rich clarifies it, and lays out why.
“Million here, million there, soon we’ll be talking serious money”… but it was just 4 years ago that $1 million at one time at ANY time would be the biggest of news, with the largest of react. Not today.
My take on all this money… I dunno what the next 4 years will bring. I do know Rauner told the Tribune what the next 4 years would mean if he won… he wants Janus to prevail, right to work for Illinois, and to punish AFSCME. Nothing to governing better, but $100 million in to take down labor.
I type all that because Rauner makes clear, his money, his rules, his party… his state. His state or more pain and more destruction.
Pritzker? Pritzker shows vision, shows “big thinking” now with big money, but the rub is… taking down Rauner, saving Illinois, million here, million there, the building, the infrastructure, the campaign apparatus, as a junkie to the politics, even Rauner, I am fascinated to the building. Will this apparatus and building and taking down Rauner lead to a better Illinois? Anything saving Illinois from Rauner right now has serious merit, but now that we’re beyond the speculation, my hope for Illinois is that monetary measures of power will also be the use of that power for a “better Illinois”, once power itself will be gained.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 12:05 pm:
Until campaign finance reform exists, as one commenter put it, fire has to be fought with fire. Rauner can’t just batter opponents with money. There is someone over three times as rich as Rauner who can match and exceed the financial onslaught.
I just read an article about “insiders” who don’t think Rauner will prevail unless social conservatives become enthusiastic for him. That’s a lot of pressure, with that and Pritzker building up the grassroots. I hope McCann gets in the race to take enough conservatives away to matter.
“Will this apparatus and building and taking down Rauner lead to a better Illinois?”
Rauner has a terrible record for a non-criminal, arguably the worst in state history. Rauner is furiously trying to deflect from this record by blaming Madigan. But the argument is the same as it always is: Are we better off today than we were four years ago? The answer is an easy no.
- wordslinger - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
If campaign money is a big source of Madigan’s power, then this can certainly be seen as a way to reduce it.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 12:44 pm:
==(and the million each to House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton could help soothe any possible paranoia on their part).==
Good grief. Pritzker just can’t help himself when it comes to Madigan. Yeah I know you can’t just ignore him, but Madigan is never going to get the message that he’s no longer wanted or needed by Illinois Dems if Pritzker doesn’t make it crystal clear in some way.
- NorthsideNoMore - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 3:21 pm:
JB needs MM, he knows it and so do those that work for him…the speakers team runs the races …Pritz and co will go along for the ride. Write the checks and stay out of the way. JB won’t outright challenge the speaker, history didnt go to well with former electeds that did.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 3:59 pm:
So when do we start calling it the Pritzkerite Party?
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 4:35 pm:
==JB needs MM, he knows it and so do those that work for him…the speakers team runs the races ==
I don’t think that’s true anymore. 20 years ago, definitely - but now? If it is, it’s only true for certain wards in Chicago and not anywhere else in the state. The speaker is wily but it’s obvious he’s only been so successful because of the overwhelming number of D voters. Without being the main source of funding for IL dems, he’s just an old man operating a 20th-century party apparatus. Doesnt bring anything to the table (other than baggage) that BFC or Lang or some other dem could provide.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 5:05 pm:
===So when do we start calling it the Pritzkerite Party?===
Probably when a Governor Pritzker signs bills to ban abortions, end collective bargaining, decides social services are needless… basically starting a whole new party outside Democratic Party norms…
… like when Republicans were forced to have an uber-left, costal, limousine liberal social agenda nothing like the GOP has.
Then you might be able to call it the Pritzkerites, lol
- Sue - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 5:38 pm:
Pritzker’s Blue wave will just antagonize both Trump and Mitch McConnell. A Dem speaker won’t be in any position to help Illinois when 2/3 of the Govt will remain firmly R at least until 2021
- Rich Miller - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 5:42 pm:
===Pritzker’s Blue wave will just antagonize both Trump and Mitch McConnell===
Huh?
- City Zen - Monday, May 28, 18 @ 7:19 pm:
A Kool $50,000 contribution to Kwame’s campaign proves he’s come a long way, baby.
- Jibba - Tuesday, May 29, 18 @ 9:49 am:
Yeah, Sue, I will be sad to lose all that extra Federal cash that Rauner has brought into Illinois /s
- DarkHorse - Tuesday, May 29, 18 @ 3:28 pm:
It someone had told Rauner 4 years ago that “a rich guy and his money” would soon displace Madigan as top dog, Rauner would’ve smiled a Cheshire Cat grin. But that rich guy is turning out to be Pritzker.