* Politico…

Sen. Tammy Duckworth raised $1.8 million in the first three months of the year, no doubt a result of her national exposure as a candidate for vice president, military veteran, and foil to former President Donald Trump.

The first-term Democrat who last month announced her bid for re-election in 2022 has $3.7 million cash on hand. More than 9,000 Illinoisans contributed to her campaign, and 97 percent of all individual contributions came in under $100, according to her campaign.

* Press release from spring break…

Alexi Giannoulias ended the first quarter of the year with more than $2.1 million in his campaign fund – a year before the 2022 primary election for Illinois Secretary of State.

During the first three months of 2021, Alexi for Illinois raised over $1.4 million, giving the former State Treasurer more than $2.1 million on hand at the end of March. The fundraising total puts his campaign on track to secure the necessary resources to win the Democratic nomination and defeat the Republican nominee in the general election.

“These contributions send a clear message that our vision for the office is resonating with voters across the state,” said Giannoulias, noting that the donor base reflects a broad-based coalition of support from across the state. “Momentum and excitement for our campaign is growing by the day among people who want solutions-driven leadership that brings people together, restores trust in government and delivers results for hard-working families.”

The first-quarter figure is especially encouraging given that COVID-19 restrictions have limited opportunities to reach voters, forcing campaigns to rely on virtual events and individual outreach over the phone. Giannoulias has held more than 75 Alexi Listens events since the start of the year.

“Without the ability to hold in-person events or engage in retail politics, our campaign adapted early on to embrace non-traditional strategies and digital platforms to navigate and overcome these challenges,” Giannoulias said. “Our ability to successfully pivot has paid off as we’ve exceeded our goals and put the campaign in a strong position moving forward.”

As the youngest State Treasurer ever elected in Illinois, Giannoulias, who served from 2007 to 2011, pursued a progressive, reform-based agenda that featured innovative initiatives that curbed ethical abuses, created jobs, safely invested taxpayer dollars and improved the financial futures of all Illinoisans.

In his bid for Secretary of State, Giannoulias has focused on protecting voter rights, modernizing the office through new technology, improving safety on our roadways, strengthening ethics laws to prevent corruption, protecting privacy and safeguarding against financial fraud.

* While we’re on the topic…

Ald. Pat Dowell formally announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state on Wednesday and pledged not to use the office in its traditional role as a steppingstone for higher office.

“I can absolutely take a pledge today that I would not seek higher office from the secretary of state position,” said Dowell, 63, who has represented the South Side 3rd Ward since 2007.

“My goal for this office is to provide the residents of Illinois with the best customer service possible and not use the office as a personal steppingstone to advance my career,” she said.