*** UPDATE *** Abdon Pallasch at the Sun-Times was able to get the quarterly figure from both campaigns…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady raised more money than Gov. Quinn in campaign contributions for the second quarter of the year, bringing in $3 million to Quinn’s $2.8 million. […]
Brady had to wait until March 5 when Kirk Dillard conceded the razor-close Republican primary to start fundraising in earnest. So most of Brady’s money came in the last three months, spokeswoman Patty Schuh said.
[ *** End of Update *** ]
* Subscribers already know about this. From a press release…
The Quinn/Simon campaign announced today that it raised nearly $5.1 million in combined campaign contributions in the first half of 2010.
The campaign had nearly $2.3 million cash on hand on June 30th. Semi-annual financial disclosure reports for the two campaign committees – Taxpayers for Quinn and Quinn/Simon for Illinois – will be filed July 20, 2010.
“The people of Illinois realize how much is at stake in this election,” said Ben Nuckels, Campaign Manager. “Our contributions show voters know that Pat Quinn and Sheila Simon are the right leaders to keep growing our economy and bring jobs to the state.”
The total released by the campaign does not include contributions made after June 30, such as the IEA’s public commitment of a significant contribution during their endorsement last week.
That $2.3 million is the same as Bill Brady’s cash on hand.
Thoughts?
* My weekly syndicated column is about the latest Rasmussen polling…
So, why did Gov. Pat Quinn close the gap with Republican state Sen. Bill Brady in Rasmussen Reports’ latest poll? There’s a one-word answer: Women.
Rasmussen’s newest poll had Brady ahead of Quinn 43-40. That’s a pretty hefty swing from the firm’s June poll, which had Brady with an 11-point lead, 47-36.
Many political observers were stunned back in March when Rasmussen’s first poll had Brady trouncing Quinn with likely female voters 50-33. Quinn had a horrible time with women voters during the Democratic primary against Dan Hynes, particularly after the news hit that his administration had released a bunch of violent criminals from prison early.
Women voters were still upset with him after the primary, it appeared. Subsequent polling backed up Rasmussen’s numbers. An April survey by Public Policy Polling had Brady leading Quinn among women by 10 points.
Quinn ranks high on so-called “women’s issues,” but Brady is 100 percent pro-life, even in cases of rape and incest. Brady also has taken dozens of votes in the Illinois Senate that quite a few women, particularly in the all-important suburbs, won’t love. Some folks have been saying that Brady’s lead in all the polls was artificial because women just didn’t know what Brady stood for.
They were right. By June 7, Rasmussen had Brady leading Quinn among women by just three points, 42-39. Public Policy Polling’s June survey had the two men tied among women.
And the latest Rasmussen poll, conducted July 7, has Quinn completely turning the tables on Brady and now leading among women by 11 points, 47-36. Word appears to be gradually getting out about Brady’s very conservative stances on abortion, guns, etc.
That movement by women was totally behind Rasmussen’s latest 43-40 overall results, which is the narrowest margin that any poll has recorded in this race to date. Quinn launched a TV ad in the Chicago area last week that whacked Brady good on abortion and his vote against requiring insurance companies to cover mammograms with no out-of-pocket expenses. That ad probably will put Quinn’s numbers to where they should’ve been all along.
Meanwhile, Quinn’s signature this month on legislation creating a temporary “back-to-school” sales tax holiday dovetailed nicely with that same new poll by Rasmussen, which shows Illinoisans by a two-to-one margin believe tax cuts are a better way to create jobs than increased government spending
Every article and editorial about the upcoming sales tax holiday included the official budgetary cost estimates of $40 million to $60 million, which isn’t much, but is a definite issue during the state’s worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression.
Yet 55 percent of Illinoisans, including 60 percent of independents and 47 percent of “moderates” believe that cutting taxes is a better way to create new jobs than increasing government spending. That’s less than Rasmussen’s national result of 69 percent favoring tax cuts, but to be expected considering Illinois’ more liberal bent. With the budget in sorry shape, tax cuts are few and far between, and with Brady advocating broad tax cuts, Quinn had to do his best to get the word out.
This sales tax holiday probably will get more publicity than any other pre-election tax cut Quinn could’ve devised. Retailers usually advertise quite heavily during back-to-school season, and they’ll surely include the automatic 5 percent discount from the sales tax holiday in their nonstop pitches to consumers. Broadcast and print news will do plenty of stories during the Aug. 6-15 tax holiday.
Not to mention all the mothers who will be thankful for a break on their purchases. Quinn knew what he was doing there, or at least stumbled into it.
But before the Quinn campaign can celebrate any victories, there is a very ominous warning sign in the latest Rasmussen poll for their guy.
Back in March, Quinn and Brady split the 65-and-older crowd with 45 points each in Rasmussen’s poll. By June, Brady had a three-point lead with seniors. Rasmussen’s July poll has Brady widening his lead to 11 points.
Seniors vote in high percentages, so Quinn needs to scare yet another demographic into retreating from Brady. Maybe a tax holiday on electric scooters?
* Related…
* Bad choices on both sides of the aisle
* Quinn won’t say if he raised more, less than Brady
* Dem leaders in search of a movement
* Bernard Schoenburg: A refreshing change of political pace
* Ballot controversy raises profile of candidate Cedra Crenshaw with tea party
* Burris bitter on criticism, but happy in Senate
* Green Party candidates face another uphill battle in Illinois
