Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Today’s number: $146,550,034

Posted in:

Illinois

Billionaire Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker pumped another $20 million into his campaign, extending his record-setting self-funding to more than $146.5 million, a state finance report filed minutes before midnight Saturday showed.

For the record, the latest multimillion cash infusion made last Tuesday brings Pritzker’s total to $146,550,034 since March 2017, state campaign finance records showed.

Pritzker’s campaign also put $1 million into the Democratic Party of Illinois, which is chaired by House Speaker Michael Madigan, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s chief political nemesis. The contribution followed $420,000 Pritzker gave the state party a week earlier.

Rauner, a wealthy equity investor, has not put any of his own money into his campaign fund since a record single contribution of $50 million in December 2016. It’s part of the $95.3 million of his own money he’s placed into his campaign fund since March 2013, when he announced his first candidacy.

Just this morning, Speaker Madigan reported almost $1.9 million in contributions to his personal campaign committee, including $1.3 million from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC, $250K from the American Federation of Teachers and $150K from Michael Sacks.

* Related…

* How many ads have Rauner, Pritzker run on Decatur-area TV stations? We crunched the numbers.

* Candidates hard to miss online with ads on multiple sites and streaming services

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:31 am

Comments

Randi Weingarten and Mike Madigan: a match made in purgatory.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:38 am
Despite qualms about the 0.1% buying their own elections. I suppose it’s better than Charles Koch buying elections.
Still, we are back to days of Auguatan Rome when to run you had to be rich or the lackey of a rich clan.

Comment by Streamwood Retiree Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:39 am
Remember when Rauner made that $50 million dollar deposit to his campaign he stated that this was a first installment and more will come. It looks like more never came. And I notice Rauner is spending his campaign cash slowly so that he can trick Pritzker who can outspend him to not spend much on his own campaign.

Comment by Real Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:40 am
It’s so much fun watching Rauner complain that a richer guy is outspending him. He likes to point out that JB inherited his money. Rauner should understand that we know that he got rich from managing a lot of public employee pension funds. The very pension funds he wanted to destroy after sucking his money out of them. Looking forward to his concession speech.

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:43 am
Why isn’t Diana Rauner donating to the Democrats?

Isn’t Diana a Democrat?

Diana got HB40… for $117 million. Diana’s brand is intact.

As for the Senate GOP… “you” and I… we’re both waiting in that Rauner money promised to you.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:47 am
–Rauner, a wealthy equity investor, has not put any of his own money into his campaign fund since a record single contribution of $50 million in December 2016.–

Revealing.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:49 am
The going rate to buy the governor’s seat is getting pretty steep.

Comment by Liandro Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:49 am
Hey Pritzker inherited a fortune but this is patently obscene

Comment by Sue Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:52 am
Rauner holding back money…

Rauner is bankrupting the ILGOP.

Rauner got all he could out of the HGOP, SGOP… so give as little as possible, give Harold a “meaningless” million…

The only people seemingly unaware that Rauner is folding his tent and ending the monetary occupation are the elected Raunerites.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:52 am
In the same report where JB contributes $20M to himself, there are a number of professionals making $1/5/10,000 contributions. When your contribution is less than a fraction of a percent of what the candidate gives himself, why bother?

Comment by City Zen Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:07 am
When your contribution is less than a fraction of a percent of what the candidate gives himself, why bother?

-Obviously because they feel Rauner has to go!

Comment by Real Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:12 am
That’s a lot of money.

Comment by A guy Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:18 am
I wonder what JB’s ROI will be.

Comment by Generic Drone Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:26 am
Imagine what is going to happen when he is told no…

Pat and Rod were told no and they were not happy about it when they were told no and they didn’t spend enough of their own money to buy about two fully loaded BBJs (Boeing Business Jets, basically a 737 configured as a personal aircraft).

That is a lot of scratch (even if you are really rich) to spend on something only to be told you can’t do something with it.

Think about how much is going to have to reach into his own pocket to get the constitutional change passed, since odds are real money is going to be spent to stop it.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:33 am
===since odds are real money is going to be spent to stop it. ===

LOL. Think they’ll raise $146 million?

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 10:45 am
“Imagine what is going to happen when he is told no…”

By the time J.B. turned 18, both of his parents were dead.

I’m pretty sure he can deal with life’s lesser disappointments.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 11:20 am
I happened to be at a republican meet and greet Friday night. Lots and lots of whispers that Rauner is toast. Nobody is going on stage, but it appears downstate GOPers are preparing for life there after.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 11:35 am
Rich, I would think (I suspect you might disagree) that it will not be $146 spent to stop the amendment (since it has to go to a vote) but I would be surprised if it isn’t at least 20-30 million. Heck, 4 million was spent on safe roads in favor and nothing against and you figure there is going to be some money against this.

I would also think he would be out some money that he had to spend to defend people who voted for putting it on the ballot.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 11:44 am
===but I would be surprised if it isn’t at least 20-30 million===

OK. And if Pritzker manages to get the resolution through both legislative chambers, you don’t think he’ll do what he’s doing now and outspend opponents 3-1? The game will change bigly if that guy is elected.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:14 pm
@- wordslinger - Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:49 am:

===–Rauner, a wealthy equity investor, has not put any of his own money into his campaign fund since a record single contribution of $50 million in December 2016.–===

===Revealing.===

Even Rauner realizes he would be putting good money after bad.

Comment by DuPage Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:15 pm
McCann has digital video up now on the Cubs-Brewers game

Comment by Contract Disputin' Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:26 pm
“I happened to be at a republican meet and greet Friday night.”

Imagine my surprise.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:49 pm
MrJM. It was by accident. Its where the Mrs. And I went for a fish dinner. I don’t do partisan politics anymore.

Comment by blue dog dem Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:59 pm
== OK. And if Pritzker manages to get the resolution through both legislative chambers, you don’t think he’ll do what he’s doing now and outspend opponents 3-1? The game will change bigly if that guy is elected. ==

Yeah so that will put his outlay between running for governor and the constitutional change over $200,000,000 that’s real money and the problem is everyone is going to look at his checkbook going forward to fund campaigns. That is going to be the bigger game changer IMHO and his bigger risk when he has to address that all this spending isn’t going to get him everything he wants to do.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:58 pm
LOL- actually imagine what Pritzker’s reaction will be when he finally realizes he spent 146.5 million to elect Madigan as the actual Governor

Comment by Sue Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 2:16 pm
It is refreshing to see Rauner cowed. He ran around the state bullying and buying people with his money and now someone comes along who isn’t cowed by it.

Comment by FORMER STATE EMPLOYEE Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 3:54 pm