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This year’s ROI

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Illinois

* $4,165,838 was raised/spent on behalf of Rep. Ken Dunkin, who received 8,804 votes yesterday. That’s $473 per vote. The winner of that race, Juliana Stratton, spent $125 per vote.

* Republican Senate candidate Bryce Benton received 19,026 votes. $3,183,904 was raised and/or spent on his behalf. That’s $167 per vote. Winning candidate Sen. Sam McCann spent $40.69 per vote.

* Jason Gonzales raised/spent $1,004,784 to get 6,594 votes, or about $152 per vote. Because Speaker Madigan’s campaign committees also contribute heavily to other candidates, it’s unknown right now how much he spent on his race.

The fall election could make this look like pennies.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 10:57 am

Comments

$473 plus a crisp $50

Low hanging fruit

Comment by LizPhairTax Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 10:59 am
You have to wonder if Dunkin does better without Rauner’s backing. He got trounced, I’d think if Rauner hadn’t been so blatantly involved Dunkin would’ve done better.

Comment by wndycty Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:02 am
Glad we have an astute businessman for Govenor. Great investment choices sir.

Makes about as much sense as purposely trying to bankrupt a state to get your anti Union legislation passed.

Great ROI all around. /s

Comment by Farker Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:03 am
Meh - nowhere close to being Bush league spending ($2,800 per vote)

http://www.marketplace.org/2016/02/02/elections/final-note/jeb-bush-spending

Comment by Bill White Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:06 am
==The fall election could make this look like pennies.==

TV and Radio in Illinois will need to switch to an all political ad format.

Comment by AC Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:07 am
I want payment directly to me instead of the consultants and media companies.

Comment by Liberty Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:09 am
“I’d think if Rauner hadn’t been so blatantly involved Dunkin would’ve done better.”

As Rich pointed out earlier (yesterday? the day before? i dunno, it’s all blurred together), Mike Madigan’s M.O. is to take even the slightest sliver of an opponent’s connection to a despised person or action and blow it way out of proportion.

Dunkin would have been tied to Rauner no matter how little Rauner did for him.

– MrJM

Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:10 am
Independent candidates for the GA may file petitions June 20-27. Wonder if we’ll see that in the 50th Senate district.

Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:10 am
==The fall election could make this look like pennies.==

Rich, I hope you are wrong about this one.

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:13 am
Will Rauner run someone else against Madigan & McCann in the Fall?

Comment by Mama Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:14 am
–The fall election could make this look like pennies.–

In a year with a presidential race and a hot Senate race, I suspect paid media for GA races becomes much less cost-effective than it even was in the primary.

There no doubt will be a ton of money in the comptroller’s race, too.

TV and radio will be crazy expensive due to demand, and how do you cut through the clutter?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:20 am
Dear Raunerites and Raunerite Backers,

You’re wasting big money in Illinois backing someone who is harming the name of the party you’ve chosen to usurp. Please take your cash and go home, or Wisconsin, or whatever. Your kind is not wanted in Illinois.

Sincerely,
Illinois Voters

P.S.- Take Ken Dunkin with you. Please.

Comment by CharlieKratos Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:24 am
===TV and Radio in Illinois will need to switch to an all political ad format.===

If it gets the Ambulance Chasers and Bankruptcy boys off the airwaves, it might just be worth it.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:33 am
Please excuse me while i rant for a moment.
Living in a county that is still reeling from the 2011 flood, and facing millions more in damages from the new years flood. It is almost sickening to think what could be done with the millions that were spent on these races. To the PACS and donors who put up those dollars: If you want to write checks that would actually do some good for a lot of peopele, think about sending them to the people and countys that actually have a need for millions in help. Just the money spent on one of those races would have made a huge impact.

I will now take my soap box and go away. Sorry for not adeing anything to the actual thread

Comment by SO IL M Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:37 am
That’s money well spent for Rauner considering all the havoc he caused.

Comment by Honeybear Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:51 am
Accomplishments are cheaper than failures when it comes to elections. Rauner is going to keep losing millions, papering over his lack of accomplishments.

It seems that he believed that he could force us into bankruptcy, then do whatever he wanted. He didn’t seem to understand that governments aren’t businesses that can let that happen. Bruce Rauner has been a mistake for everyone, even his supporters.

The election proved that Rauner was not elected, but that Quinn was fired. Rauner never had a mandate, other than to not be Quinn. Yet Rauner has been such a poor governor, he would have actually lost to Quinn if the election was yesterday.

Think of that GOPers. You gave Rauner a chance. Yesterday proves that he shouldn’t get another chance - at your expense. Dump him.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 11:56 am
Sure funny for a guy that promised to ‘run the state like a business’ can’t understand ROI.

Because if I went to my boss and said “We totally got our clocks cleaned in sales, but TOTALLY outspent the competitor in marketing 4:1!” I, and the marketing dept would be looking for work.

Maybe Bruce should think about that….

Comment by How Ironic Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 12:24 pm
SO IL M- you did add to the thread, and your words hold truth. It is obscene spending, and my hope is someday we will grow out of these money wars. An inkling is in yesterday’s primary, and how the voters proved deeper pockets don’t always prevail in buying the public vote.

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 1:22 pm
its not just the dollars per vote, its also that the margins were not even remotely close! you spend that much money and you would think you could get it in the ball park at least

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 3:27 pm
Quarterlys are going to be interesting.

Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 4:50 pm
Confirmation bias tells me that Rauner will look at this and say - see, this is the corruptive impact of unions, that they can determine these elections against the ‘best interests’ of the voters. I have to double down on destroying them.

Comment by Rasselas Wednesday, Mar 16, 16 @ 5:56 pm
In heavily Democrat districts the Primary is the race. The fall election will be a breeze for many of these races.

Comment by JustRight Thursday, Mar 17, 16 @ 8:20 am