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* From the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, with my own bracketed comments…
J.B. Pritzker (D)
At $9.3 million in expenditures, J.B. Pritzker accounted for 67% of total 2nd quarter spending in the Illinois gubernatorial race. Advertising and media consulting represented a large portion of his committee’s expenditures. Pritzker utilized a Philadelphia media consulting group named Shorr, Johnson, Magnus, who has worked in the past with U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Al Franken. Pritzker paid the group $6,317,365 for media buys, consulting, and production. That amount itself is more than the combined total spending of all the other gubernatorial campaigns. In total, Pritzker spent an additional $928,160 on media buys from other sources, media and digital consulting, and media production. Pritzker also spent a significant amount of money building his campaign’s team. He spent $668,286 on payroll and associated fees for campaign staff - almost $500,000 more than any other candidate. [The dude has ramped up staff hiring faster and larger than anyone I think I’ve ever seen.]
Bruce Rauner (R)
Governor Rauner was the second highest spender in the second quarter, reporting nearly $3.4 million. The Rauner campaign enlisted Strategic Media Placement Inc, a major Republican media consulting company in Ohio, for $1,056,336 in media buys. The group has worked with a number of U.S. Senators, Governors, and the Trump campaign. In addition, the campaign spent $75,337 on mailings and postage to potential voters. The Governor also transferred $1.5 million to the Illinois Republican Party, which is reflected in his overall expenditure numbers. [The ubiquitous “duct tape” ads were paid for by a dark money group affiliated with the RGA and are therefore not included here.]
Chris Kennedy (D)
In the second quarter, the Kennedy campaign spent $652,524. A large portion of that, $178,726, went to payroll and associated fees. Kennedy also spent $23,806 on event costs, such as catering and venue reservations. Additionally, Kennedy spent $90,305 on digital consulting from Revolution Messaging, a Washington, D.C.-based progressive digital agency that previously worked with the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, and $102,800 on polling and market research from two different firms. [Other consultants included Zlato Digital ($7,500), P2 Consulting ($52,550), Porter McNeil ($11,000), Tiffany Hightower ($12,500), Hart Research ($81,500), Grossman Heinz ($24,189), Adelstein & Associates ($19,817), 4C Partners ($9,000) and 3-Street, Inc. ($21,300)]
Daniel Biss (D)
Despite raising over $1 million, Daniel Biss’s campign spent frugally this quarter, only $265,710. A big focus of the Biss campaign this quarter was on digital advertising, as its largest single expenditure was $40,000 towards digital advertising from 270 Strategies, a Chicago consulting and outreach firm that previously worked with the United Way and U.S. Senator Corey Booker. The Biss campaign also spent $85,400 on consulting from a number of different local and national firms. This includes two expenditures worth $44,000 with LBH Chicago, a fundraising and public relations consulting firm that previously worked with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. [LBH is run by Liz Houlihan]
Ameya Pawar (D)
Ameya Pawar’s campaign racked up $155,980 in second quarter spending. The Pawar campaign’s biggest expenditure was the $45,554 spent on staff salaries and associated fees. A significant amount of the campaign’s spending also went toward polling and research. The campaign spent $39,200 working with the Seattle-based research and marketing firm Strategies 360. Additionally, the Pawar campaign spent $15,383 on promotional merchandise. [Strategies 360 does not have an Illinois office and focuses mainly on the American West.]
Robert Daiber (D)
Robert Daiber had the second lowest expenditure total this quarter, with just $41,155. Over three-fourths of Daiber’s total spending went to consulting from individuals and small businesses, all located in Illinois. Daiber’s next largest expenditure was $5,110 for a fundraiser at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville, IL. [Barzin Emami is his top consultant. Enami ran the unsuccessful 2014 campaign to unseat Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier.]
Scott Drury (D)
Scott Drury, who has been in the race for about one month, was the lowest spender in the second quarter, only reporting $3,994. Of these expenditures, the largest amount went to processing donations to his campaign made through the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. [Drury was even outraised by the person who wants to run for his House seat.]
Click here if you want to take a deeper dive.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:49 pm
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Scott Drury, who has been in the race for about one month, was the lowest spender in the second quarter, only reporting $3,994. Of these expenditures, the largest amount went to purchase a commemorative crystal and oak hand-crafted desk clock.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:54 pm
I can’t believe that the ICPR article forgot to tell us that Drury was a “former federal prosecutor.”
Comment by Leatherneck Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:55 pm
If you look at John Cullerton’s committees there are hints that he may stick with not running again (for instance his state central committeeman committee giving big to charities).
If that happens, I expect Pawar to run for Cullerton’s Senate seat instead of Governor.
Comment by Fax Machine Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 12:58 pm
==The campaign spent $39,200 working with the Seattle-based research and marketing firm Strategies 360==
Long way to travel just to use SEIU’s go-to jet city consultants.
Drives me nuts when politicians we need to grow Illinois’ economy then turn to out-of-state consultants. Both sides.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 1:51 pm
Pawar is running for Mayor. This run for governor is a tuneup.
Comment by ToneSmoke Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:26 pm
===Pawar is running for Mayor===
This. But he won’t be able to downgrade from that race and he’ll lose. Gainer wants to run too and if Pawar and Rahm both run, and if Kurt declares, look to be saying “Mayor Summers” and “Alderwoman Gainer” in 2019.
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:39 pm
Pawar’s key to fundraising is the well-to-do Indians who bankrolled Raja. If they’re not writing him checks, no one will.
Comment by Grand Avenue Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:52 pm
Maybe the Indians aren’t funding Pawar because they think Raja will run for Governor in 2022 (assuming Rauner is re-elected - not a good bet at the moment) and don’t want to muddy things up.
Comment by Grand Avenue Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 2:53 pm
Pawar has a path for Mayor because northsiders love him. I don’t understand it.
Comment by ToneSmoke Thursday, Jul 20, 17 @ 4:05 pm