02/25/2014
Matt Dietrich
Executive editor
Reboot Illinois
Screencap, courtesy Reboot Illinois
Chicago magazine recently published its list of the 100 most powerful people in the country’s third-largest city. We examined the most recent political contributions of these power-wielding people, and we’ll be showing you the results in four installments. We showed you numbers 100-76 already, and here’s the next set of 25. Does anything on this list surprise you?
75) Jeff Tweedy
Musician
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
74) Jorge Ramirez
President of the Chicago Federation of Labor
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
73) Christopher Kennedy
Chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
72) Greg Goldner
CEO of Resolute Consulting
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
71) James Heckman
Professor of economics at University of Chicago
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
70) Michelle Boone
Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for the City of Chicago
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
69) Dan Webb
Chairman of Winston & Strawn
$5,300 to Citizens to Elect Pat Spratt
$5,300 to Citizens for Judge John B. Simon
$5,000 to Chicago for Rahm Emanuel
68) Robert Falls
Artistic director for the Goodman Theatre
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
67) Byron Trott
Founder, CEO and chairman of BDT Capital Partners
$30,300 to Citizens for Rauner, Inc. (in two installments)
$5,300 to Rahm Emanuel
$1,000 Citizens for Alderman Reilly
66) Matt Hynes
Director of the Office of Legislative Counsel and Government Affairs for the City of Chicago
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
65) James Reynolds Jr.
Chairman and CEO of Loop Capital Markets
$500 to Citizens for Lyle
$250 to Friends of Christian Mitchell
64) John Cullerton
President of the Illinois Senate
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
At the end of 2013, Citizens for John Cullerton for State Senate had approximately $401,990.
63) Grant Achatz
Chef and owner at Alinea, Aviary and Next
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
62) Martha Lavey
Artistic director for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
$500 to Citizens for Lisa Madigan
61) Linda Johnson Rice
Chairman of the Johnson Publishing Company
$500 to Citizens for Lisa Madigan
60) Gail Boudreaux
CEO of United Healthcare
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
59) Sally Blount
Dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
58) Bob Mariano
Chairman and CEO of Roundy’s
$1,000 to Taxpayers for Quinn
$1,000 to Citizens for Lisa Madigan
57) Robert Zimmer
President of the University of Chicago
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
56) Martin Nesbitt
Cofounder of the Vistria Group
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
55) James Crown
President of Henry Crown & Co.
$30,300 to Citizens for Rauner, Inc. (in two installments)
$25,000 to Yes for Independent Maps
$21,000 to Stand for Children IL PAC (in two installments)
54) Barbara Byrd-Bennett
CEO of Chicago Public Schools
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
53) Frederick Waddell
Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
52) Lisa Madigan
Attorney General for the State of Illinois
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
At the end of 2013, Citizens for Lisa Madigan had approximately $4,768,540 in available funds.
51) Patricia Hemingway Hall
CEO of Health Care Service Corp.
$5,300 to Citizens for Lisa Madigan
$5,300 to Taxpayers for Quinn
$500 to Committee to Elect Judge Alfred Swanson
No political contributions in 2013-2014.
Source: Chicago magazine
Bruce Rauner’s been getting a lot of money from these powerful people, but there’s not a whole lot of love for Kirk Dillard, Bill Brady or Dan Rutherford. Which gubernatorial candidate is 2nd to Rauner in the GOP primary race? It’s a heated debate!
Want more info on campaign finances? Read up on who’s got the most money in some of this election cycle’s hottest primaries, and check out how much money each candidate for governor is spending on advertising.
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Matthew Dietrich is Reboot’s executive editor. An award-winning journalist, Dietrich is the former editorial page editor of the State Journal Register in Springfield. He believes in holding our politicians accountable. Read Dietrich’s take on the leadership vacuum that sent Illinois sinking. You can find Reboot on Facebook at and on Twitter @rebootillinois.