Following the money
As part of a weekly series leading up to the November elections, we’ll be following the money to see who the top 10 contributors are for each major statewide candidate. But first, let’s take a look at how Cross and Frerichs’ campaign finances are doing at the moment.
At the second quarter filing deadline, Cross had $510,000 cash on hand after reporting $256,277 in expenditures. Since then, Cross has pulled in an additional $29,300. Frerichs more than doubles his opponent with roughly $1.3 million on hand, and spent only $66,717 during the same time period, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Perhaps more worrisome for Cross is the $90,000 Frerichs has raised since June 30, including the $1.1 million the Democrat secured for a planned advertising blitz during the fall. However, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the state’s top business group, granted its first-ever political endorsement to Cross, which should also keep Frerichs’ camp preoccupied.
But the real question voters should be asking is where exactly are these guys getting their funding? Well, we’ve got the answer.
Looking between Jan. 1, and Sept. 4 of this year, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 donors for Cross and Frerichs using the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Many of the contributors are political action committees (PAC), and for those that are not self-explanatory, there is some information about the organization following each graphic.
- Citizens to Change Illinois PAC
- Supports Republican candidates throughout the state.
- Based in Plainfield
- Established in Oct. 2007
- 18th District Congressional Republican Central Committee
- Includes Springfield, Peoria and Jacksonville. represented by U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock
- Equality Illinois PAC
- A PAC that endorses both Democratic and Republican candidates who support LGBT issues, especially same-sex marriage
- Eby-Brown Company
- Supplier and wholesale distributor of tobacco, candy and other convenience store products
- Oak Street Capital Management LLC
- Chicago-based hedge fund
- Ernie Semersky of Semersky Enterprises, Inc.
- Highland Park-based company that operates in the new car dealers industry
- MacNeil Auto Products
- Provides automotive products, notably, WeatherTech floor liners
- The Exchange
- Chicago-base company that buys, sells and trades entertainment products such as movies, music and videogames
- Citizens for John Cullerton
- Illinois Democratic Senate President John Cullerton’s campaign fund that supports other Democratic candidates throughout the state.
- Establishment in Nov. 1977
- Illinois Laborers’ Legislative Committee
- Based in Springfield, support candidates, legislation, regulatory & public policy issues consistent with the goals of the Laborers’ International Union
- Established July 1997
- AFSCME Illinois Council 31 PAC
- Chicago-based union PAC
- SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana PAC
- PAC formed for the members of SEIU Healthcare IL IN to communicate with elected officials about membership issues.
- Formed Jan. 2009 in Chicago
- Illinois Federation of Teacher COPE
- Springfield-based teachers’ union
- Created in 1976
- UA Political Education Committee
- A large national trade union PAC based in Annapolis, Md., totaling 370,000 members
- Primarily supports plumbers, fitters, welders and HVAC service technicians in the U.S., Canada and Australia (United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States, Canada and Australia
- Working Forward PAC
- Chicago-based union PAC established in 2011
NEXT ARTICLE: Newest Reboot Illinois poll shows Republican Tom Cross still leads in Illinois treasurer’s race, but Mike Frerichs is poised for big ad blitz in the fall
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Kevin Hoffman is a Reboot Illinois staff writer who graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism, political science and international studies. He believes keeping citizens informed and politicians in check is the best way to improve Illinois and bring about common sense reform. Follow us on Facebook.