Dems best GOP in contested suburban races
Democrats are outspending Republicans nearly 2-1 in contentious state House races across the suburbs as they push to expand the party's inroads in the once GOP-dominated region.
Led by House Speaker Michael Madigan, Democratic candidates and the state's party have raised or spent about $2.1 million compared to the GOP's $1.1 million in the last four months on eight key legislative battles across the suburbs. The figures come from a recent release of campaign finance data as candidates turn to their final two weeks on the trail before Election Day, Nov. 4.
On the flip side, the top three suburban state Senate races are seeing more fundraising and spending on the Republican side, with nearly $1 million behind state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine, Dan Duffy of Lake Barrington and Michael Sweeney of Arlington Heights. Democrats have raised or spent nearly $600,000 in those three races.
The spending - which ends up in thousands of mailers and blanket TV ads - is not unprecedented, but it does indicate the breadth of Madigan's attempt to expand his reach into suburbia, one of the few regions in the state to be so contested this year. At the same time, the Republicans in the Senate are struggling to erase a veto-proof majority won by Senate President Emil Jones Jr. in the last round of elections.
Illinois Republican Party spokesman Lance Trover says that despite having fewer dollars, GOP candidates have a good shot because of public sentiment against Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other Chicago Democrats. Blagojevich and Cook County Board President Todd Stroger have been linked to nearly every Democratic candidate in the suburbs via Republican mailers and TV ads.
"I think voters are really sick and tired of it and they are really looking for some change in Illinois," Trover said.
House Republican spokesman David Dring said the party is doing the best it can to match Madigan's fundraising. "It is almost impossible to keep up," he said.
Overall, House Republicans have raised or spent about $1.6 million statewide while Madigan has raised or spent $3.6 million across two campaign funds.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said the state party's support for suburban candidates "relates to helping some high quality incumbents and very talented challengers in poorly represented districts."
The money from both parties, raised without limits under Illinois law, is poured into the campaigns of state candidates, often making up more than half of all their fundraising and spending.
Big donors to suburban candidates this year include teacher unions, the Illinois State Medical Society, government unions and long-term care facility owners. State lawmakers control pensions and in many cases work rules for teachers and other unions as well as regulations and funding for long-term care facilities. The state medical association has been critical of the governor's health care expansion initiatives.
Here is a closer look at campaign spending and fundraising in the contentious races across the suburbs. Visit www.dailyherald.com for the latest on all the political races in your area.
Cook County
65th House District
Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, Des Plaines Republican
Mulligan has raised $91,544 since July 1. Plus, the Illinois Republican Party has spent more than $50,000 on mailers for the veteran incumbent and the House Republicans have spent another $51,143 on staff, polling, phone banking and mailers. Mulligan's biggest backers include long-term care facility operators, which gave her $10,000, teacher unions and the Illinois State Medical Society.
Challenger Aurora Austriaco, Park Ridge Democrat
The attorney raised $165,904, with $60,000 of it coming from her state party to support TV ads. The Democratic Party has spent an additional $81,526 on the race, including $64,516 on mailers. Austriaco's biggest backers include attorneys, AFSCME and beer distributors.
53rd House District
Rep. Sid Mathias, Buffalo Grove Republican
Sid Mathias raised $99,354 in the last four months. His largest contributors include the state medical society and teachers unions. Personal PAC, which supports legalized abortion, spent $5,194 on mailers and the state party spent $36,671 on mailers while House Republicans chipped in $18,502 on mailers and polls,
Challenger Carol Javens, Wheeling Democrat
Javens has raised $180,000 since July 1, with the Democratic Party chipping in $120,000 of that total and then another $102,766 in campaign mailers and staff. Her biggest backers include teacher unions and AFSCME.
Green Party candidate Robert Sherman of Buffalo Grove didn't file a finance report. Candidates who raise less than $3,000 do not need to file a report.
44th House District
Rep. Fred Crespo, Hoffman Estates Democrat
Crespo raised nearly $250,000 since July 1 with $90,000 coming straight from his state party. He relies heavily on unions, including teachers and AFSCME. The Democratic Party also has spent nearly another $80,000 on staff and mailers.
Challenger Peggy Brothman, Hoffman Estates Republican
Brothman raised $3,333 in the last four months, but had $40,000 of campaign work done on her behalf by House Republicans. Her biggest contributors included beer distributors, which gave $1,000.
66th House District
Candidate Christine Prochno, Elk Grove Republican
Prochno has raised $28,360 since July 1. Her biggest contributors included former state Rep. Carolyn Krause, the state medical society and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The state party has paid for $113,074 in mailers and House Republicans have paid for $34,502 in staff, phone calls and polling.
Candidate Mark Walker, Arlington Heights Democrat
Walker has raised $237,132 since July 1, with $177,172 coming from the Democratic Party and much of that going toward TV ads. Democrats have also chipped in $68,983 for mailers and campaign supplies. Walker's other biggest donors include teacher unions, AFSCME and realtors.
56th House District
Rep. Paul Froehlich, Schaumburg Democrat
The former Republican raised $307,065 in the last four months, with more than half coming from the Democratic Party. His biggest donors include multiple unions, from carpenters to locomotive engineers and firefighters.
Challenger Anita Forte-Scott, Schaumburg Republican
Scott has raised $23,865 since July 1. Her biggest donors include manufacturers and the state chamber. The United Republican Fund has given her $13,000. The state party has spent $46,378 on mailers and the House GOP has shelled out $53,000 for staff, mailers and polling.
27th Senate District
Sen. Matt Murphy, Palatine Republican
Murphy has raised $160,572 since July 1, with $96,851 of that coming from Senate Republicans.
The state party spent an additional $83,453 on mailers and the Senate GOP spent another $50,252 on staff, mailers, rent and polling. Murphy's biggest contributors include the state chamber, the state medical society and realtors.
Challenger Peter Gutzmer, Hoffman Estates Democrat
Gutzmer raised $20,059, with the biggest contributions coming from a Democratic leader in the Senate and AFSCME. A group supporting legalized abortion has sent out $12,198 in mailers.
33rd Senate District
Dan Kotowski, Park Ridge Democrat
Kotowski has raised $375,728 since July 1, with $150,000 coming from Senate Democrats and at least $50,000 coming from unions. Kotowski has also received help from legalized abortion supporter Personal PAC, which sent out $2,400 in mailers, as well as the state's realtor association, which spent $16,140 on mailers.
Challenger Michael Sweeney, Arlington Heights Republican
Sweeney raised just over $12,000 between July 1 and Oct. 5, but his finances took off in recent weeks with a $130,667 injection from the Senate GOP. The state party has also stepped in with $41,607 in mailers. Sweeney's biggest backers have included other prominent Republicans.
Lake County Area
26th Senate District
Candidate Dan Duffy, Lake Barrington Republican
Duffy raised $336,788 in the last four months. More than half of it, $203,267, came from Senate Republicans. His largest contributors include long-term care facility owners, the state medical society and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Senate Republicans have spent an additional $19,032 on the campaign and the Illinois Republican Party put another $71,000 into mailers.
Candidate Bill Gentes, Round Lake Democrat
Gentes took in $131,430 in the last four months, with $75,000 coming from Senate Democrats. Gentes' biggest backers include teacher unions. He is also landing help from supporters of legalized abortion, which put out nearly $15,000 in mailers on his behalf.
59th House District
Rep. Kathleen Ryg, Vernon Hills Democrat
Ryg raised just over $21,000 since July 1 from groups that included AFSCME, attorneys and various unions. Challenger Dan Sugrue, Green Oaks Republican
Sugrue raised $6,750 in the last four months, with one of his biggest contributors including Family PAC, which opposes gay marriage and legalized abortion.
53rd House District
Rep. Sid Mathias, Buffalo Grove Republican
Mathias has raised $99,354 since July 1, with his largest contributors including the state medical society and teacher unions. Personal PAC, which supporters legalized abortion, spent $5,194 on mailers and the state party spent $36,671 on mailers while House Republicans chipped in $18,502 on mailers and polls,
Challenger Carol Javens, Wheeling Democrat Carol
Javens has raised $180,000 since July 1, with the Democratic Party chipping in $120,000 of that total and then another $102,766 in mailers and staff. Her biggest backers include teacher unions and AFSCME.
Green Party candidate Robert Sherman of Buffalo Grove didn't file a finance report.
DuPage
96th House District
Candidate Dianne McGuire, Naperville Democrat
McGuire has raised $292,028 since July 1, with her largest contributors including teacher unions that brought in $31,500 and long-term care facility owners who chipped in $10,000. More than $190,000 of her contributions came from the Democrat Party, which also spent an additional $108,303 on staff, polling and mailers.
Candidate Darlene Senger, Naperville Republican
Senger has raised $57,703 since July 1 with the state party also paying for nearly $13,000 in mailers and House Republicans paying $37,542 for staff and materials. The Naperville Chamber of Commerce bought more than $40,000 in TV ads and Family PAC, which opposes gay marriage and legalized abortion, paid for a $3,176 ad. Her biggest backers include the Illinois Medical Society, Ameren and the state chamber.
Jennifer Witt of the Green Party didn't file a campaign disclosure report.
44th House District
Rep. Fred Crespo, Hoffman Estates Democrat
Crespo has raised nearly $250,000 since July 1 with $90,000 coming from his party. He relies heavily on teacher unions and other unions, including AFSCME. The Democratic Party also has spent nearly $80,000 on staff and mailers.
Challenger Peggy Brothman, Hoffman Estates Republican
Brothman raised $3,333 in the last four months, but had $40,000 of campaign work done on her behalf by House Republicans. Her biggest contributors were beer distributors, which gave $1,000.
66th House District
Candidate Christine Prochno, Elk Grove Republican
Prochno has raised $28,360 since July 1, with her biggest contributors including former Rep. Carolyn Krause, the state medical society and the state chamber. The state party has paid for $113,074 in mailers and House Republicans have paid for $34,502 in staff, phone calls and polling.
Candidate Mark Walker, Arlington Heights Democrat
Walker has raised $237,132 since July 1, with $177,172 coming from the Democratic Party. Democrats have also chipped in an additional $68,983 in mailers and campaign supplies. Walker's biggest donors include teacher unions, AFSCME and realtors.
Kane-McHenry
43rd House District
Rep. Ruth Munson, Elgin Republican
The incumbent has raised $133,611 since July 1 with the House Republicans chipping in another $67,266 and the Illinois Republican Party spending more than $65,000 on mailers. Munson's biggest backers included teacher unions, which gave her more than $30,000.
Challenger Keith Farnham, Elgin Democrat
Farnham has raised $179,200 in the last four months, with $133,252 coming from the state party and another $20,000 coming from painting unions. In addition, Democrats have spent nearly $75,000 on staff and mailers.
Green Party candidate Dane William didn't file a finance report.
27th Senate District
Sen. Matt Murphy, Palatine Republican
Murphy has raised $160,572 since July 1, with $96,851 of that coming from Senate Republicans.
The state party spent an additional $83,453 on mailers for Murphy and the Senate GOP spent another $50,252 on staff, mailers, rent and polling. Murphy's biggest contributors include the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the state medical society and the state's realtors association.
Challenger Peter Gutzmer, Hoffman Estates Democrat
Gutzmer raised $20,059, with the biggest contributors including a Democratic leader in the Senate and AFSCME. A group that supports legalized abortion has sent out $12,198 in mailers.
44th House District
Rep. Fred Crespo, Hoffman Estates Democrat
Crespo has raised nearly $250,000 since July 1 with $90,000 coming straight from his party. He relies heavily on teacher unions, which gave him at least $23,500 and other unions, including AFSCME. The Democratic Party also has spent nearly $80,000 on staff and mailers.
Challenger Peggy Brothman, Hoffman Estates Republican
Brothman raised $3,333 in the last four months and had $40,000 of campaign work done on her behalf by House Republicans, including more than $15,000 in mailers and $3,000 in phone banking. Her biggest contributors were beer distributors, which gave her $1,000.