The Governor’s Race: Billionaire Pileup The battle between billionaires Ken Griffin and Dick Uihlein continued into the second quarter of 2022, with Uihlein’s choice Darren Bailey ultimately winning the Republican nomination with a healthy 57.7% of the vote. Billionaire-backed upstart…
Read MoreThe first quarter of 2022 got off to an explosive start on the campaign finance front, with Governor JB Pritzker dropping $90 million into his own campaign account. While the quarter was slow for some, fundraising reports signal we can…
Read MoreLast weekend started with a bang, with Governor JB Pritzker putting a jaw-dropping $90 million of his own money into his reelection campaign account on Friday night. The news was followed by Aurora mayor Richard Irvin announcing his candidacy for…
Read MoreWith Mike Madigan gone from the Speaker’s seat for almost a year, recent fundraising reports give us some hints about what’s changed and what’s stayed the same in a post-Madigan era. What’s the same. Legislative leaders are still abusing the…
Read MoreYesterday was the deadline for Illinois political committees to submit their quarterly reports detailing campaign contributions and expenses. They give us a picture of where the party committees, legislative leaders, and candidates in contested races stand with just under a…
Read MoreThe Illinois primary elections are one year away today, but some candidates have already starting building their war chests. We took a look at two races that have attracted big money: the campaigns for governor and secretary of state. The…
Read MoreWith the final quarterly campaign finance reports of 2020 submitted in mid-January, we now have a complete picture of the role that small donations played in the November elections for the Illinois General Assembly. And that role is, well, small. …
Read MoreWhile a few local races remain uncalled and officials continue working to ensure that every vote is counted, this year’s election results have taken shape. Here are four key takeaways from this year’s contests. 1. Kenneth Griffin won big. Kenneth…
Read MoreOne year after Governor Rod Blagojevich’s 2008 arrest on corruption charges, the Illinois General Assembly responded to calls for reform by establishing the state’s first campaign contribution limits. The law contained a caveat unique to Illinois: in any race with a so-called…
Read MoreSenator Don Harmon assumed the office of President of the Illinois Senate in January of 2020 following Senator John Cullerton’s resignation. He is now a key player not only in passing legislation but also in raising and distributing funds for…
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