Governor’s Race: Fundraising Breakdown

As we enter the final week of the 2018 Primary Election in Illinois, candidates in the heated race for Illinois Governor are kicking their campaigns into high gear. Throughout the election, fundraising and spending have been major topics of contention between the candidates, as self-funders and large mega-donors were pitted against candidates who adopted a more traditional fundraising strategy.

In this race, Democratic candidate JB Pritzker and incumbent Governor Bruce Rauner relied heavily on self-funding and mega donors (those giving over $100,000 in an election cycle). Democratic candidates Chris Kennedy and Daniel Biss saw the most varied fundraising spread, with considerable funds coming from individual donors under $100,000, corporations, special interests, elected officials, and family connections.

Republican candidate Jeanne Ives’ fundraising chart may look surprisingly similar to her opponent’s, but she showed a slightly higher dependence on corporate and business donors. Notably, Ives also listed the most individual donors who did not report their employer or occupation, though it is required by the State Board of Elections.

A few candidates also reported some of their money coming from traditional “special interests,” which encompasses organizations such as pharmaceutical companies, banks, other regulated industries, and labor unions. While many of these groups have traditionally played a larger role in political fundraising, a massive influx of cash from large donors on both sides of the aisle has taken center stage in this hotly contested election.

Contributions from 1/1/17 through 3/12/18 were included in this analysis.