Roskam Tops Congressional Fundraising Charts in 2018

After contentious Primary Elections for congressional seats on both sides of the aisle came to a close last month, all eyes turned to the newly-minted contests that will make national headlines in November. From a Time Magazine-profiled newcomer candidate in the 14th District to another biennial battle to flip the 10th District, there is no shortage of hotly contested races for voters and politicos to focus on for the next nine months.

In many of these races, incumbents took advantage of uncontested races in the first quarter of 2018 to get a head start on fundraising. Rep. Peter Roskam (R – IL6), who raised about $577,000 in the fourth quarter of last year, nearly doubled his haul with $966,000 in the first quarter of 2018. Incumbent Representatives Brad Schneider (D – IL10) and Mike Bost (R – IL12), also posted impressive numbers, and reported millions in cash on hand.

Some new political challengers also maximized their Primary Election momentum to raise considerable sums of money. Lauren Underwood, Democratic candidate in the 14th District, outraised her opponent Rep. Randy Hultgren (R – IL14), but still showed a considerable disadvantage in cash on hand. Betsy Londrigan, a Democrat challenging Rep. Rodney Davis (R – IL12), raised nearly as much as her opponent, but shows just $221,000 in cash on hand to his $1.4 million. Read below for more information on incumbents, challengers, and their fundraising totals for the first quarter of 2018.

Incumbent GOP Rep. Peter Roskam has become well-known across the state for his refusal to hold town-hall style meetings and his involvement in the Republican tax bill passed late last year. Rep. Roskam has shown consistent fundraising numbers throughout the last two quarters, despite being unchallenged in the GOP Primary Election this year. In the first quarter of 2018, Rep. Roskam upped the ante, bringing in nearly $1 million, and reporting $2.2 million in cash on hand.

55% of Roskam’s funds raised came from PACs representing many healthcare, insurance, and financial services firms. Rep. Roskam has traditionally done well in the 6th District, bringing in at least 59% of the vote since 2012. However, Hillary Clinton won the district by 7 points in 2016, and the Representative’s ongoing media attention may have opened the door for Casten to pose a considerable threat.

Opponent Sean Casten, a Democrat, was the top fundraiser in his competitive 7-way Primary Election, where he walked away with a 3% margin of victory over his opponents. While Casten raised a considerable $603,287 in the first quarter, he spent $820,271 in his heated race to edge out Kelly Mazeski, who came in second. This left Casten with less than $200,000 in cash on hand at the end of the first quarter, compared to Rep. Roskam’s $2.2 million. 36% of Casten’s money this quarter came from loans from Casten to his own campaign.

In the tumultuous 10th District, Democratic incumbent Brad Schneider may face another serious challenge in November. The district has changed parties in each election since 2012, with Rep. Schneider serving two non-consecutive terms. While Rep. Schneider was uncontested in the Democratic Primary, he raised $584,863 in the first quarter of 2018, and heads into the General Election season with a considerable $2.1 million in cash on hand. Schneider’s fundraising this quarter was largely composed of individual donations, with 75% of all contributions coming from individuals.

Republican Doug Bennett began 2018 with $101,620 in cash on hand, and spent $75,982 throughout the first quarter. Bennett has only raised $7,074 since January 2018, and eked out a 1% win against his two Republican Primary opponents. Bennett raised less than both of his opponents, with one of his competitors raising over $700,000 in the race.

Rep. Mike Bost, a GOP incumbent from Murphysboro, is a two-term Congressman who easily won re-election in 2016. However, his contest with Democrat Brendan Kelly is expected to attract national attention in November. President Donald Trump won the district by 15 points in 2016, but the district favored President Obama in 2008 and 2012. Kelly, the State’s Attorney for St. Clair County, hopes to swing the district back in that direction in November.

Kelly and Bost had similar fundraising figures in the first quarter of 2018, with Kelly raising $584,509 to Bost’s $534,839. However, the candidates differed in the sources of their funds, with 54% of Bost’s contributions coming from PACs, while only 25% of Brendan Kelly’s contributions came from political groups. Rep. Bost holds a slight advantage in cash on hand, with $1.1 million to Kelly’s $959,855.

Rodney Davis, a Republican who has served the 13th District since 2012, raised a considerable $465,380 in the first quarter of 2018, and finished the quarter with over $1.3 million in cash on hand. Rep. Davis, whose district encompasses parts of Springfield and Champaign in central Illinois, took in 72% of his contributions from PACs, many of which are affiliated with agriculture and other business interests.The 13th District has consistently voted Republican since 2012, but high independent turnout that year made Davis’s margin a slim 0.3%.

Betsy Londrigan, a Democrat from Springfield, won the Primary Election on March 20th by 23% in a crowded five-way race. Londrigan has been supported by women’s groups, including $186,000 in outside spending from a Super PAC, Women Vote!, in the Primary. Londrigan raised $437,527 in the first quarter of 2018, with 89% coming from individual donors, and 11% coming from political committees such as EMILY’s List. While Londrigan raised nearly as much as Davis, she reported just $221,207 in cash on hand to his $1.4 million at the end of the 1st quarter of 2018.

GOP incumbent Representative Randy Hultgren has served the 14th District since 2010, and is known as a conservative whose voting track record shows consistency with the positions of President Trump. The 14th District has been a solid Republican district, with Hultgren winning at least 59% of the vote in each election since 2012.

Lauren Underwood, a political newcomer who works as a nurse in the district, is hoping to take advantage of the “blue wave” that some political strategists are predicting in November. Underwood handily beat six other Democrats to secure her party’s nomination on March 20th, and her candidacy has received national recognition in well-known media outlets such at Time Magazine and Elle.

In the first quarter of 2018, Hultgren raised $360,700 and spent just $42,750, as he was uncontested in the March 20th Primary Election. Underwood raised a considerable $465,334, and spent just over 60% of the money. The sources of the candidates’ funds reflect significant differences in their bases of support. Underwood showed a strong grassroots base, with 76% of her fundraising coming from individual contributions, while Hultgren took in 80% of his contributions coming from PACs. Hultgren still holds a lead in cash on hand, with $783,182 to Underwood’s $235,838.