MEDIA AVISORY

November 2, 2010                        Contact: 312-335-1767

MEDIA  ADVISORY

With the election upon us, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform is posting several fun and not-so-fun facts about campaign contributions in this general election.  We thought these would be useful for journalists working on breaking stories, as well as those of you filling time while the votes are cast and counted . . . and maybe recounted. 

If you need additional information or comments, call us at 312-335-1767.

And check our website (www.ILcampaign.org) for updates or search the Sunshine Database on our website for more detailed information about contributions to candidates, including the identities of the top 50 contributors to each candidate.

SEVERAL FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

STATEWIDE RECORDS
•    The 2010 election will break the Illinois record for total spending by gubernatorial candidates in a general election.   The $30 million in projected spending by the two major party candidates – Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bill Brady –will easily break the old record of $23.7 million spent in 2006 by Rod Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka.  But add in the spending by the other three gubernatorial candidates – Scott Lee Cohen, Lex Green and Rich Whitney – and that old Blagojevich-Topinka record has been demolished.  The five candidates running for Governor will spend at least $33 million in the general election campaign.

•    Rod Blagojevich, who spent $16.7 million spent in 2006, holds the single candidate record for spending in a general election in Illinois.  Bill Brady may spend upwards of $17 million in the general and take the record, but we won’t know for sure until candidates provide expenditure reports in January. 

•    We expect a new record for total spending by ALL candidates for governor in the general election AND the primary.  The current record of $60.5 million also was set in 2006.  The 2010 spending in the primary and general is on pace to exceed $63 million by all candidates for governor.  That’s about twice what Illinois government will spend this year in state tax dollars to assist job creation through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

LEGISLATIVE RECORDS
•    For the first time, 15 state legislative races will cross the $1 million mark in total fundraising by the two opponents.  In 2008, six legislative races totaled more than $1 million.  (See full chart at end of this news release.)

•    The central Illinois Senate contest between Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville, and Republican Sam McCann, should set a recording for spending in a Senate election.  The two candidates will likely spend a total of more than $2.6 million, besting the previous Senate record of $2.3 million spent in a 2004 contest in southern Illinois.  Demuzio’s total $1.7 million in contributions includes $1 million from Senate President John Cullerton’s leadership PAC and $234,000 from the Democratic Party of Illinois.  McCann has $818,000 in contributions, including $427,000 from Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno’s leadership PAC and $192,000 from the Illinois Republican Party.

•    The $1,676,025 record for spending in a two-person House election was set in 2006 in southern Illinois.  That record could be taken down by Democrat Mike Smith and Republican Michael Unes, who are running in the 91st District in the Peoria area.  Smith and Unes so far have at least $1,804,500 available.   Of that, Smith reports more than $540,000 from the Democratic Party of Illinois and another $62,000 from the Downstate Democratic Caucus.  Unes has reported $$223,000 from the House Republican Organization and another $210,000 from the campaign fund of House Republican Leader Tom Cross. 

•    Another House race, between Democrat Charles Landers and Republican Wayne Rosenthal, is well within striking distance of the old House spending record.  This race happens to be in the same Senate district as the Demuzio/McCann contest.   Landers has taken nearly $775,000 from committees controlled by House Speaker Michael J. Madigan.  Rosenthal has about $400,000 from committees controlled by House Republican Leader Tom Cross and $81,000 from the Illinois Republican Party.

JUDICIAL RECORD
•    Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Kilbride’s retention election has set a record as the most expensive retention election in the state’s history and the second most expensive in our nation’s history.  Kilbride’s committee and his opponents have raised more than $3.2 million.  The previous Illinois record for a retention race was in the low six figures.  Kilbride had $2.6 million compared to nearly $700,000 for his opponents.  Nearly $1.5 million of Kilbride’s money came from the Democratic Party of Illinois.  The opposition JUSTPAC is the political committee of the Illinois Civil Justice League, which has the financial support of insurance companies and health care providers who support limits on medical malpractice and other personal injury lawsuits.

CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR HAVE HOW MUCH?  WHERE DID THEY GET IT?

Republican Bill Brady had the most available to spend in this cycle (July 1 to Nov. 2).  Brady reported nearly $17.2 million to $13.7 million for Gov. Pat Quinn.  Scott Lee Cohen had nearly $3.4 million (mostly money he loaned to his campaign).  Green Party’s Rich Whitney reported $45,000, which is about the same as his spending in 2006.  Independent Lex Green raised about $24,000, including $10,000 from a relative in Texas.

•    Brady’s top contributors: $6.5 million from the Republican Governors Association – Illinois committee; $502,500 from James N. Pritzker; $486,038.69 from the Illinois Republican Party; $450,000.00 from the Manufacturers PAC; and $450,000.00 from Chicago investors Kenneth and Anne Dias Griffin.

•    Quinn’s top contributors: $1.8 million from the Democratic Governors Association – Illinois committee; $1.1 million from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Committee on Political Education; $1 million from the SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana PAC; $727,775.00 from the Illinois PAC for Education, which is the Illinois Education Association’s PAC; and $450,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers Committee on Political Action.  Quinn has also been loaned $200,000 from former Senate President Emil Jones’ PAC and $200,000 from committees affiliated with Alderman Ed Burke.

•    Scott Lee Cohen’s top contributor:  $3.3 million loaned to the campaign by Scott Lee Cohen.

MONEY FROM LEGISLATIVE LEADERS

We did the math. 
Legislative leaders account for 2/3rds of the money being spent by candidates in competitive legislative elections.

There are118 House seats and 21 Senate seats on the ballot this year, but only 25 are considered competitive enough to be “in play” and merit a lot of attention from legislative leaders. 

Candidates in those districts raised $24.8 million from all sources, and $16.7 million of it or 67% came from legislative leaders and parties. 

They’re able to pump hundreds of thousands of dollars directly into legislative campaigns because the law allows it.  There are no limits on contributions in this election.

Illinois’ new contribution limits law goes into effect January 1, 2011.  So, in the 2012 primary, the law will cap those kinds of direct contributions by legislative leaders in the primary campaigns.

Unless the law is changed, the leaders still will be able to make unlimited contributions in the general election.  Money contributed to legislative leaders committees will be limited by law but not money coming out of the committees.

And, yes, because large campaign contributions – including those from leaders -- can outweigh the voices of constituents, there will be an effort to enact limits on leaders.

Nine of 10 candidates completing the CHANGE Illinois! coalition’s candidate questionnaire – including every candidate for governor – said they support legislation to place limits on leader contributions in the general election. 

They soon will be tested on their willingness to live up to that commitment after elected to office.

For more on the 20-Question questionnaire and candidate responses, go to www.ChangeIL.org.

For more complete campaign contribution information, go to http://www.ILcampaign.org.

ICPR’s blog, The Race Is On, has items about several noteworthy contributions.  Find the blog here: http://blog.ilcampaign.org/

Find recent ICPR news releases detailing contributions to other statewide candidates and hot races in Cook County, go here: http://ilcampaign.org/press-release

Top Senate Races  -- All Over $1 Million

Top House Races  -- All Over $1 Million

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