Illinois mega donor Uihlein backing Cruz

WASHINGTON – Illinosi Republican mega donor Richard Uihlein pledged $1 million to a super PAC bolstering the presidential bid of Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, CNN is reporting.

Uihlein, a Lake Forest resident, will be donating the money to Keep The Promise PAC. Last fall, Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, donated $2.5 million to the Unintimidated super PAC that backed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s White House bid before he dropped out of the race.

From CNN: Uilhlein committed on Wednesday evening, according to Drew Ryun, a super PAC official with Keep The Promise PAC.

“He is one of the top five courted GOP donors,” Ryun told CNN. “For us to land him is a good shot in the arm for Ted, and it really sets the stage going into Iowa.”

Last September, I took a big look at Uihlein’s political giving. Read the complete report HERE.

Excerpt: Uihlein is one of the most influential — and little-known — political players in Illinois. Uihlein is the co-founder, with his wife, of Uline Corp., which distributes about 30,000 products such as bags, bubble wrap, bar-code labels and boxes.The company headquarters is in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, just across the border from Illinois.