WASHINGTON – In 2015, Senate hopeful Tammy Duckworth, outraised Democratic rivals Andrea Zopp and Napoleon Harris and the GOP senator she wants to unseat, Mark Kirk, according to new Federal Election Commission reports.
However, Duckworth and Kirk are almost even with the amount of cash-on-hand they had as of Dec. 31.
The FEC reports covering 2015 show that Harris, a state senator from south suburban Harvey, has done no fundraising (except for $100) since his late entry into the primary last November. His campaign, such as it is is entirely self-funded. On the GOP side, FEC records did not show a report for James Marter, an Oswego software consultant who threw his first fundraiser on Jan. 2. However, his campaign did provide a copy of the report that was sent to the FEC.
With five weeks left until the March 15 primary, the Harris and Marter campaign challenge is to prove it has any viability, given that early voting in Illinois started Feb. 4.
Even if he is not mounting much of a campaign, Harris’ presence in the race, however, could provide a political problem for Zopp. That’s because her main strategy for winning the primary is attracting a big African-American turnout and then winning most of those votes. Harris is African American as is Zopp, who also has a political base in her South Side Beverly neighborhood.
Here are the key numbers as of Dec. 31, 2015 from new Federal Election Commission reports:
DEMOCRATS
Rep.Tammy Duckworth D-Ill., who lives in Hoffman Estates
Receipts: $5,707,884
Candidate Loans: $0
Expenditures $2,014,525
Cash-on-hand $3,653,135
Andrea Zopp
Receipts: $1,425,062
Candidate Loans: $47,414
Expenditures: $692,634
Cash-on-hand: $714,063
Napoleon Harris
Receipts $100
Candidate Loans: $1,050,000
Expenditures: $49,178
Cash-on-hand: $1,000,921
REPUBLICANS
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who lives in Highland Park
Receipts: $4,515,992
Candidate Loans: $0
Expenditures: $2,643,205
Cash-on-hand: $3,792,462
James Marter
Receipts: $22,556
Candidate Loans: $14,862
Expenditures: $18,751
Cash-on-hand: $2,594
