Dan Lipinski has cash advantage over rivals Marie Newman, Rush Darwish in big Democratic primary

In the major GOP Chicago area primary, state Sen. Jim Oberweis $1 million loan to his campaign boosts his cash advantage over state Sen. Sue Rezin and Ted Gradel.

SHARE Dan Lipinski has cash advantage over rivals Marie Newman, Rush Darwish in big Democratic primary
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From left, Daniel William Lipinski, 3rd Congressional District candidate and incumbent, and his opponents, Marie Newman and Rush Darwish, met with the Sun-Times Editorial Board Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2019. | Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

WASHINGTON — In the biggest Chicago-area Democratic primary, embattled Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., enters the final weeks of the 3rd Congressional District campaign with more cash-on-hand than chief rivals Marie Newman and Rush Darwish.

And in the major Republican primary in the Chicago region, the willingness of state Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, to self-finance his bid — he’s put in $1 million so far — puts him ahead of his key competitors in the seven-way contest for the 14th Congressional District seat held by freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill.

His main competition, state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and Ted Gradel, a Naperville businessman, also made substantial loans to their bids. They each outraised Oberweis in the last quarter of 2019.

KRISHNAMOORTHI FUNDRAISING CHAMP

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., is the Illinois House fundraising champion, and he faces only nominal primary opposition and no Republican opponent. He has stockpiled a stunning $6,895,927 in campaign cash — more than twice than Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., who ranks second with $3,330,558 cash on hand.

That balance lets Krishnamoorthi inoculate himself against future challengers, bankroll a future Senate bid or donate lavishly to House colleagues to help him climb into a leadership post.

FUNDRAISING SNAPSHOTS

Here’s a snapshot heading into the March 17 primary, based on Federal Election Commission reports for 2019 filed last week reflecting cash-on-hand as of Dec. 31:

3rd Congressional District

Lipinski, from Western Springs, is in a three-way March Democratic contest against Newman, from La Grange, who almost beat him in 2018, and Darwish, from Palos Hills, who runs a radio and television production business.

LIPINSKI

Receipts

4th quarter: $330,751

Entire cycle: $1,022,232

Disbursements

4th quarter: $156,036

Entire cycle: $582,927

Cash–on-hand: $867,803

NEWMAN

Receipts

4th quarter: $308,741 

Entire cycle: $1,199,968

Disbursements 

4th quarter: $195,247

Entire cycle $572,441

Cash-on-hand: $627,731

DARWISH

Receipts

4th quarter $231,184

Entire cycle: $656,648

Disbursements

4th quarter: $178,168,24

Entire cycle: $371,128

Candidate loan: $80,750

Cash-on-hand: $371,128

6th Congressional District

Freshman Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and Republican Jeanne Ives have no major primary foes. Their focus is already on the November election, with Casten holding a substantial fundraising edge.

CASTEN

Receipts

4th quarter: $639,054

Entire cycle: $2,552,391

Disbursements

4th quarter: $165,024

Entire cycle $932,344

Candidate loan: $141,756.15

Cash-on-hand: $1,921,568.20

IVES

Receipts

4th quarter: $267.997

Entire cycle: $608,295

Disbursements

4th quarter: $177,428

Entire cycle: $294,927

Cash-on-hand: $313,366

14th Congressional District

Underwood does not face a primary and is, like Casten, a major GOP target.

UNDERWOOD

Receipts

4th quarter: $878,087 

Entire cycle: $2,636,906

Disbursements

4th quarter: $370,765

Entire cycle: $1,400,221

Cash-on-hand: $1,681,428

Republicans

OBERWEIS

Receipts

4th quarter: $123,765

Entire cycle: $379,670

Disbursements

4th quarter: $204,389

Entire cycle: $322,787

Candidate loan: $1,000,000.00

Cash-on-hand: $1,073,397.35

GRADEL

Receipts

4th quarter: $269,648

Entire cycle: $838,408

Disbursements

4th quarter: $116,617

Entire cycle: $189,281

Candidate loan: $230,000.00

Cash-on-hand: $649,126.92

REZIN

Receipts

4th quarter: $217,073 

Entire cycle: $462,596

Disbursements

4th quarter: $113,890

Entire cycle: $133,207.01

Candidate loan: $200,000.00

Cash-on-hand: $329,389.18

None of the other Republicans running had more than $32,000 cash-on-hand. That’s Catalina Lauf, from Woodstock, who worked for Uber and the Trump Commerce Department; Jerry Evans, from Warrenville, who owns a music school; James Marter, from Oswego, a former Kendall County Republican Party chairman; and Anthony Catella of St. Charles.

DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGERS FUNDRAISING LAGS

Democratic incumbents in several congressional districts in and around Chicago have challengers. None have mustered a fundraising advantage. Here’s a look at other congressional districts near the city:

1st: Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., who represents a South Side district, has $69,277 cash-on-hand, just a bit more than challenger Sarah Gad, a former prisoner now a law student with $51,190 and Robert Emmons, a community organizer with $7,992.

7th: Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., whose district takes in Chicago’s Loop, parts of the South and West Sides and western suburbs, had $300,490 cash-on-hand. Rivals Kristine Schanbacher, an attorney, has $70,092 on hand, and Kina Collins, an organizer, has a $20,312 balance.

11th: Rep. Bill Foster, from Naperville with his $3,330,558 balance, overwhelms the $5,360 cash-on-hand of Will County Board Member Rachel Ventura, a Joliet resident.

Note: The cash-on-hand figures include monies raised for the primary and general campaign. Under federal law, money raised for the general cannot be spent on the primary.

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