Sean Casten fundraising haul: $2 million banked beats rival Marie Newman’s $552,510 balance

The latest fundraising numbers and analysis for the big Illinois congressional races.

SHARE Sean Casten fundraising haul: $2 million banked beats rival Marie Newman’s $552,510 balance
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Democratic Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman are facing off in the June primary. New FEC reports give Casten a big fundraising edge.

Sun-Times files

WASHINGTON — In the only Democratic primary in Illinois where incumbents are facing off, new Federal Election Commission reports show Sean Casten is raising substantially more than rival Marie Newman and has a massive cash-on-hand advantage.

Newman is also continuing to pay an outsized salary for part-time work to the man at the center of a House Ethics Committee probe, who her campaign hired days after a secret settlement of a lawsuit over whether she reneged on a promise to give him a job in exchange for him not running against her in 2020.

In the only Republican primary in the state between two GOP incumbents, Rep. Rodney Davis significantly outraised Rep. Mary Miller. Davis has $1.9 million cash-on-hand; Miller’s balance is $510,795.

The Illinois primary is June 28. Highlights from reports filed at FEC.gov on Friday, covering January, February and March:

MIKE QUIGLEY

If Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., does run for mayor in 2023, he will have a running start when it comes to fundraising. Quigley’s latest FEC report shows a $1,169,343 balance.

The fund he created to explore a mayoral run — Quigley for Chicago — kicked off with a $53,000 transfer from his federal Quigley for Congress war chest to pay for mayoral polling. Quigley has nothing to lose if he runs. He faces an easy re-election to his House seat in 2022 and will not have to give it up for a 2023 City Hall bid.

ILLINOIS SENATE

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has more than $7 million in the bank. Republican attorney Kathy Salvi got in the race last month and jumpstarted her bid by loaning her campaign $250,000.

1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR BOBBY RUSH SEAT

The first quarter fundraising results established a top tier in the crowded primary to replace Rep. Bobby Rush, who announced his retirement in January.

Jonathan Jackson, the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson, had a lackluster performance compared to his rivals. Karin Norington-Reaves, endorsed by Rush, was bolstered by a total of $7,000 from two of Rush’s campaign funds and an interesting assortment of political action committees. State Sen. Jacqueline Collins’ figures don’t show her potential because she just launched her bid in March. She has a network of state senators, current and former, who are donors. Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) converted some of her secretary of state contributors to her congressional run. Hyde Park business man Jonathan Swain used some of his money to launch his bid.

Cash on hand as of March 31 for contenders who have raised more than $50,000 to date:

$297,110, Ald. Pat Dowell

$321,790, Jonathan Swain

$237,112, Karin Norington-Reaves

$129,765, Jonathan Jackson

$ 5,616, Jamal Cole, community activist who has been running since last year.

$ 20,821, Christopher Butler, a minister running with support from anti-abortion activists.

$ 78,718, Nykea Pippion McGriff, a real estate agent

$ 43,991, Charise Williams, former deputy director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

$ 62,341, Jacqueline Collins

$ 26,929, Stephany Rose Spaulding, progressive activist

3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IN NEW DISTRICT

This new 3rd District has a substantial Hispanic voting age population. The Democratic primary reflects national Democratic divides. Ald. Gil Villegas is casting himself as more moderate than progressive state Rep. Delia Ramirez. Iymen Chehade is the part-time staffer on Newman’s campaign getting a big paycheck following the secret settlement of his lawsuit against Newman.

Villegas: Raised to date, $787,979. Spent, $183,014. Cash-on-hand: $598,965.

Ramirez: Raised to date, $418,977. Spent, $97,264. Cash-on-hand: $321,713.

Chehade: The campaign filed the first quarter report on Monday. Updated figures -

Raised to date, $90,012. Spent, $36,159. Cash-on-hand, $53,852.

6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — NEWMAN VS. CASTEN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Newman’s campaign paid Chehade $24,500 in the first three months of 2022 for consulting on foreign policy issues. In 2021, he got — for part time work he started in July — $54,000. Newman also paid Perkins Coie $9,000 so far this year for legal work. 

Casten: Raised to date, $2.7 million. Spent, $1 million. Cash-on-hand, $2 million.

Newman: Raised to date, $1.3 million. Spent, $810,080. Cash-on-hand, $552,510.

The Casten/Newman contest reflects even sharper Democratic divides, with Casten more moderate that the progressive Newman.

6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

Democratic mapmakers in Springfield drew the 6th District to be Democratic. But did they put enough Democrats in it?

Republicans see potential in this suburban turf. 

Gary Grasso, the Burr Ridge mayor: Raised to date $350,486. Spent, $40,887. Cash-on-hand, $309,598.

Keith Pekau, the Orland Park mayor: Raised to date, $268,413. Spent, $98,321. Cash-on-hand, $170,092.

Scott Richard Kaspar, an attorney: Raised to date, $177,049. Spent, $151,321. Cash-on-hand, $25,727.

Robert “Rob” Cruz, Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 board member: Raised to date, $150,009. Spent, $116,156. Cash-on-hand, $33,853.

7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — DANNY DAVIS, KINA COLLINS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

Kina Collins is casting herself to the left of the very progressive Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.

Collins: Raised to date: $470,823. Spent, $348,547. Cash-on-hand: $125,217.

Davis: Raised to date: $400,415. Spent, $100,275. Cash-on-hand, $543,981.

14th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — LAUREN UNDERWOOD

Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., has $2.3 million cash-on-hand. None of the five in the GOP primary has more than a $104,000 balance.

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