WASHINGTON — Though Illinois’ primary on Tuesday won’t factor into the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have already clinched — Illinois money directly and indirectly boosted the two remaining White House contenders.
Using data from the Federal Election Commission, the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ analyzed the money from Illinois pumped into the race for the White House.
The major super PAC bolstering the Biden bid is the FF PAC, established by Future Forward USA Action, with four contributors from Chicago, including Fred Eychaner the top executive of Newsweb Corp. and the chairman and president of the Alphawood Foundation.
Eychaner is a major philanthropist and arts advocate, and has been for years a mega-contributor to Democratic causes.
In November, Eychaner donated $2 million to FF PAC. In March 2023, Biden honored him with a National Medal of Arts, saying at the ceremony, “Supporting the arts is a calling. For decades, he’s been a top patron of dance companies, art museums, historic preservation — especially in his beloved Chicago.”
Contributors have choices when they want to help a presidential candidate. They can contribute directly to the campaign committee of a candidate, or they can send the money to a super PAC supporting the bid.
A super PAC can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions and other political action committees. So a super PAC supporting a presidential candidate often becomes a powerful and influential force.
Federal law places contribution limits on direct giving to the campaigns of candidates running for federal office — that’s the House, Senate and White House — and bans donations from corporations and labor unions. For the 2024 campaign cycle, an individual can give $3,300 per election, per candidate. That’s $3,300 for the primary race and $3,300 for the general election.
Wealthy donors work around federal contribution caps — and help candidates — by channeling blockbuster donations to super PACs. A super PAC makes what are called independent expenditures to bolster a campaign indirectly. Super PACs are forbidden from coordinating and communicating with a candidate’s campaign.
Illinois’ direct contributions to Biden campaign
According to the latest FEC records, of the $7,135,239 Illinois individuals directly gave to presidential campaigns, Republican candidates collected $4,293,027. Democratic candidates got $2,570,371. The difference results from Biden not facing a significant primary, while Republicans did.
In November 2020, the Biden campaign voluntarily released a list of bundlers — people who use their personal networks to raise at least $100,000 for a campaign. For 2024, the Biden campaign so far has declined to release a bundler list. Trump has never released a bundler list.
Real estate mogul Neil Bluhm and his daughter, Leslie, were among the Biden 2020 bundlers. Biden headlined a fundraiser at his home in 2019. Neil Bluhm personally and through his trust gave $1 million to FFP.
Leslie Bluhm, a social entrepreneur, donated $500,000. Biden nominated her to the AmeriCorps Board of Directors and she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in July 2022.
Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent and a major Democrat contributor, directly and through his trust gave $400,000 to FF PAC. In November, Biden appeared at a fundraiser hosted by Tullman at Ignite Glass Studios, 401 N. Armour St.
Where Trump’s Illinois money comes from
One of the major Trump super PACs is Make America Great Again Inc., known as MAGA Inc.
There is one major contributor from Chicago, Eloise Gerson, who in all donated $150,000. Gerson, who lists her occupation in FEC records as real estate, is a former chair of the Chicago Republican Party and is currently, according to the Cook County Republican Party website, the committeeperson of the 2nd Ward. She also once led the 42nd Ward GOP organization.
She is allied with a group of staunch Trump backers in Illinois, including Darren Bailey. She donated to his congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. A visitor to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort multiple times, Gerson is also running in Tuesday’s primary as a Trump delegate from the 5th Congressional District.
Gerson was on the 2020 ballot as a Trump delegate, but in 2016, when Trump ran for his first term, she ran as a Marco Rubio delegate.
Here’s a snapshot of Illinois direct contributions to the 2024 Biden and Trump presidential campaigns:
President Joe Biden (D), $2,485,533
Top contributor locations
- Chicago, $1,267,311
- Evanston, $107,413
- Winnetka, $67,033
- Highland Park, $65,761
- Wilmette, $34,872
Former President Donald Trump (R), $1,720,669
Top contributor locations
- Chicago, $140,189
- Springfield, $47,533
- Naperville, $39,279
- Rockford, $23,358
- Decatur, $19,978
