Editor’s note: For an examination of who the top federal campaign donors from Illinois support this election cycle, see Monday’s Daily Herald or visit dailyherald.com.
Gov. JB Pritzker has donated $25 million to his campaign committee this election cycle, according to Illinois State Board of Elections data.
Jerry Nowicki/Capitol News Illinois
Even though he’s not running now, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has donated a whopping $25 million to his campaign committee this election cycle, according to Illinois State Board of Elections data.
None of the Illinois residents on the nonprofit group OpenSecrets’ list of Top 100 donors at the federal level comes close to that kind of in-state giving ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
Lake Forest billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, a pair of Republicans who are the nation’s third-biggest political donors to federal candidates this cycle, with nearly $72 million in contributions, have given a combined $368,500 to state-registered campaigns and groups here, records at elections.il.gov reveal.
Likewise, Chicagoan Fred Eychaner, Illinois’ leading Democratic donor at the federal level, has contributed $221,000 to more local candidates and groups in recent months, state records show. Eychaner is the ninth-largest contributor to federal campaigns nationwide, with nearly $26 million in donations this cycle, according to opensecrets.org
Other Illinoisans on OpenSecrets’ list of top federal donors haven’t been nearly as generous to state-registered candidates.
Janet J. Duchossois, an Oak Brook resident who primarily supports Republicans and ranks 21st in federal donations with nearly $13.7 million this cycle, has made only one state- or county-level donation so far — $6,900 to Democratic Cook County state’s attorney candidate Eileen O’Neill Burke’s campaign, records show.
Glen Tullman, a Chicago Democrat who ranks 71st in federal donations this cycle with nearly $4.4 million, also has made only one state- or county-level donation this cycle — $5,000 to O’Neill Burke’s campaign.
The state board of elections doesn’t have any record of such contributions from the three other Illinoisans on OpenSecrets’ top federal donor list — Shirley W. Ryan of Winnetka, Rosemarie Buntrock of Oakbrook Terrace and Miles D. White of Lake Forest.
Melissa Mouritsen, a political science professor at College of DuPage, said political contributions allow megadonors to exercise an authority “they believe is vested in them by virtue of their ability to acquire this wealth.”
Those huge donations drive up the cost of campaigning, which in turn makes it harder for typical citizens to participate in the political process, Mouritsen said.
“This is desirable for the wealthy, who in classic oligarchy fashion want to keep the decisions to themselves, while keeping the rest of us believing that we just aren’t working hard enough,” she said.
Pritzker
Pritzker has been using his massive wealth for political purposes for decades.
He has contributed more than $406 million to local-, county- and state-level political committees — including his own — since online archiving of state Board of Elections campaign disclosure records began in 1994.
Pritzker isn’t only supporting his own campaign this cycle. He’s also given $480 to downstate Mason County’s Democratic organization, records show.
Other significant donors
Although none equal Pritzker’s political generosity, other Illinois residents have made donations in the six-figure range this cycle.
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, an Oak Park Democrat, has contributed nearly $942,000 — mostly in loans — to his campaign and two others this cycle. The other recipients were Cook County circuit court clerk candidate Mariyana Spyropoulos and a political action committee called Stop Tax Corruption Cook County that reportedly targeted Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. during Rogers’ primary.
Fritz Kaegi
Daily Herald File Photo
Republican state Senate Leader John Curran of Downers Grove has contributed more than $102,000 to his campaign committee and others.
Chicagoan James Perry, the managing director of Madison Dearborn Partners, contributed more than $438,000 to Paul Vallas’ mayoral campaign in Chicago; a political action committee called Urban Center Action that’s focused on the Chicago school board election and has ties to Vallas; and other campaigns.
Chicagoan Joseph Mansueto, the founder and executive chairman of Morningstar and the owner of the Chicago Fire soccer club, has donated more than $356,000 this cycle to O’Neill Burke’s campaign, Paul Vallas’ campaign and Urban Center Action.
None of those donors appear on OpenSecrets’ Top 100 federal donors list.
The Uihleins and Eychaner
Richard Uihlein
Courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times
The Uihleins and Eychaner are the only Illinoisans on OpenSecrets’ federal list whose donations to more local campaigns this cycle have been significant.
Founders of the Uline shipping supply company, the Uihleins have made more than two dozen such contributions this cycle, including $13,700 to the Wheeling Township Republican organization, $6,800 each to the Palatine Township and Vernon Township Republican organizations and $6,900 to the campaign of state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills. Richard Uihlein also gave $150,000 to the campaign committee for state Rep. Chris Miller of downstate Oakland, the husband of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller and an attendee of the rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Eychaner — an entrepreneur, philanthropist and LGBTQ rights activist — has made at least 18 donations to state- or local-level committees this cycle, including $156,900 to unsuccessful Democratic Cook County state’s attorney candidate Clayton Harris III; $6,900 to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s campaign; and $5,000 to Farm Team PAC, a group founded by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville that supports candidates for local office in seven northern Illinois counties.
