Kirk raised $1 million; Duckworth $522,000
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk has raised more than $1 million toward his re-election campaign in the first three months of the year.
The total doesn't include the Highland Park Republican's Sunday fundraiser in Wheeling with Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, and Kirk will be left with about $2.8 million in the bank as of the end of March, his campaign said.
"Sen. Kirk's robust fundraising coupled with strong support among voters, which includes independents, has him well-positioned both financially and politically to be re-elected," Kirk spokesman Kevin Artl said.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat, said she'd raised $522,000 since returning from maternity leave in February. She had $1.5 million in the bank as of the end of March.
"This strong grassroots support reflects what I am hearing across Illinois," Duckworth said. "Our working families want me to keep advocating for their interests and to make sure Washington puts their needs first for a change."
The big numbers emphasize that the Illinois Senate race will be a "top priority" for Republicans, as McConnell said Sunday.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Naperville Democrat who took a pass on the Senate race, said he ended the quarter with about $1.5 million in the bank toward his re-election in the west suburban 11th District.