Bean fund-raising machine running strong
With the 2008 primary election less than four months away, U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean's fundraising machine is miles ahead of her political challengers' efforts, federal records show.
The two-term Barrington Democrat's campaign committee had nearly $1 million in the bank as of Sept. 30, according to quarterly disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
That's more than six times what any other 8th District candidate -- from any party -- had accumulated by the same date, reports showed.
Bean's fundraising shows the congresswoman has enough support for a long election season, campaign spokesman Eric Adelstein said.
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"These races are not just won or lost on Election Day. There's months and months of preparation," Adelstein said. "And you can't be competitive if you don't have the resources."
Bean's opponent in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary, Randi Scheurer of Lindenhurst, didn't file a campaign financing report by Monday's deadline. Only candidates who raise or spend $5,000 or more must do so, federal election regulations state.
Scheurer, who has been running what she called a grassroots campaign, didn't hit the threshold by Sept. 30. She expects to gain endorsements and financial support before Election Day.
"I'm just now getting momentum going," said Scheurer, whose husband, Bill, challenged Bean as a third-party candidate in 2006. "If I get through the primary, the money will pour in."
Adelstein doesn't expect that will happen.
"I think it's pretty safe to say (Bean) will be the nominee," he said.
Bean collected more than $377,000 between July 1 and Sept. 30, FEC reports show. Notable donors included WBBM Channel 2 President Joseph Ahern, General Electric Co. and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
On the other side of the aisle, only two of the three Republican candidates seeking to unseat Bean filed finance reports -- and neither exhibited Bean's fund-raising skills.
Long Grove entrepreneur Steven Greenberg's political committee led the GOP candidates with a roughly $160,700 war chest.
Greenberg bagged $180,994 in individual contributions between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to federal documents. Notable contributors include controversial Republican National Committee member Robert Kjellander of Springfield, Chicago Wolves chairman Donald R. Levin and Charles "Cork" Walgreen III of Lake Forest, chairman emeritus of his family's namesake drugstore chain.
In an e-mailed statement, Greenberg said the sum he raised exceeded his goals.
"I am confident we will continue to meet our future fund-raising targets. Our campaign will have the resources to defeat Melissa Bean," Greenberg said.
Fellow Republican Ken Arnold's committee had about $7,850 in the bank, records indicated. Arnold has dipped into personal funds to provide loans to his campaign, with just one $100 outside contribution reported this period.
Arnold said his strategy is to build his campaign infrastructure before seeking donations.
The third Republican hopeful, Kirk Morris of Gurnee, didn't reach the $5,000 threshold and didn't file a disclosure report.
Morris spokesman Bruno Behrend said the next quarter should be "dramatically different" financially for his candidate. Several campaign contributions are pledged for Morris, he said, but the money has yet to arrive.
Moderate Party candidate Iain Abernathy of Round Lake didn't file a campaign finance report.