Most recent contributions similar for 62nd House candidates
Two Republican candidates in the state House District 62 primary raised similar amounts of money for their campaigns in the past six months.
State Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake received her biggest contributions from companies and political action committees involved in the health care, banking and construction industries.
Cole's challenger, Paul Mitchell of Hainesville, got a chunk of his cash from a Republican political action committee headed by activist Jack Roeser, who helped to ignite a controversy involving a U.S. Senate candidate late last year.
District 62 includes all or parts of Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Villa, Third Lake and the Round Lake area. The winner in the GOP primary Feb. 2 will advance to the November general election against Democrat Rich Voltair of Round Lake Beach.
Cole, 56, a state representative since 2007, collected $14,878 from July 1 through Dec. 31, according to the latest campaign financial disclosure documents filed this month. She ended the year with $19,055.
Top Cole contributors included $1,000 from Associated General Contractors of Illinois political action committee, $1,000 from Illinois State Medical Society Political Action, $1,000 from ComEdPAC and $750 from Walgreen Co.
Cole said her anti-tax stance and a desire to create jobs likely drove the type of contributions she received.
"I think they're (supporting) a candidate that represents those kind of Republican issues," Cole said Friday.
Mitchell, 47, a computer industry customer database developer and consultant, took in $11,242 as a first-time political candidate from July 1 through Dec. 31. His campaign committee closed the year with $6,326.
Roeser's Republican Renaissance political action committee topped Mitchell's donors with a $5,000 contribution. Pro Life Victory Committee gave $1,890 to Mitchell.
Carpentersville-based Roeser gained notoriety last fall when he stated on a radio show that Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk of Highland Park is gay. Kirk, running for U.S. Senate in the GOP primary, denied Roeser's claim.
Mitchell said Roeser's $5,000 contribution should not be an issue in his race against Cole. He added there is a reason he attracted Roeser's backing.
"That means I support the Republican platform," Mitchell said. "Jack Roeser very much supports the Republican platform."
Legislative candidates who raise or spend at least $3,000 must file semiannual financial disclosure reports with the state.
Mitchell and Cole clashed at a recent forum in Grayslake when he contended she supports allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. Mitchell said he's against such an offer.
Cole responded she only favors in-state tuition for "undocumented" students, not those who are illegal. She said undocumented refers to someone with an expired visa or going through the U.S. citizenship process.