Bond still spending, raising more than senate opponent
Democratic state Sen. Michael Bond once again has decidedly outraised - and outspent - his Republican challenger in the November election
In the most recent six-month period that concluded June 30, Bond raised about $100,770 and ended with $24,023 in the bank. The Grayslake resident was elected in 2006 to his first term in the 31st Senate District that covers nearly all of northern Lake County.
Schmidt, a Lake Villa resident and longtime chairwoman of the Lake County Board, collected $47,040 from January through June, but finished with $81,573 in the bank for her election effort, state campaign financial disclosure reports show.
Bond's $97,894 in total campaign expenditures over the six-month reporting period included loan repayments, bank fees, printing, copying, food, beverages and outside contract services for various tasks.
Schmidt spent $7,268 on things such as promotional items, postage, office supplies and hall rentals.
Bond had a similar spending and fundraising pattern in the state campaign financial disclosure period in the last six months of 2009.
On the donation side in the latest six-month report, Bond received $5,400 from the Lake Zurich-based Eighth District Democrats & Independents and $5,300 from Lake County Federation of Teachers in Gurnee.
Another $1,000 for Bond's campaign came from the Wight & Co. architecture firm in Darien. Mark T. Wight, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, won $10 million in no-bid state contracts for tollway work after working with former first lady Patricia Blagojevich's home-based real estate business in 2005.
Bond didn't express any concerns about Wight's contribution, saying as vice president of the senate's transportation committee he receives money from many road and building interests.
"I have a very broad donor base," Bond said Monday.
Ryan Enterprises Group in Chicago provided $10,000 to Schmidt's campaign. The investment firm is owned by the family of Patrick Ryan, the founder and executive chairman of Aon Corp. who led Chicago's failed Olympic Games effort.
Schmidt said she met with Patrick Ryan Jr. when Lake County was proposed as an Olympics equestrian venue. Schmidt said she believes he was impressed with the county's balanced budget and overall good financial health.
"Most of my money came from smaller donations," Schmidt said.
Legislative candidates who raise or spend at least $3,000 must file semiannual disclosure reports with the state. The newest reports filed about three weeks ago by Bond and Schmidt covered donations and expenditures from Jan. 1 through June 30.