Rep. Schneider vastly outraising, outspending Democratic challenger
As he campaigns for a seventh term, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider of Highland Park is dramatically outraising and outspending the political neophyte challenging him in the 2026 Democratic primary, new federal records show.
Schneider reported collecting $512,985 in campaign contributions between April 1 and June 30. On the other side of the ledger, his campaign committee spent $301,429 during those three months.
Challenger Morgan Coghill, a business owner from Mundelein, started fundraising in May and reported collecting $10,366 through June — and that figure included $5,600 in loans to the campaign from the candidate. Coghill’s campaign reportedly spent $3,022 during the quarter.
Congressional candidates must regularly submit financial reports once their campaigns collect or spend at least $5,000. Reports covering transactions made in the year’s second quarter were due Tuesday and can be viewed at fec.gov.
A million-dollar start
The Schneider for Congress committee started April with more than $1.2 million in the bank. Over the next three months, it raised $307,735 from hundreds of individual donors living in the district and around the country and $205,250 from nearly 100 special interest groups.
That latter sum included $5,000 donations from Allstate Insurance Co., Home Depot and the American Federation of Teachers; $2,500 donations from Visa, Exelon Corp. and Target; $3,500 from Google; and $4,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
After expenditures that included payroll, travel expenses and contributions to other political groups and candidates, Team Schneider ended the quarter with nearly $1.5 million saved.
Coghill has been critical on social media of the campaign contributions the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has given Schneider, who is Jewish. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Coghill said his campaign “is powered by normal people with normal concerns. #NoAIPAC.”
A Schneider campaign spokesperson declined to comment on the candidates’ fundraising efforts or Coghill’s remarks.
More debts than cash
The Coghill for Congress campaign launched in May. All seven donations he reported were from individuals, and most came from outside the district.
After expenditures that included consulting fees and digital strategy, the Coghill campaign ended the quarter with $7,344 in the bank and $9,617 in debts, all to the candidate.
When asked about the financial imbalance between the two campaigns, Coghill said no candidate can “go dollar for dollar” against an incumbent who’s spent years cashing checks from corporations and special interest groups.
“That’s exactly the problem,” Coghill said in an email. “While he courted donors, we spent Q2 engaging with our community and building out our campaign infrastructure. We knocked on doors. We met with union members, tenants, and organizers.”
But a strong message is useless if no one knows you’re running, said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Money can buy media visibility and a campaign organization that can use seed money to raise more for the media and social media presence needed to reach potential supporters, Redfield said.
“If you have no media visibility based on fame and no organized political party or interest groups’ support, the only option is to be wealthy, or have or attract wealthy friends,” he said.
Noting that Schneider isn’t being targeted by national political groups or megadonors, Redfield called the congressman “a safe incumbent in a safe Democratic district.”
No Republican candidates have surfaced.
The 10th District includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. The primary election is in March.