Several running to succeed Krishnamoorthi build six-figure war chests during second quarter

Six of the eight Democrats and the sole Republican currently seeking to succeed Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg in the 8th Congressional District already have built six-figure campaign war chests.

It was only in early May that the five-term Krishnamoorthi announced his 2026 bid for the U.S. Senate seat of the retiring Dick Durbin.

But all but one of the declared 8th District hopefuls had fundraising totals to report to the Federal Election Commission by its second-quarter deadline on June 30.

The crowded Democratic field, in descending order of their current fundraising, consists of Neil Khot, Junaid Ahmed, Dan Tully, Cook County 15th District Commissioner Kevin Morrison, Hanover Park Village Trustee Yasmeen Bankole, Sanjyot Dunung, Christ Kallas and Ryan Vetticad.

Mark Rice of Chicago, the sole Republican so far, challenged Krishnamoorthi in last November’s general election and kept his campaign committee intact at the beginning of the year. He has raised $109,109.38 since Jan. 1, spent $8,846.73, and had $201,876.41 in cash on June 30.

Khot, a Hoffman Estates businessman, leads in fundraising both for the Democratic pack and overall. He raised $515,793.70 and spent $35,500.65 during the second quarter, with $480,293.05 in cash at the end.

Ahmed, of South Barrington, challenged Krishnamoorthi in the 2022 Democratic primary. During the month of June alone, he raised $338,204, spent $8,933.32, and had $329,270.67 at the end.

Tully, of Carol Stream, is a veteran, attorney and recently resigned former member of the U.S. Department of Commerce. During the second quarter he raised $204,688, spent 5,5,333.66 and had $199,154.34 left over.

Morrison, of Mount Prospect, is the longest-serving elected official in the primary race, but currently in fourth place in fundraising. The former Krishnamoorthi staff member has raised $182,641.99, spent $29,748.01, and had $152,893.98 in cash in the middle of the year.

Bankole, who also previously worked for Krishnamoorthi, is in her second term in Hanover Park and serves as regional director of Durbin’s office. She raised $109,114.88, spent $3,662.78 and had $105,452.10 left in the second quarter.

Dunung, a Des Plaines businessperson, raised $108,641.32, spent $50,110.29 and had $58,531.03 left over during the quarter.

Kallas, a Schaumburg resident, is a rural transplant to the suburbs who served as field organizer for Democratic Congressman Bill Foster’s 2012 reelection campaign and has worked for nonprofits, chambers of commerce and small startups. During the second quarter he raised $10,666.98, spent $3,652.44 and had $7,014.54 at the end.

Vetticad is a South Barrington resident who recently resigned from the U.S. Department of Justice. He has not yet filed a campaign committee or any fundraising records with the FEC, though he did declare his candidacy locally.

Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield, said key dates to watch in the progression of such a contested Democrat primary include Sept. 15 and Jan. 31, when financial disclosure reports must be filed with the FEC, and Nov. 3, when paperwork and petition signatures are due to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

While the 8th District is not as strongly Democratic as the 9th District to the northeast, Redfield believes the party’s hold on the Northwest suburbs is still solid.

“The Illinois Republican Party has no money,” he said. “The national Republicans will not invest in challengers in Democratic districts in Illinois. Additionally, with Pritzker at the top of the ticket, a strong Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate facing a weak Republican candidate with no national money, and Democratic incumbents running for the other statewide offices, turnout will favor the Democrats.”

Centered roughly in Schaumburg, the 8th District includes areas of northwest Cook, northeast DuPage and northeast Kane counties.