As general election showdown begins, Biss has quarter-million-dollar lead in campaign cash

Fresh off his win in Illinois’ most expensive congressional primary race, Evanston Democrat Daniel Biss started April with more than a quarter-million dollars banked for the general election in the 9th District.

Meanwhile, Republican rival John Elleson of Arlington Heights has yet to report any financial activity — or even file a formal statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

That doesn’t bode well for Elleson’s chances of winning a seat that’s been in Democratic hands since the late 1940s, campaign experts say.

“However well-intentioned, Elleson’s candidacy is doomed to failure,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield. “Its only value is giving the Republican Party a placeholder on the ballot.”

Elleson responded by acknowledging he’s the underdog in the race.

“But that makes a win and an upset all the more sweeter,” he said. “Anything is possible when it’s down to two people.”

Millions spent

Congressional candidates who reach a $5,000 fundraising or spending threshold must regularly file financial reports with the FEC. Reports covering transactions made between Feb. 26 and March 31 were due last week and can be viewed at fec.gov.

Biss won a 14-way race for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. The incumbent, Evanston Democrat Jan Schakowsky, is retiring and endorsed Biss as her successor.

The Democratic hopefuls — led by Biss, Chicago’s Kat Abughazaleh and Glenview’s Laura Fine — spent about $14 million on their primary campaigns, records show.

Biss, who was elected Evanston’s mayor after time in the General Assembly, began the latest filing period with $645,919 in his campaign coffers. He subsequently received $290,868 in donations, $240,610 of which came from individuals, records show.

Biss also got $48,625 from special interest groups including the American Federation of Teachers, the Service Employees International Union, a group called Defend the Vote and the League of Conservation Growers.

The Biss campaign reported $669,625 in expenditures during the period. Of that sum, $34,000 went to other political groups, including $25,000 to a separate, state-registered committee that funded Biss’ prior campaigns and his recent bid for a seat on the Illinois Democratic State Central Committee.

Biss’ congressional campaign ended March with $267,163 saved and no debts.

Spokesperson Jake Lewis said Team Biss has the resources to win in November and “to demonstrate what a powerful, effective progressive movement looks like, both in the 9th District and nationwide.”

A quiet campaign

Elleson, the pastor at Lakewood Chapel in Arlington Heights, won the four-way race for the GOP nomination despite doing relatively little campaigning and no significant fundraising. Elleson’s Facebook page focuses on his work with the church and doesn’t identify him as a congressional candidate; his campaign website doesn’t include a link for supporters to make donations.

“He ran a largely invisible primary campaign with no presence on traditional or social media or any direct mail activity,” Redfield said.

Elleson, who lost to Schakowsky by 46 percentage points in 2018, said it’s difficult to ask people for campaign donations.

“People pay taxes and many struggle to pay their bills, and it doesn’t seem right to ask people for money to get elected to Congress,” he said. “That what’s wrong with Congress — they spend too much of other people’s money.”

Elleson said he’s been building support through face-to-face encounters and will continue that practice.

“Candidates must make themselves known,” said Melissa Mouritsen, a political science professor at the College of DuPage. “At the very least this means some kind of literature, preferably a mailer, in advance of a door visit. Eventually it is supplanted by other advertising, paid canvassers, events, phone calls, texts — not to mention a professional team and all that goes with it.”

Redfield doesn’t expect national GOP organizations or conservative special interest groups to swoop in and help Elleson. They’ll be busy trying to hold onto Republican seats in the House and maintain the GOP’s slim majority, he said.