Link outraised GOP foe, but Gray eager for a rematch
Despite being relatively unknown when he challenged veteran Democratic state Sen. Terry Link last year in the 30th District, Republican Keith Gray raised nearly $52,000 in campaign donations in the months leading to Election Day, new state records show.
But the sum - which covered print and radio ads, YouTube videos and other buys - couldn't compare to the overwhelming financial support Link received during the same period. A five-term senator from Waukegan who won handily on Election Day, Link collected nearly $195,000 from campaign supporters during the last half of 2008, records indicate.
Even so, Gray, a Mettawa resident who serves on the Rondout Elementary School District 72 board, doesn't regret his legislative bid.
In fact, he's eager to challenge Link again in four years.
"We worked very, very hard (with) limited resources," said Gray, who owns an environmental consulting firm. "We learned a lot and we made a lot of connections that will come in handy the next time around."
Link, who earned about 64 percent of the votes cast in November, welcomed a rematch. Gray ran a negative campaign last year, Link said, and the election results showed people didn't buy into it.
"People are sick and tired of this," Link said.
Political candidates must regularly file financial disclosure forms with the Illinois State Board of Elections. The newest forms were submitted this month and cover donations received and expenditures made between July 1 and Dec. 31.
Gray entered the Senate race late. He didn't run in the February primary - no Republicans did - leaving Link the only candidate until the local GOP named Gray as Link's opponent in April.
Before running for the Senate seat, Gray's only political experience was on the board for tiny District 72, which has just one school.
Despite the late start, Gray quickly gathered financial support. Notable benefactors included: state Sen. Dan Duffy's campaign committee, which gave $500; the MacLean-Fogg Co., which gave $5,000; former Republican state Sen. Steven Rauschenberger, who gave $600; and former Lt. Gov. Corrine Wood, who gave $250.
Additionally, Gray gave $5,000 to his own cause.
He also received more than $95,000 worth of services from GOP organizations including the Lake County Republican Central Committee and Lake County's Fix Illinois Legislative Team, a group to which Gray had donated $25,000. They paid for radio ads, printing, political research and other services, records show.
"I'm grateful they had the faith in me to invest their time and money," said Gray, who now is seeking re-election to the Rondout school board.
Not counting what other groups spent on Gray's behalf, the candidate spent more than $94,000 on newspaper and Internet advertising, consultants and other services during the period.
More than half of the cash Link received during the last half of 2008 came from political action committees and corporations. Labor unions, banks, brewing companies, pharmaceutical firms and retailers were among Link's top supporters, according to his disclosure report.
Notable donors included: Anheuser-Bush, which gave $500; Bank of America, which gave $500; Harrah's, which gave $2,000; and Walgreens, which gave $1,000.
Link pointed out he also received many small, unitemized donations from people in the community. He didn't sound concerned about facing Gray again.
"I'm worried about getting the state going again," he said. "I'm not worried about an election four years from now."