Fundraising a lopsided affair in 14th District

When it comes to fundraising, candidates in the race for the 14th Congressional District are in different leagues. In the third quarter alone, Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren of Winfield raised almost 30 times as much as his Democratic challenger, Gurnee resident Dennis Anderson, according to federal campaign finance reports released this week.

The redrawn district stretches from Wadsworth in the northeast to Minooka in the south, covering all or parts of Kane, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb and Kendall counties.

Between July 1 and Sept. 30, Hultgren's campaign received contributions totaling more than $183,000, including $58,710 from individual donors. And $124,000 came from political action committees like the Agricultural Retailers Association, the Ironworkers Political Action League Committee and Abbott Laboratories. Reports from the Federal Election Commission show hundreds of these committees have infused more than $500,000 into Hultgren's campaign since the beginning of 2011.

Hultgren has raised about $1.3 million and has spent about $1.1 million on the campaign. The documents show Hultgren has about $220,000 cash on hand.

In comparison, Anderson, who is seeking an elected position for the first time, received $6,371 in contributions from individual donors. A $9,000 loan bumped Anderson's receipts to $15,371 for the period between June 30 and Sept. 29. In total, Anderson has received $91,002 since November 2011. More than half of that sum, $57,000, is in loans, documents from the Federal Election Commission show.

Anderson said he expected challenges in fundraising with the stalled economy and “donor fatigue.”

“People tell me they have stopped answering the phone because of all of the robocalls,” Anderson said. “It is tough and takes a lot of shoe leather and talking to people. I knew I would be outspent, but I had no idea by how much.”

Hultgren did not return a call seeking comment.

While Hultgren has received backing from large companies and organizations across the country, Anderson has received a $100 check from the sheet metal workers union in Carol Stream. Anderson has spent $87,746 on the campaign and has $3,225 cash in hand.

Candidates for national office are required to file regular campaign disclosure forms with the Federal Election Commission. Files are available at fec.gov.

14th: ‘I knew I would be outspent, but I had no idea by how much'