Senger leads Republicans in fundraising; Foster has more
Republican state Rep. Darlene Senger has a large fundraising lead in her race for Congress in the March primary election.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, however, has far more campaign cash than any of his potential GOP challengers.
Senger, of Naperville, raised about $77,000 in the third quarter of the year, her campaign said. Among the GOP primary contenders, Grundy County board member Chris Balkema of Channahon raised about $5,000 in the same time period, records show. Private investigator Ian Bayne of Aurora said he just started his fundraising push a few weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Foster, of Naperville, raised about $277,000 in the same period. The winner of the March 18 primary will face Foster in November.
The 11th District has the only active primary for Congress in the suburbs so far on the Republican side. The district runs from Aurora in the west to Burr Ridge in the east and south to Joliet.
Senger has been working on the panel of state lawmakers tasked with finding a compromise on the state's vexing public pensions debate — a job that could take some time away from her campaigning.
Foster represented the 14th District from 2008 to 2011 then defeated longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert of Hinsdale in 2012 in the newly drawn 11th District.