Dold way ahead of Schneider when it comes to campaign cash
As the race for Illinois' 10th District seat in Congress nears the finish line, new reports show Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Dold's campaign war chest dwarfs Democrat Brad Schneider's cache.
Each candidate raised about $1 million between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to financial documents filed this past weekend with the Federal Election Commission.
But after expenses, Dold is far ahead. He finished the quarter with nearly $2.3 million in the bank, while Schneider had $299,238 left.
The Dold campaign is thrilled with its numbers.
"Bob Dold's commitment to delivering honest, effective and independent leadership ... has earned him his largest-ever base of support and clear momentum heading into Election Day," spokeswoman Danielle Hagen said.
Schneider spokesman Steven Kirsch isn't concerned about the cash gap. It reflects ad buys the Schneider campaign made as far back as August for the final weeks of the race, he said.
"We think we made the stronger strategic decision here as ad rates continue to rise," Kirsch said. "We're confident our campaign will have the financial resources it needs to communicate Brad's message to voters, finish out this race strong and win."
Dold may have a financial lead at this point, but neither candidate is short on cash or name recognition, said Kent Redfield, a political expert and professor emeritus at University of Illinois at Springfield. Both candidates have been filling the airwaves and the internet with ads ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
"Whoever loses will not lose because they did not have enough money or because the voters did not know who they were," Redfield said.
This is the third showdown between Dold, of Kenilworth, and Schneider, of Deerfield. Dold lost the seat to Schneider in 2012 but won a 2014 rematch.
The candidates' financial disclosure reports are available at fec.gov.
Team Dold raised slightly more than $1 million during the third quarter.
Of particular note, Dold received $2,500 from the political action committee for Planned Parenthood. The group, which provides abortions and other women's health services, typically supports Democrats.
But last year, Dold was among three Republicans who broke with the GOP and voted against stripping Planned Parenthood of federal money.
According to opensecrets.org, a website that tracks political donations and is run by the Center for Responsive Politics, Dold is the only Republican who has received money from Planned Parenthood this election cycle.
The group gave Schneider $2,500 this period, too.
Dold also received $2,000 from House Speaker Paul Ryan's campaign committee. Dold is a member of Ryan's advisory group, and Ryan has headlined Dold fundraising events here.
Other Dold donors included Google, the Goldman Sachs Group and Motorola.
As for spending, Dold's campaign cut checks for about $1.1 million during the quarter.
On the other side of the race, Schneider netted nearly $997,000 in donations during the period.
In addition to the $2,500 check from Planned Parenthood, Schneider received $2,500 from the abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America.
He also received $2,000 from the campaign committee for U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. Wasserman Schultz resigned as head of the Democratic National Committee this summer following a much-publicized email controversy.
Other Schneider donors included the Democratic Party of Illinois, the United Auto Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The Schneider campaign spent about $1.7 million during the period.
Over the course of the entire 2016 race, Dold has raised more than $4.8 million - the largest fundraising total he's recorded in any of his races for Congress, Hagen said.
Schneider's overall haul is nearly $3.9 million.
Dold has spent about $2.9 million during the whole campaign, while Schneider has spent about $3.7 million.
The 10th District includes parts of Cook and Lake counties.