U.S. Rep. Quigley gets big bucks from aviation companies, records show
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley's reelection committee has received financial donations from several companies and groups associated with the aviation and aerospace industries, among others, a report shows.
Contributors including American Airlines, the Boeing Co., and General Dynamics have backed the Chicago Democrat, whose 5th District includes part of O'Hare International Airport. They've helped to build a campaign war chest that, as of June 30, contained nearly $1.2 million.
Conversely, Quigley's Republican challenger, Tommy Hanson, said he hasn't raised or spent enough cash to hit the Federal Election Commission's $5,000 filing threshold.
The latest FEC reports detail campaign fundraising and spending between June 9 and June 30. Earlier reports list transactions from the first part of the second quarter. All of them can be viewed at fec.gov.
The Quigley for Congress committee started the most recent period with about $1.1 million saved, and it subsequently collected $123,635.
About $43,035 came from individuals and $80,600 came from political action committees representing special interests. Those with aviation industry ties included:
• American Airlines, which gave $2,000.
• Boeing, which gave $2,000.
• General Dynamics, which gave $1,000.
• The General Aviation Manufacturing Association, which gave $1,000.
• Honeywell International, which gave $2,500.
• Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, which gave $1,000.
Over the entire second quarter, the Quigley campaign collected $177,840.
Quigley serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which funds the federal government, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees components of the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, among others. Some of the companies supporting him have defense contracts, including Boeing, Honeywell and General Dynamics.
Quigley's campaign spent more than $15,543 during the last period on payroll, office supplies, consultants and other expenses. It also donated $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and $1,000 to unsuccessful state House candidate Eileen Dordek's campaign.
Overall, the committee disbursed $46,543 during the latest period and $159,552 over the entire second quarter.
Team Quigley finished June debt-free.
A campaign spokeswoman declined to comment.
Hanson's campaign committee hasn't filed any financial reports with the FEC this cycle. He didn't sound stressed about the lack of cash for ads, mailers, staff or other traditional campaign expenses.
"If you look at how races are historically won, it's not about who outspends another," Hanson said in an email. "It's about the strategic plan, current economic sentiment and plain old hard work."
Redrawn last year, the 5th District cuts diagonally through Cook and Lake counties between Chicago's Near North Side and the Barrington area. It encompasses sections of towns including Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Deer Park and Lake Zurich.
The seat has been in Democratic hands for all but two years since 1907; Quigley has had the job since 2009.
Quigley ran unopposed in June's Democratic primary, while Hanson defeated Malgorzata McGonigal of North Barrington for the GOP nomination.
Quigley defeated Hanson in the 2018 and 2020 general elections.