Quigley outraises, outspends Hanson ahead of their latest congressional rematch
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley far outraised and outspent the Republican candidate for Illinois' 5th Congressional District seat during the year's third quarter, records show.
While the Quigley for Congress committee reported collecting $226,443 and spending about $61,348, the Tom Hanson for Congress campaign collected $23,000, most of which was a loan from the candidate. Hanson's team spent about $16,759.
Both Quigley's and Hanson's totals are significantly smaller than the millions being raised and spent in other congressional races this cycle.
The 5th District seat has been in Democratic hands for all but two years since 1907. Quigley, who has had the job since 2009, defeated Hanson in 2018 and 2020.
Hanson's lack of money indicates the Republican Party isn't trying to give Quigley much of a race, let alone win the seat, said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.
"If the Republicans thought they could make it somewhat competitive to keep the Democrats at least occupied, they would have recruited a ... candidate who had either resources or some kind of name or story to build a campaign around," Redfield said.
Congressional campaigns must file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission once they collect or spend at least $5,000. The latest FEC reports detail transactions made between July 1 and Sept. 30. Reports are viewable at fec.gov.
Quigley's quarter
Quigley, of Chicago, started the quarter with nearly $1.2 million saved, Of the money his campaign raised in the quarter, $43,943 came from individual donors and $182,500 came from political action committees representing special interests, including:
• $2,000 from AT&T.
• $2,500 from FedEx.
• $5,000 from the National Education Association.
• $4,500 from Union Pacific Corp.
• $5,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Among the individual donors, Team Quigley received $2,900 from former U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.
Quigley's campaign spent about $61,348 during the quarter on printing, office supplies, consultants and other expenses.
It also gave $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and $1,000 each to three Chicago aldermanic candidates, among political donations.
Hanson's quarter
Hanson, of Chicago, defeated Malgorzata McGonigal of North Barrington to win the GOP primary in the 5th. He initially had said he wouldn't accept campaign donations, but he certainly did last quarter.
Of the money the Hanson campaign collected, $18,000 was a loan from the candidate. The other $5,000 came from individual donors.
Hanson received no financial help from political action committees or Republican Party groups.
Hanson's financial report didn't itemize its expenditures.
The campaign ended the quarter with about $6,241 saved.
In addition to losing to Quigley in the last two elections, Hanson lost to Quigley's predecessor, Democrat Rahm Emanuel, in 2008.
Independent candidate Jerico Matias Cruz of Chicago also is running. He hasn't filed a third-quarter fundraising report.
Redrawn last year, the 5th District cuts diagonally through Cook and Lake counties between Chicago's Near North Side and the Barrington area.
Election Day is Nov. 8. Early voting has begun.