Where the money’s come from in Chicago’s mayoral race

$24 million and counting. That’s how much money Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the eight men and women stepping up to challenge her have raised, with two weeks to go before Chicago voters make their picks. Where is it coming from?

The Chicago Sun-Times collected publicly available data that each of the nine mayoral campaigns filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections as of Tuesday, going back to when each candidate announced intentions to run.

Campaigns aren’t required to report the names of contributors giving less than $150 per quarter but must report the totals received. Campaigns also can benefit from money collected by outside political action committees — so called “dark money” funds that don’t have to disclose who makes contributions but also aren’t allowed to work with any campaigns directly.

Note: Money given, loans, transfers and in-kind contributions all are listed here as contributions.

Contributions outside Chicago
Contributions inside Chicago

Willie Wilson

Businessman $6,080,727
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS Wilson’s loans to his campaign aside, the majority of the rest of his contributions came from church leaders.
Willie Wilson $6,000,000 (2 contributions)
Stephen Thursten $20,000

Paul Vallas

Former CPS CEO $5,140,858.05
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS Former CPS figures: Ousted CPS CEO Forrest Claypool ($2,500), one of Claypool’s chief consultants, Sally Filan ($1,000), ousted UNO charter schools chief Juan Rangel ($500), one-time CPS board member Deborah Quazzo and her husband, Stephen ($18,500).
Mary Vallas Paul Vallas's mother. Campaign says it was a loan he's since repaid. $35,200
James N. Perry Managing Director, Madison Dearborn Partners $200,000 (2 contributions)
Timothy Sullivan Co-President, Madison Dearborn Partners $200,000 (2 contributions)

Lori Lightfoot

Mayor of Chicago $4,847,928.40
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Fred Eychaner CEO of Newsweb Corporation $300,000 (4 contributions)
Zenobia Johnson-Black $155 (8 contributions)
In 2019 Lightfoot raised $6,327,560.82 - nearly 25% more than what she raised so far in 2023. LABOR
UNIONS
Carpentry Advancement Political Action Committee Fund $550,000 (4 contributions)
Friends of Walter Burnett, Jr Alderperson, 27th ward $10,000
Laura M. Ricketts Chair of LPAC board $295,137.54 (11 contributions)

Brandon Johnson

Cook County commissioner $3,503,644.02
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Jesse Sharkey Former CTU president $250
American Federation of Teachers COPE - Voluntary A/C $1,067,745.96 (4 contributions)
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE $190,100 (2 contributions)
Chicago Teachers Union - PAC $840,000 (3 contributions)
Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich LLP CTU law firm $5,000
Byron Sigcho-Lopez Alderperson, 25th Ward $250
SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC $668,686.27 (6 contributions)

Jesús “Chuy” Garcia

Congressman $2,740,771.48
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Fight Back Fund $1,000,000 (2 contributions)
Friends of Edgar Gonzalez Jr. $80,000
Friends for Celina Villanueva $75,000
Latino Leadership Council $43,000 (2 contributions)
Members of Illinois General Assembly Contributions from Washington, D.C.

Sophia King

Alderperson, 4th Ward $798,590.53
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Alan King Sophia King’s husband $350,000 (5 contributions)
Desirée Rogers Former White House Social Secretary $1,000
Djena Graves Lennix $6,000
Harry Lennix III Actor $16,000
Sophia King Alderperson, 4th ward $6,000 (2 contributions)
Theaster Gates Artist $16,000 (2 contributions)

Ja’Mal Green

Community activist, entrepreneur $337,110.17
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Herlyn Oatis Green’s mother $2,081
Sunbend Solar Green’s business $1,000
Ja’Mal Green Green’s business $5,950
Susan Sarandon Actor $2,000 (2 contributions)

Kam Buckner

State representative $336,764.84
$13,000 from New Orleans where he worked for mayor in 2012-13
Friends of Kam Buckner $194,275.41 (12 contributions)
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Pierre Thomas Played football together at U. of I. $5,500 (3 contributions)

Roderick T. Sawyer

Alderperson, 6th Ward $214,500
Guaranteed Investments Corp. $50,000
6th Ward Democratic Org. $18,000