$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.
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.
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).
Lori Lightfoot
Mayor of Chicago $4,847,928.40
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
UNIONS
Brandon Johnson
Cook County commissioner $3,503,644.02
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Jesús “Chuy” Garcia
Congressman $2,740,771.48
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Sophia King
Alderperson, 4th Ward $798,590.53
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Ja’Mal Green
Community activist, entrepreneur $337,110.17
UNITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS
Kam Buckner
State representative $336,764.84
$13,000 from New Orleans where he worked for mayor in 2012-13
Roderick T. Sawyer
Alderperson, 6th Ward $214,500