If they counted dollars instead of votes, there would be no question who the next mayor of Chicago is going to be – former US Rep. and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has amassed a large fund-raising advantage, and the totals pulled in by competitor Gery Chico are impressive as well.
The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform released fund-raising stats on the race. It says that Emanuel benefitted to a large degree from fund-raising accomplished before the end of 2010. Contribution limits became effective 1/1/11.
Emanuels total available since 1/1/11, counting cash on hand and cash brought in after that date approached $10M, and he had already spent almost $3.5M before 2010 went into the history books.
Here are ICPR’s accounting of the cash raised by the top candidates.
* $9,914,800 Rahm Emanuel (Receipts do not include 2010 expenditures of $3,450,500)
* $5,765,900 Gery Chico (Receipts do not include 2010 expenditures of $353,200)
* $705,500 Carol Moseley Braun (Receipts do not include 2010 expenditures of $281,600)
* $363,500 Patricia Van Pelt Watkins (Receipts do not include 2010 expenditures of $138,900)
* $107,100 Miguel Del Valle (Receipts do not include 2010 expenditures of $55,100)
* $8,000 William “Dock” Walls (Walls reported no expenditures in 2010)
RBR-TVBR observation: The amount being spent in Chicago would put many if not most statewide senatorial spending sprees to shame. From a business standpoint, it’s too bad they don’t hold these events every year.
