Cushing campaign touts money lead at year-end in race for 9th Subcircuit Preston vacancy

Supporters of 9th Subcircuit candidate Thomas M. Cushing (Preston vacancy) announced today that they raised more than $48,000 in contributions, $28,000 of that amount in the last quarter of 2013. The campaign reported to the Illinois State Board of Elections that it had more than $31,000 cash on hand at year-end. Cushing campaign manager Sam Hensel advises that Cushing has more money on hand than any of his competitors for that vacancy.

FWIW looked at the year-end "D-2" reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections on behalf of each of the five candidates for the Preston vacancy.

That examination confirmed that Cushing is indeed the money leader in the race for the Preston vacancy. According to his campaign's D-2, the Cushing campaign had $31,551.25 on hand at year-end. The $28,300 raised by the campaign in the 4th Quarter of 2013 is significantly more than any of the other campaigns raised during that same time period.

In other ways, however, the money gap is not as great.

Judge Michael Francis Otto's campaign raised only $4,915.00 in the fourth quarter, according to the D-2 filed by Otto's campaign committee, but the Otto campaign had $27,644.14 on hand at the end of the reporting period.

Abbey Fishman Romanek's campaign raised $20,189.00 in the last quarter of 2013. According to the D-2 filed by Romanek's committee, after expenditures of roughly $3,000, Romanek's campaign had $22,348.55 in the till on December 31.

Michael Alan Strom's campaign raised $13,377.17 in the 4th Quarter of 2013, according to the D-2 filed by his campaign, but the Strom campaign had almost $19,000 on hand at the beginning of the reporting period. Strom's campaign spent the most of any of these campaigns in the fourth quarter ($17,322.73), leaving $15,036.72 on hand at year end.

Brian Alexander's campaign apparently just began fundraising in the fourth quarter of 2013. According to the D-2 filed by the Alexander campaign, the campaign had no money on hand at the beginning of the quarter, but $10,200 was raised during the reporting period.

It may come as a shock to Bruce Rauner, for example, but money alone does not equal votes. On the other hand, the ability to raise money is often seen as proof that a campaign is 'serious' or 'viable.' Moreover, it is true that money well spent can have a decisive impact in a low-profile, low-turnout primary. The trick, of course, is figuring out what 'well spent' means in any given race....