(MCT) — Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn began the two-year campaign fundraising push toward re-election with more than $1 million in cash available, including raising sizable amounts from private-sector unions at the same time he was seeking changes in retirement benefits for public employee union workers.
Campaign finance reports filed with the state this week showed Quinn raised nearly $300,000 during the last three months of 2012, including $50,000 donations in December from the pipe trades and the Teamsters. He also got $25,000 contributions from the United Auto Workers and the plumbers.
Quinn, who had the support of public employee unions when he ran in 2010, is unlikely to get similar help in a re-election bid, at least in the primary. Labor unions representing state workers and teachers have sharply criticized his efforts to alter retirement benefits in an attempt to rein in a $96.8 billion unfunded public pension liability.
Even with $1 million in the bank, Quinn is well behind one potential Democratic primary challenger, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, in the money race, but he holds the advantage over several possible Republican contenders among those who have operating campaign bank accounts.
Madigan, daughter of House Speaker Michael Madigan, reported $3.6 million in campaign cash available at the start of the year after raising nearly $200,000 in the final quarter of 2012. She has not given any indication of whether she would challenge Quinn in the 2014 Democratic primary.
Another potential Democratic challenger, former White House chief of staff Bill Daley, the son of one Chicago mayor and brother of another, has said he has not done any fundraising and has no campaign fund on file.
Among potential Republican candidates, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford reported $593,710 to start the year and has raised another $11,400 since Jan. 1, campaign reports show. Rutherford reported raising almost $218,000 in the final three months of the year.
State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, the unsuccessful 2010 GOP nominee for governor who is considering another run, took in $52,948 over the quarter and had $77,140 to start the year.
State Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, who narrowly lost to Brady in the 2010 primary, got $10,000 in seed money for his still-active gubernatorial campaign fund from horse racing impresario Richard Duchossois and his wife. But Dillard's governor fund still shows debts of more than $360,000. Dillard's state Senate campaign fund showed $12,569 available after raising $105,000 in the last quarter of the year.
State Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine, an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010, had a campaign fund balance of $80,799 after raising $93,925 for the last quarter. Adam Andrzejewski, a wealthy businessman who was defeated in the 2010 GOP primary for governor, reported $172 available and debts of nearly $987,000, all to himself.
U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria, who also is mulling a Republican run for governor, did not file a state campaign report. But his last federal campaign report showed he had nearly $2.2 million in his congressional campaign fund through Nov. 26. Generally, federal campaign funds can be used for a state contest.
Chicago businessman Bruce Rauner, a venture capitalist, also did not file a state campaign report but could launch a serious bid for governor through his personal wealth.
