Midterm election outcomes are in for Illinois — and Democratic politicians have efficiently held on to energy in each Springfield and Washington, D.C.

Democrats outpaced their Republican counterparts not simply in votes but additionally {dollars} this election cycle. Forward of Election Day, candidates campaigning on reproductive, voting and legal justice rights racked in giant sums from political motion committees, state political events and even private financial institution accounts.

This election cycle was marked by groundbreaking fundraising. In line with a brand new OpenSecrets knowledge evaluation, elections throughout the nation value greater than $16.7 billion — making it the most costly midterms in U.S. historical past.

Not all elections resulted in blue strongholds — management of the U.S. Senate and Home stays up within the air — however Illinois Democrats took contested races.

For Evanston residents, the Illinois gubernatorial race had the best price ticket on the poll. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), a billionaire whose father managed and developed the Hyatt Lodge chain, gained reelection towards Republican candidate Darren Bailey.

Pritzker’s marketing campaign committee, JB for Governor, reported greater than $80.8 million raised this election cycle, in keeping with Illinois State Board of Elections filings. A few quarter — $20 million — of this whole comes from Pritzker’s self-funding in late September.

This whole is considerably decrease than Pritzker’s 2018 fundraising, when he practically broke the present gubernatorial fundraising file held by California politician Meg Whitman by giving his marketing campaign $171.5 million and elevating an extra $4.8 million.

Bailey, who misplaced with 43.2% of the vote in keeping with Related Press knowledge, has represented the fifty fifth district within the Illinois State Senate since January 2021. He made headlines in June when former President Donald Trump endorsed him.

His marketing campaign, Bailey for Illinois, raised greater than $2.4 million as of Sept. 30 whereas criticizing abortion rights laws, Pritzker’s COVID-19 insurance policies and the SAFE-T Act, which is able to eradicate money bail within the state.

Illinois Lawyer Basic Kwame Raoul, former prosecutor and democratic state Senator, additionally gained reelection final evening. Raoul confronted off towards Republican Tom DeVore, a constitutional legal professional who’s pursued authorized battles towards Pritzker’s COVID-19 insurance policies for 2 years.

Raoul’s marketing campaign had raised greater than $2.7 million as of Sept. 30, with giant checks from Deliberate Parenthood Illinois Motion PAC and Democratic Get together of Illinois disclosed following the submitting deadline for the yr’s third fiscal quarter.

DeVore trailed behind with solely greater than $483,000 raised as of Sept. 30. High funding got here from people related to produce provider Anthony Marano Firm and grocery chain Pete’s Market.

{Dollars} gasoline U.S. Congress seats

Candidates additionally spent considerably on the race for state illustration within the U.S. Congress, with Evanston’s Democratic representatives snagging the vote.

Whereas Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Sick.)’s present time period ends in 2027, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Sick.) confronted reelection Tuesday. She emerged victorious with greater than 55% of the vote, in keeping with the Related Press.

A veteran of the Iraq Battle, Duckworth has held the seat since 2016. She had raised greater than $14.2 million as of Oct. 19, together with her joint fundraising committee Duckworth Victory Fund elevating over $2 million.

Duckworth’s Republican opponent Kathy Salvi, a private harm lawyer and former public defender, additionally self-funded $480,000 out of her whole $1.2 million raised as of Oct. 19. Salvi was endorsed by Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, whose Champion American Values PAC donated $2,500 to her marketing campaign. She finally got here up brief with solely 42.3% of the vote.

On the Home aspect, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) snagged 70% of the vote towards Republican challenger Max Rice in Illinois’ ninth District. Within the seat since 1999, Schakowsky targeted her marketing campaign this yr on voters’ rights and reproductive rights.

Rice, an vitality guide who stated he would disown his occasion affiliation if he gained the seat, centered his platform round nonpartisan governing. He raised $9,895 to Schakowsky’s greater than $1.5 million as of Oct. 19, in keeping with Federal Election Fee filings.

Snagging the statehouse

Candidates for the state legislature in Springfield additionally raked in political contributions.

On the poll for Illinois Senate, incumbent Laura Positive (D-Glenview) efficiently fought off Republican challenger Paul Kelly for her ninth district seat, which represents all of Evanston. Positive’s marketing campaign, Buddies of Laura Positive, had raised greater than $325,700 as of Sept. 30 — over $318,000 greater than Kelly.

After the submitting deadline, Positive obtained $2,500 from Stand for Youngsters Illinois PAC, an training equity-focused PAC that additionally financially supported State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) in her reelection marketing campaign for District 17.

Gong-Gershowitz at present represents sixth Ward Evanston residents who dwell west of McDaniel Avenue — and he or she gained reelection Tuesday evening. She lately sponsored the TEAACH Act, a invoice targeted on increasing Asian American historical past curriculum in Illinois faculties.

Gong-Gershowitz had raised just a little greater than $329,000 as of Sept. 30 and obtained an extra $13,720 test from the Democratic Get together of Illinois on Oct. 22.

Republican candidate Bradley Martin, founding father of the Close to East South Asia Middle for Strategic Research, sought to unseat her however didn’t report any political contributions to the state’s board of elections.

The remainder of Evanston falls into District 18, the place Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) gained reelection with 81% of the vote, in keeping with Related Press knowledge. Gabel had greater than $536,000 within the financial institution as of Sept. 30, receiving donations following this submitting deadline from the Democratic Get together of Illinois, Illinois PAC for Training and Genentech.

Her opponent, Republican non-public legal professional and president of Wilmette-Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce Charles Hutchinson, raised about $6,000 as of Sept. 30. All however $1,000 of this whole comes from Voter Safety NFP PAC.

“I used to be very lucky to discover a beneficiant donor who believes in my message for the folks of the 18th District, and I’m much more lucky to have discovered extra donors who’re hard-working dad and mom, small enterprise house owners, and voters who additionally imagine in my message,” Hutchinson stated in an e-mail on Nov. 7 to The Each day.

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Twitter: @JorjaSiemons

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