Most GOP candidates in 11th Congressional race light on campaign funds, records show

Most of the Republican candidates for Illinois’ 11th Congressional District seat entered the last three weeks of the primary race strapped for campaign cash, records show.

As of early June, three of the six GOP hopefuls in the 11th had less than $10,000 to spend on mailers, media buys or other traditional purchases; a fourth said she hadn’t raised enough to file a report with the Federal Election Commission.

None had anything close to the $4.8 million war chest incumbent Democrat Bill Foster of Naperville has amassed for the general election contest ahead.

The Republican candidates in the June 28 primary are North Aurora Trustee Mark Carroll; Jerry Evans of Warrenville; Susan L. Hathaway-Altman of the Geneva area; Andrea Heeg of the Geneva area; Catalina Lauf of Woodstock; and Cassandra Tanner Miller of Elgin.

Congressional campaigns must file financial reports with the FEC once they collect or spend at least $5,000.

The latest scheduled reports, detailing preprimary fundraising and spending between April 1 and June 8, were due last week. This close to an election, candidates also must report new contributions of $1,000 or more.

The reports can be viewed at fec.gov.

Lauf remained the strongest fundraiser – and biggest spender – in the Republican pack this spring.

Her Catalina for Congress committee started April with $148,241 saved, and it collected $144,126 during the period. Individuals gave $128,092; among them, GOP megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein of Lake Forest each sent Lauf $2,900, the most allowable per election under federal law.

Additionally, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s E-PAC political action committee, which supports female Republican candidates, gave Lauf $10,000 and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s Reinventing a New Direction committee gave $5,000. The caps are higher for political committees than individuals.

Stefanik, the Republican House conference chairman, promoted Lauf’s candidacy in March by naming her a woman to watch. She endorsed Lauf in May.

After spending about $258,541, Team Lauf finished with less than $33,826 saved and no debts. It subsequently reported receiving $6,400 more, through Tuesday.

Jerry Evans for Congress started the period with about $83,807, and it collected $41,024. Individuals gave $40,274, including $500 from Winfield Township Highway Commissioner John Dusza’s campaign committee and $250 from the McHenry County Republican organization.

After spending about $75,966, the Evans campaign finished with $48,865 saved and no debts. It subsequently reported receiving $9,800 more, through Tuesday.

Mark Carroll for Congress started April with less than $3,178, and it collected more than $25,793 through June 8. Nearly all of that sum, $24,969, came from individuals.

Carroll also got $200 from the campaign committee of fellow North Aurora Trustee Laura Curtis. Carroll contributed $624 in cash and in-kind donations.

After spending nearly $21,380, including political contributions to fellow congressional hopeful Scott Kaspar in the 6th District and Donald Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Mary Miller in the 15th, the Carroll campaign finished the period with about $7,591 saved and no debts.

Hathaway-Altman’s Susan4Congress committee started fundraising this period and collected less than $9,944. Individuals gave $1,072; she lent the group nearly $8,872.

After spending about $501, the campaign finished with about $9,442 saved.

Tanner Miller’s Cassandra for Congress committee started the period with about $1,925, and it collected $2,575. That included $200 from Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weiss’ campaign committee and $500 from state Rep. David Welter.

After spending about $707, the Tanner Miller campaign finished with less than $3,794 saved and no debts.

Heeg hasn’t filed any financial reports with the FEC.

As for Foster, his committee started the period with about $4.6 million and collected almost $459,630. About $256,150 came from individuals and $410,100 came from political committees for companies and groups such as:

• The American Federation of Teachers, which gave $5,000.

• Home Depot, which gave $5,000.

• The National Association of Realtors, which gave $3,000.

• Google, which gave $1,000.

Team Foster spent about $291,474 and reported owing its candidate more than $1 million. It subsequently reported receiving $78,600 more, through Tuesday.

Redrawn for the 2022 election, the 11th District encompasses parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb and Boone counties.

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