In each of the races for state legislative seats that represent the Springfield area, the winning candidate spent more money than their opponent, according to recently filed campaign reports.
The contest between state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and his Republican challenger, Seth McMillan of Taylorville, was the most costly local race.
Campaign reports show Manar spent over $2.1 million in the last half of 2018, compared to $46,722 for McMillan. Manar spent much of the money on paying people for campaign work and advertising.
Manar also raised just short of $2 million during the same time period, dwarfing McMillan’s $41,220. Manar won the race 57 percent to 43 percent.
Kent Redfield, a political science professor emeritus for the University of Illinois Springfield, said smart incumbents will still raise money during campaign season.
“The best opponent is no opponent,” Redfield said. If one candidate wants to seriously discourage another one from running, a good way to do that is by raising a lot of money, he added.
One of Manar’s biggest contributions came from the Illinois Democratic Heartland Committee, a fund designed to help elect downstate Democrats to the state Senate. They gave him a total of $613,277, according to campaign reports.
The group also gave Manar $51,493 in in-kind contributions for research and campaign work. The Illinois Federation of Teachers gave him $52,000, while the Operating Engineers Political Education Committee gave him $55,400.
The campaign of new state Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, spent $41,783 in the last half of the year, outspending his opponent, Democrat Marc Bell, by more than $20,000. Murphy, who represents the 99th House District, raised $40,223. Bell raised $18,910 and spent $21,456.27. Murphy got 59 percent of the vote on Nov. 6.
In the 96th District, Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, spent $107,259.21, while her opponent, Republican Herman Senor, spent $23,888.99.
Altogether, Scherer raised $94,393.02 since July 1, more than four times as much as Senor raised. Scherer’s biggest PAC contribution from the last two quarters came from the Illinois Political Action Committee for Education, which gave her $30,000. Scherer won with 61 percent of the vote.
In the 95th District, Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, spent $82,120 and raised $50,373 in the last half of 2018. One of her biggest supporters was the Downstate Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC, which gave her $7,500. A bulk of Bourne’s in-kind contributions were $5,378 to the House Republican Organization for payroll and travel expenses.
The Democratic candidate in that race, Dillon Clark, raised $26,847.83. The Illinois Education Committee was his biggest PAC donor, giving him $10,000 from July through December. Clark spent $40,716.20. Bourne was victorious with 60 percent of the vote.
“The story in central Illinois was pretty much incumbents winning and raising more money in districts that pretty much favored their political party,” Redfield said.