Campaign finance disclosure reports are filtering in from all around, but it's not good news for the Democrats seeking to take on freshman Congressman Bob Dold in northern Illinois's 10th Congressional District.
Dold himself had a solid fundraising quarter, $376,000, bringing him to a total cash-on-hand figure of almost $1 million. He's expected to need it to fend off the Democratic competition, since the remap of the 10th gave the Dems a further advantage in an already Dem-leaning district.
But, as we like to say in Chicago, you can't beat somebody with nobody. And so far, it seems that Nobody is all they have showing up on the Dem side.
Progressive activist Ilya Sheyman may been good at coordinating door-knocking campaigns, but apparently he must not have worked in the fundraising department at MoveOn.org, as his quarterly fundraising was only around $150,000. That's still a little better, though, than his Democratic primary competition, lawyer Brad Schneider, who raised just under $80,000, once you back out a $100,000 loan to himself (on the last day of the reporting cycle, as WBEZ pointed out). With the loan, Schneider has a bit over $400,000 in the bank, which is nothing to sneeze at, but pales in comparison to Dold, who has no primary opponent (and which total, by the way, also includes the $50,000 the candidate gave himself his first quarter). Also, we don't know how much of Schneider's contributions must be reserved for the general, due to the large number of over-limit contributors he had in his first fundraising quarter. Ya gotta win the nomination first to spend that extra dough in the general, pal.
We've seen this kind of pattern with well-heeled candidates like Schneider before -- a good first quarter fundraising effort when all of the candidate's well-off friends and family max out their contributions right away. Once you get beyond your close-in network, however, the appeal of the candidate to the rest of the district becomes more apparent.
Steve Sadin over at Patch reminds us that there is another candidate on the Dem side, as well, Vivek Bavda, but he's hardly even worth an honorable mention, with under $30,000 in the bank (even including a $25,000 loan to himself).
Technically, it's not too late to get another candidate in the 10th District on the Dem side, but Dold's million-dollar war chest is sure to scare off anyone with any brains. The Dems' failure to recruit a top-tier candidate has got to be very frustrating for them.
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Schneider spends all of his time on the campaign and fundraising trail and yet comes up WAY short this quarter. Sheyman's money is from all over the country and his MoveOn.org followers who obviously can't vote for him in the Primary. Schneider does have the advantage on that score since his contributors are mostly local.
Bob Dold needs to get out and about in the proposed new areas of the district now. He has done well for our district since he became our Congressman but his name ID is still weak, especially in the western part of the new district.
The Primary will be interesting between Ilya and Schneider. I haven't seen or heard anything about their plans to create jobs, address the critical needs of a stalled economy. But you're right, TA, you can't beat someone with nobody. Let's see what happens in the coming weeks and few months.
At this point in time Democrats are looking to see if there are any other options in terms of real candidates.
I'm not sure that Dan Seals ever had a quarter as bad as Brad Schneider did.
Right now this is the most Democratic District in the country that has gone through redistricting that Republicans currently hold and are planning on running an incumbent in.
This would be one of the easiest Democratic pick up opportunities in the country, at least as far as districts with an actual Republican incumbent running in them go. It is absolutely shameful that they can't find a single semi-competent warm body to run.
You just need to look at the local Tenth District Democratic leadership and you will see why they have a folly. Gash is the best weapon the GOP has. Unsuccessful in nearly everything she has her hands in.
There's a bigger issue here than just the 10th district. Show me a good democrat candidate for legislative office anywhere. And I don't mean the totally machined safe districts like Terry Link's. The best candidate they have in a competitive race is Carol Sente - and that's being generous.
Total collapse.
(By the way, I wonder if Jan was able to sooth poor Elaine Nekritz after Greenberg announced his candidacy. Surprise!)
Does it bother anyone that such a huge percentage of Dold's contributions come from the financial services industry which is overseen by a committee that Dold serves on? Isn't there a problem with such blatant buying of influence?
Hey Anon 11:57, your statement about who's supporting Bob Dold is not correct. Prove your statement with facts please. 10th District voters who've come to know and to appreciate his moderate stands on issues support him. His individual supporters are not in the financial services industry. Come back with provable points and then let's talk.
Based on this source, http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cancomsrs/?_12+H0IL10302
I can't find any individual donations to Dold for this past quarter despite the footnote stating as of 9/30/2011
From just the most recent Dold FEC filing, and just the obvious ones:
MR. KELLEY A. BERGSTROM BERGSTROM INVEST MGT. 2500.00
ED W. BOWMAN STEWART KEATOR KESSBERGER & LEDERER I INSURANCE AGENT 250.00
MR. WILLARD BUNN, III ABN ANRO BANKER 500.00
MR. JOHN CANNING, JR.MADISON DEARBORN PARTNERS LLC CHAIRMAN 5000.00
MR. GORMAN COOK WILLIAM BLAIR & CO. INC.FINANCIAL ADVISOR 250.00
MR. MITCHELL DOLIN OPTION TRADER 2500.00
THE HONORA PETER G. FITZGERALD CHAIN BRIDGE BANK 500.00
MICHAEL FLYNN BAYTREE NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST PRESIDENT 500.00
MR. DARREN FRYE WATER STEET SOLUTIONS INC. CEO 5000.00
MR. BRAD GERSTNER ALTIMETER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT FINANCE 5000.00
MR. L. THOMAS GREGORY MARANON CAPITAL L.P. CORPORATE FINANCE 1000.00
MR. STEVEN HEFTER WACHOVIA SECURITIES LLC MANAGING DIRECTOR 5000.00
MR. ROSS JANNOTTA WILLIAM BLAIR & CO. MONEY MANAGER 300.00
MR. MICHAEL JENNY HOULIHAN LOKEY VICE PRESIDENT 4500.00
MRS. KRISTAN SEYFARTH KELLY BMO HARRIS BANK BANKER 250.00
MR. CHARLES J. MOORE THE BANC FUNDS CO. INVESTMENT MAN 250.00
MR. BRIAN O'KEANE FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAG DIRECTOR 250.00
MR. WILLIAM D. PEREZ GREENHILL SENIOR ADVISER 3500.00
MR. JOHN RAITT HARRIS ASSOCIATES LP INVESTMENT ANALYST 5000.00
MR. MICHAEL REVORD ALDINE CAPITAL PARTNERS PRIVATE EQUITY 1000.00
MR. GARRICK RICE STERLING PARTNERS MANAGING DIRECTOR 250.00
MR. PATRICK G. RYAN, JR. AON CORPORATION EXECUTIVE 2500.00
MR. PATRICK RYAN RYAN SPECIALTY GROUP CEO 2500.00
MR. DAVID SCALZO CREDIT SUISSE FINANCE 500.00
MR. JOSHUA SCHEINFELD FUSION CAPITAL BUSINESS MANAGER 2000.00
JASON SUNDERSON WILLIAM BLAIR EXECUTIVE 250.00
MS. JAMIE K. THORSEN BANK OF MONTREAL EXECUTIVE 1000.00
MR. WILLIAM BRITTON TRUKENBROD WILLIAM BLAIR & CO INVESTMENT BANKER 550.00
MR. JAMES WILDMAN WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY INVESTMENT BANKING 250.00
AFLAC PAC 2000.00
ACPAC ACA INTERNATIONAL PAC 6000.00
AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION PAC (BANKP 3000.00
AMERICAN FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION 2500.00
ASSOCIATION FOR ADVANCED LIFE UNDERWRIT 3500.00
ASSURANT INC. PAC 3000.00
BANK OF AMERICA PAC 5192.00
BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORPORATION BIP 2000.00
CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP. ASSOC. POLI 2000.00
CITIGROUP 1000.00
COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS AND BROKERS 4333.00
FMR LLC PAC FIDELITY PAC 2000.00
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC. POLITICAL ACTI 6500.00
IND INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS OF AMERI 3000.00
INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY BANKERS OF AMERIC 4000.00
MORGAN STANLEY PAC 2000.00
NAT'L ASS'N OF REAL ESTATE INVESTMNET T 2000.00
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MUTUAL INSURANC 3000.00
MR. NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY GOOD GOVERNMENT 1000.00
USBANCCORP 2000.00
WELLS FARGO PAC 3000.00
OK, I just posted $113,875 in financial services industry contributions to Dold, taken from the most recent FEC online reports. You took the posting down. Why?
Anon 2:55, - relax, I didn't take anything down. For some reason, your comment got held up in spam, perhaps because of length. I saw it in my e-mail notification.
If I can't get it our of the spam filter, I will cut and past it in myself.
You Dold haters are awfully touchy.
There, it's fixed.
I don't hate anyone. I just love the truth.
You're welcome.
While generally don't agree with TA's perspective, I do like the fact the host does not censure opposing points of view. Thank you.
As a lawyer, I'm used to people disagreeing with me all the time. ;-)
And yes, we try mightily here (and always have) to give fair time to viewpoints of all stripes -- otherwise this blog becomes a hollow echo chamber and not a forum for lively debate. We've all seen what happens to other blogs whose proctors allow only one point of view. Eventually, they all wither and die.
Blah blah blah, Dold is this, he isn't that...blah blah blah.
He's the sitting US Congressman from the 10th District, with a ton more money then his competition. He is verging on a re-election bid where the Democratic party has some of the worst re-elect numbers in history. Hell, the President is from Illinois and he has seen his own support drop in Illinois by as much as 30 percent.
Reality check, left leaning independents will be the ones who stay home and right leaning independents will turn out this cycle. Why? Because the right has a motivating influence to vote.
So why are the big name Dems staying out of races like this one? Because they know that without a major scandal they can't win the seat.
Dollars will be sparse by comparison to 4 years ago, Dold has a huge financial lead.
They can't point to the President because independents have lost faith in his leadership. That also takes out Pelosi and Reid. And Dold has played his hand pretty well as a moderate Republican, so it's very difficult to go after him on his votes.
Simply put, if you don't have a flawed candidate like Walsh in a swing district, then there is little chance for a Dem to take the seat....in other words, the Dems are playing defense this cycle.
Dems no doubt will try to portray Dold as pro-life in an election year where the focus of the electorate is on the economy. But they have to talk abortion because their fiscal policy has been proven incapable to solve the challenges our nation faces.
Vivek Bavda was giving a campaign speech in Hindu Temple of Lake county located at peterson road. As a true democrat he has no regard for any law ( Hindu Temple is a 503c, non for profit organisation) He is willing to damage the reputation of the Temple and its non profit status for his personal political advancement.
Aside from the money, Brad Schneider is doing pretty well recently when it comes to endorsements. Jeff Schoenberg, Julie Hamos, and Susan Garrett are all local and all have thrown their support to Schneider.
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