County Money on the Races

In an article that covers some statewide candidates with local roots, Tom Kacich also touched upon some of the fundraising behind County races from the primary going into the general in today's News-Gazette:

County clerk spending

Matt Grandone, who won the Republican primary for Champaign County clerk last month by 670 votes, spent almost $50,000 doing so.

Jon Rector, who spent about a quarter of that amount—$13,803 — came close with more than 47 percent of the vote.

Now Grandone has to do it all over again, with only about $760 in his campaign fund.

His next opponent, Democrat Aaron Ammons, was unopposed in the primary election and reported $14,833 in his campaign fund on March 31.

Most of Grandone’s money came from his family—$ 35,000 from his parents and $3,300 from himself.

Most of Ammons’ money came from labor unions, including $5,000 from Service Employees International Union Local 73 in Chicago and $2,500 from the SEIU Healthcare PAC.

County executive money

Gordy Hulten, who has been Champaign County clerk for eight years and has the name identification that comes with the office, also has the early money advantage in the historymaking race coming this fall.

Hulten and Urbana Democrat Darlene Kloeppel are the candidates for Champaign County executive, a new, $117,000-a-year salaried position approved by voters in November 2016.

While Kloeppel received $2,000 in campaign contributions in the first quarter of 2018, Hulten collected more than $9,000.

He had $23,055 on hand March 31, while Kloeppel had $562.

Hulten’s biggest contribution was $5,000 from the Champaign County Farm Bureau, with whom he worked two years ago to promote the creation of the county executive position.

Kloeppel, who can be seen at just about any community or civic event or meeting, is going to have to rely on hand-shaking and shoe leather to become the first county executive.

Full article here.