Giannoulias Posts $18.3 Million War Chest as Johnson Reports $813,125 in Cash

Overview

• New Illinois campaign finance filings show Alexi Giannoulias raised $12 million in the first quarter and holds $18.3 million, while Mayor Brandon Johnson raised $176,036, spent $192,675, and has $813,125 on hand.
• Giannoulias’ haul includes $2 million from Operating Engineers Local 150, $1 million each from carpenter and electrician unions, and $500,000 each from Michael Sacks, Willy Family LLC, and the Matthew R. Pritzker Revocable Trust.
• Johnson has not said if he will run again, prompting veteran political operatives to question whether he plans to seek a second term.
• A rift between SEIU and the Chicago Teachers Union during teacher contract talks has strained Johnson’s ties to SEIU, which did not appear at a recent fundraiser for the mayor.
• Petitions open July 28 and are due Oct. 26, a schedule that makes early cash crucial for TV ads and field staff in Chicago’s costly media market; other potential contenders trail far behind, with Susana Mendoza at $1.6 million and most others under $1 million.