April 19, 2024
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GOP heavy-hitters supporting Lauf against Democrat Foster -- but is it enough?

By Russell Lissau - Daily Herald Media Group
Election 2024
Bill Foster, left, and Catalina Lauf are candidates for the 11th District Congressional seat in November.

Bill Foster, left, and Catalina Lauf are candidates for the 11th District Congressional seat in November. (Daily Herald Media Group)

Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville outraised and outspent Republican challenger Catalina Lauf of Woodstock during the year’s third quarter, newly released documents show.

Lauf received some support from the GOP and several prominent lawmakers in her party, including House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy. But Foster entered the last weeks of the 11th District campaign with almost $4.2 million in the bank – more than 22 times the $187,350 Lauf had for any final ads or other expenses.

“That is a huge advantage,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Foster’s quarter

Congressional campaigns must file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission once they collect or spend at least $5,000. The latest reports, detailing fundraising and spending between July 1 and Sept. 30, were due Oct. 15 and are viewable at fec.gov.

The Bill Foster for Congress committee started July with more than $4.9 million saved and it reported netting about $950,549 during the quarter.

More than $625,351 came from individuals, $2,395 came from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as in-kind donations and $317,601 came from political action committees representing special interests.

Foster, a member of the House financial services committee, received at least $116,000 from companies and groups in the banking, insurance and investment industries during the quarter, including:

  • $2,500 from JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  • $2,000 from Morgan Stanley.
  • $5,000 from Bank of America.
  • $2,500 from Experian.

Other Foster supporters included Planned Parenthood, which gave $2,500, and Amazon, which gave $1,000. Foster received thousands of dollars from labor unions, too.

“Our campaign fundraising has been robust throughout this election cycle, and this quarter is no exception,” campaign manager Dovile Svirupskaite said in a news release. “Thanks to our broad-based, record-setting support, we’ll be able to finish this race strong.”

Team Foster spent more than $1.7 million during the quarter on consulting, payroll, advertisements and other expenses. That sum includes nearly $6,893 given to other candidates or political groups.

The campaign ended September with about $1 million in old debts to Foster.

Lauf’s quarter

The Lauf campaign has two committees, Catalina for Congress and Lauf for IL-11. Catalina for Congress is the campaign’s primary committee, records indicate; the other group had been the Take Back IL-11 Republican Nominee Fund but changed its name in August, documents show. It sent almost all its cash to the main committee in September.

Lauf’s campaign started the quarter with less than $25,924 in the bank. It received about $733,216 during the period.

Of that sum, $437,822 came from individuals, $5,000 came from the National Republican Congressional Committee and $44,625 came from political action committees, including:

  • $5,000 from McCarthy’s Majority Committee PAC.
  • $1,000 from downstate U.S. Rep. Mary Miller’s Faith in America PAC.
  • $2,000 from downstate U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood’s campaign committee and $5,000 from his Abraham Lincoln PAC.
  • $2,000 from the campaign committee for U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and $5,000 from his Eye of the Tiger PAC.

Those donations show national support and should help Lauf raise money from individuals and political committees, Redfield said.

What Lauf needs, Redfield said, is support from super PACs and other outside groups that can raise and spend large amounts of money because they aren’t subjected to contribution limits.

Team Lauf spent about $571,789 during the quarter on consulting, travel, ads and more, records show. It also gave $21,000 to the Illinois Republican Party.

The Lauf campaign reported no debts.

Neither Lauf nor a spokesman responded to requests for comment.

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

Election Day is Nov. 8. Early voting has begun.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20221017/gop-heavy-hitters-supporting-lauf-against-democrat-foster-x2014-but-is-it-enough