In political lingo, 2025 is an off year. It’s 2026 that’s an on year, when most state and federal officials seek office.
But in the cutthroat world of political fundraising, every year is an on year. After all, money is the mother’s milk of politics. Candidates spend considerable time trying to collect as much as possible. That rule applies even to those who face little or no re-election opposition.
What do they do with all that cash? Let’s count the ways. They give to each other. Or they use it to lease cars, make charitable contributions or even buy pizza for political supporters.
State finance reports reveal how much three local legislators — state Sens. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, and Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, and state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana — raised, how they spent it, and what they have left.
Rose, a campaign and Statehouse veteran, has the biggest war chest — $130,807.
He raised $19,500 from July 1 to Sept. 30 and spent $6,219. His campaign committee owes $2,000. Rose began the quarter with $117,526 and finished it with $130,807.
Faraci is close behind with $125,037. He raised $29,198 and spent $31,701, causing his available funds to fall from $127,540 to $125,037.
By comparison, Ammons is cash poor. Her campaign fund holds $41,167. She raised $32,138 in the quarter, spending $20,995. Her campaign committee ran a surplus for the period, with cash on hand jumping from $30,024 to $41,167.
So how do politicians spend that cash in an off year?
Ammons made three expenditures totaling $10,220 to the campaign committee of her husband — Champaign County Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons.
Other big expenditures included $1,937 for a car lease and $1,036 for lodging at a Boston hotel. Smaller expenditures were for charitable donations to the Church of the Living God ($800) and bills from the Illinois Black Caucus Foundation ($370) and Minuteman Press ($1,168).
Rose’s expenditures include $2,876 for mileage reimbursements, Ameren ($209), and catering at Joe’s Pizza, Monical’s Pizza, Rosie’s Pizza, Villa Pizza and Yoder’s Kitchen.
Faraci paid $4,326 in rent to the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District for his office space in the Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign, and $2,583 for a campaign fundraiser at Cruz Blanca Brewery and Mexican Restaurant in Chicago.
He made charitable donations to Crisis Nursery ($870), Vermilion County CASA ($500) and Balloons Over Vermilion ($200) and $1,600 in campaign contributions to Carol and Aaron Ammons, the Champaign County Democrats and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 in Chicago.
Faraci also had big costs for lodging in Lexington, Ky.; Las Vegas; Boston; Seattle; and Canada. Another $2,000 went to Ford City for a car lease, and more than $1,300 went to American Airlines for “transportation.”
Who actually picks up the bill for these expenditures? A small army of lobby groups and individuals lavish cash on their favored politicians.
Rose received money from labor, insurance, management and health care groups, even “Illinois CPAs for Political Action.” The Downstate Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC gave him $10,000, while Amazon gave $2,000 and a Virginia lawyers’ committee donated $1,000.
Carol Ammons received $7,500 from Laborers Local 703, $2,500 from the Downstate Illinois Laborers PAC, $2,500 from the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, $3,000 from two Service Employees International Union committees and $250 from United Airlines.
Faraci collected $1,000 from two electric utilities, $10,000 from the Illinois Laborers Legislative Committee, $1,500 from the state medical society, $2,500 from Ironworkers in Forest Park, and $1,000 from the Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management Committee. John Deere gave $500, Chicago SEIU donated $500 and the McGuire Woods Federal PAC in Virginia have $500. Something called the SMART TD PAC in Independence, Ohio, added another $250.
