3rd Q spending: Halpin spends more than twice as much as Thoms in District 36 Senate race

Tom Martin, Galesburg Register-Mail
·5 min read
A look at the new Illinois State Senate District 26 race shows Democrat Mike Halpin outspending Republican Mike Thoms from July 1 through Sept. 30. The new district includes Galesburg, Knoxville, Monmouth, Macomb and Bushnell.
A look at the new Illinois State Senate District 26 race shows Democrat Mike Halpin outspending Republican Mike Thoms from July 1 through Sept. 30. The new district includes Galesburg, Knoxville, Monmouth, Macomb and Bushnell.

GALESBURG — Illinois Senate District 36 is new to Galesburg and it will have a new senator after Nov. 8's general election.

Republican Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms and Democrat 72nd District State Rep. Mike Halpin are vying for the seat currently held by Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, who was drawn out of the 36th in the process of redistricting. The new 36th District includes Rock Island, Moline and East Moline on the north boundary and moves south in a narrow rectangle to include Galesburg, Knoxville, Monmouth and then on south to Bushnell and Macomb.

Mike Thoms
Mike Thoms

Thoms has been mayor of Rock Island since 2017. He had worked for his family business, Thoms-Proestler Company, working his way up to chief operation officer before the business was sold in 2002.

Halpin has represented the 72nd District since 2017 and is a lawyer at McCarthy, Callas, & Fenney, P.C. Halpin served as a personal aide to Congressman Lane Evans.

More:Senate District 36: Candidate Halpin answers questions on pandemic, jobs and public safety

A look at third quarter (July 1 to Sept. 30) contributions and spending of the two candidates shows Halpin with a clear financial advantage. Halpin spent nearly $1.9 million for his campaign during the third quarter, more than doubling the campaign spending for Thoms, $767,979.

Contributions tell a similar story, with Halpin receiving $1.3 million for the quarter and Thoms bringing in $775,714.

Where is the big money coming from?

Most of Halpin's money came from the Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park. In fact, 67% of his contributions from organizations was from that fund. Halpin received six separate donations from ISDF totaling $903,000. The largest of those contributions was $230,000.

Other large contributions for Halpin came from labor: $59,900 Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management; $59,900 LIUNA Chicago Laborers District Council, Burr Ridge; $57,900 Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE, Westmont.

Thoms' story for contributions is similar to Halpin's, except most of his money came from Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield. That fund provided $645,807, or 98% of Thoms' donations from organizations (transfers). Thoms received four donations from Senate Republican Victory Fund, with the largest being $174,202.

The rest of Thoms' funding from organizations came in lumps of $5,000 or less and most of those were from fellow Illinois Republican campaigns. Thoms received $5,000 from each of the following groups: Friends of Sue Rezin, Morris; McCombie for Illinois, Savanna (IL); $5,000 Anderson for Illinois, Andalusia; Committee to Elect Terri Bryant, Murphysboro. Rock Island Firefighters Local 26 PAC also donated $5,000 to Thoms.

One group donated to both candidates. Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, Springfield, contributed $5,000 to Halpin and $1,000 to Thoms.

More:Election: What’s on the ballot for Galesburg and Knox County residents Nov. 8?

Where was the campaign money spent?

Campaign money for both candidates went for advertising, printing, mail and consulting.

Thoms spent heavily, $645,807, with People Who Think LLC of Mandeville, Louisiana, for advertising. Another $48,367 went to Gateway Media, Sacramento, California, for advertising.

Halpin's campaign spent $573,400 with CIBC, of Chicago for television broadcast, YouTube, OTT, Search Ad and FB advertising. Another large chunk, $183,702, went to The Strategy Group of Chicago for photos, printing and mail. Another $13,355 was spent with The Sexton Group, Chicago, for printing and mailing.

More:Where do Knox County Sheriff candidates stand on issues? Here's a roundup

Halpin's campaign contributions and spending

Largest transfer contributions from organizations

• $208,000 Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park

• $65,000 Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park

• $140,000, Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park

• $200,000 Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park

• $60,000 Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park 6939 North Ave.

• $230,000 Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park

• $59,900 Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management

• $59,900 LIUNA Chicago Laborers District Council, Burr Ridge

• $57,900 Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE, Westmont

• $30,000 Illinois Laborers Legislative Committee, Springfield

• $20,000 Realtor PAC, Springfield

• 410,000 UAW Illinois PAC, Lincolnshire

• $10,000 Julie Morrison for State Senate, Deerfield

• $10,000 AFSCME, Washington DC

• $10,000 Associated Fire Fighters of IL PAC Fund, Springfield

Largest Individual itemized donations

• $5,000 Clifford Law Offices PC, Chicago

• $5,000 Cooney & Conway, Chicago

• $5,000 Gori Julian & Associates PC, Edwardsville

• $5,000 Keefe, Keefe & Unsell, Swansea

• $5,000 Power Rogers LLP, Chicago

• $5,000 Salvi Schostok & Pritchard, Waukegan

• $5,000 Simmons Hanly Conroy, Alton

Largest In-kind contributions

All but $2,800 or the contributions came from Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, Oak Park, for staff and media production using a variety of vendors from around the state. That in-kind contribution totaled $103,873.

Largest Itemized spending

• $573,400 CIBC, Madison St. Chicago Television Broadcast, YouTube, OTT, Search Ad &FB

• $183,702 The Strategy Group, Chicago, photos, printing and mail

• $13,355 The Sexton Group, Chicago, Printing and mailing

Thoms' campaign contributions and spending

Largest transfer contributions

• $159,902 Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield

• $151,801 Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield

• $159,902 Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield

• $174,202 Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield

• $5,000 Friends of Sue Rezin, Morris

• $5,000 McCombie for Illinois, Savanna (IL)

• $5,000 Rock Island Firefighters Local 26 PAC, Rock Island

• $5,000 Anderson for Illinois, Andalusia

• $5,000 Committee to Elect Terri Bryant, Murphysboro

• $1,000 Associated Beer Distributors, Springfield

• $1,000 Community Band PAC, Springfield

Largest Individual itemized donations

• $6,000 Calmer, Marion, Alpha

• $5,000 L.R.C. Developers, Inc. Rock Island

• $5,000 Stern, Matt, Rock Island

• $5,000 Thoms, Stuart, Rock Island

• $5,800 Tracy, Richard, St. Louis, Missouri

($4,202 not itemized)

Largest itemized in-kind contributions (goods and/or services)

• $84,455 Illinois Republican Party, mailing and printing, Curtis Scott Advertising, Elmhurst

• $18,727 Senate Republican Victory Fund, Springfield (various staffing and services)

Largest Itemized spending

• $645,807 People Who Think LLC, Mandeville, Louisiana, advertising

• $48,367 Gateway Media, Sacramento, California, advertising

This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Mike Halpin spends more than twice as much as Mike Thoms in Dist. 36