Illinois GOP’s anemic fundraising underscores its life in the political wilderness

Money talks, particularly in politics.

And, right now, campaign donations are underscoring just how much of a one-party state Illinois has become.

Democrats are dominating Republicans not just in the marquee races, but nearly every statewide contest.

Consider the assets of our two major-party gubernatorial candidates. 

Incumbent JB Pritzker started July with over $3.1 million in his JB for Governor campaign fund.

Republican Darren Bailey, on the other hand, began the month with less than $128,000.

The fact that enthusiasm isn’t high given that Bailey lost to Pritzker in 2022 likely explains some of the disparity. So does billionaire Pritzker’s ability to self-finance — he has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own fortune across his gubernatorial campaigns and seeded this reelection effort with another $25.5 million last fall. Not helping either is the shadow of an unpopular Trump administration.

With conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein opting to observe from the sidelines, Republican funding has dried up. We’d argue that perhaps this is a prime opportunity for someone with more moderate conservative instincts to swoop in and fill the gap — Uihlein’s cash was both a blessing and a curse, as it tended to come with strings attached. In 2022, Uihlein gave more than $12 million directly to Bailey, doubling down on his commitment to oust Pritzker by pouring $42 million into an outside super PAC. This cycle, he has largely stayed out of statewide races.

Among Bailey’s largest donors is former 2022 gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine, who chipped in $25,000; a large sum, to be sure, but unless Bailey can start courting similar investments from other folks it won’t bridge the gap.

But it’s not just the competition for governor, as Tribune reporting laid out last week.

Don Tracy’s U.S. Senate bid has drawn far less financial support than his opponent, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Stratton emerged victorious in a challenging primary thanks in large part to $10 million from Pritzker. 

From April 2025 through June 2026, Stratton accepted roughly $5.3 million in general-election campaign contributions, according to FEC records. Tracy’s campaign, on the other hand, took in less than $2.5 million from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, including a $2 million personal loan he made to his own campaign.

In the race for comptroller, Democratic nominee Margaret Croke has double the cash on hand compared with her Republican opponent. In spite of this vast gulf, this is currently the most competitive race for a constitutional office, based on fundraising.

The bigger question isn’t whether the GOP can close the fundraising gap, but whether Illinois’ increasingly one-sided political landscape is healthy for voters, who benefit most when both parties are capable of mounting a serious challenge. 

We don’t think so.

When one party no longer worries about losing elections, the incentives change. The pressure to compromise weakens. Difficult reforms become easier to postpone. The opposition becomes less capable of forcing uncomfortable but necessary debates.

That truth is made evident repeatedly. Weak political competition doesn’t affect only elections — it affects governing.

A recent headline in this paper read, “Illinois Democrats’ single-party rule and diminished GOP may shield Springfield from Benton scandal reforms.” That’s our sad reality.

Whether it’s Springfield’s failure to confront Illinois’ property tax burden, billion-dollar spending plans that avoid structural reform, or another legislative session that produces hundreds of new laws with comparatively little attention paid to tackling our most pressing fiscal and economic challenges, our lopsided state government isn’t yielding the results Illinois needs.

A more competitive political playing field would offer voters something they’re perpetually lacking these days: Options. A little variety, which is said to be the spice of life. Or, in politics, the push and pull needed to rein in the worst impulses of both sides.

It’ll take funding to give voters more of a choice in November. But cash requires confidence. And the Illinois GOP isn’t doing enough to inspire it.

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