Teachers unions have contributed significant amounts of money to the state legislative primary campaigns of select Republican candidates, a pattern that is evident in the contest between incumbent state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, and primary challenger Jim Acklin for the 102nd Illinois House seat.
Acklin received a total of $35,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and $68,500 from the Illinois PAC for Education. As per the campaign fund tracker, Illinois Sunshine, his campaign currently has $116,000 cash on hand.
Niemerg’s political fund currently holds a substantial amount of $121,840 in cash.
According to data from Open Secrets, teachers unions’ political action committees have contributed over $4 million to Democrats in the 2021-2022 election cycle. In contrast, Republicans received only $24,000 nationwide. Sarah Bryner, the director of research and strategy at Open Secrets, noted that it is uncommon for significant amounts of money to be directed towards Republican primary races.
According to Bryner, unions generally support individuals who they believe are aligned with their causes. In elections where the outcome is uncertain, unions often get involved in Democratic primaries, as these contests tend to be more competitive. Once the general election arrives, Democrats usually have a clear advantage and unions typically throw their support behind them.
Acklin, the superintendent of Chrisman Schools, previously ran against Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, in the 2016 election for the 110th Illinois House District. In the current election, Wilhour’s Republican primary opponent, Matthew Hall, also received significant financial support from the Illinois Federation of Teachers, with a donation of $35,000, and IPACE, with a contribution of $65,861.
Wihour’s campaign has a cash on hand of $147,384, while Hall’s fund has $210,461.
Acklin and Hall did not respond to requests for comment despite attempts to reach them by The Center Square.
In the 102nd House District, there are no candidates listed on the ballot. Both Niemerg and Acklin are running as write-ins, and currently, there is no Democratic challenger in the race.
Niemerg expressed his belief that even if the Democrats were to nominate someone, it wouldn’t make a difference. He also added that he feels like there is already a Democrat running against him in the primary.
Reform for Illinois, a non-profit organization that advocates for a more ethical government in Illinois, has observed a dearth of competition in the 2024 primary. According to Alisa Kaplan, the Executive Director, this lack of competition could be attributed to the growing polarization within the political landscape.
Kaplan highlighted that individuals and political parties have firmly entrenched themselves in certain viewpoints, resulting in limited space for a diverse range of ideas and perspectives on various issues.
Kaplan noted that her organization, Illinois Sunshine, has observed the flow of Chicago Teachers Union funds into the Illinois 20th Senate District race to back kindergarten teacher Graciela Guzman. A significant amount of $583,155 has been contributed to the fund known as “Gente for Graciela Guzman.” Notably, Guzman has recently garnered the endorsement of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont.
According to sources, there has been a significant difference in the amount of financial support given to the respective campaigns of Guzman and Mayor Brandon Johnson. While Guzman has received some funding, it is nowhere near the substantial backing that Mayor Johnson has received. On the other hand, Senate President Don Harmon has emerged as a formidable opponent with deep pockets, having invested over $1.5 million into incumbent state Sen. Natalie Toro’s campaign.
Toro, a Chicago Democrat, has a campaign fund that currently stands at $2 million, with the Illinois Senate Democrats Fund contributing a substantial $1.7 million.
According to Kaplan, the reason for the lack of competition may be attributed to the challenges associated with running for office. She emphasized that running for office can be financially burdensome, particularly in Illinois. Furthermore, Kaplan pointed out that the Democratic party often has substantial financial resources to support their preferred candidates.
In this primary election, there are only two contested Democrat state senate seats.
