It's big names vs. big money in the race for Mark Kirk's congressional seat, according to The Hill.
That's because the big names are turning out not to be the same candidates as those with the big money. National media and political strategists in both parties are taking notice; the 10th District has been in moderate Republican hands for a long time but has always been viewed as a swing district that could go to a moderate Democrat in any given election.
In the last couple of tries, that moderate Democrat looked like it would be Dan Seals. But Kirk beat Seals more handily than expected two years ago. Seals is back for a third try, but perhaps a little fatigue is setting in among Democrats. State Rep. Julie Hamos just outraised Seals in third quarter by an impressive $547,000 to $303,000 count. That was one of the largest takes in the country, The Hill previously reported. Perhaps Hamos is the new front-runner.
On the Republican side, the presumptive front-runner, state Rep. Beth Coulson, is in third-place when it comes to fundraising. Businessmen Bob Dold and Dick Green (who is largely self-funded) have put more in the bank than Coulson.
Now, fundraising doesn't necessarily translate into votes. Self-funded candidates in particular have a poor track record in Illinois.
But the financial reports indicate that the nominations in both parties are still up for grabs.
Steve Rhodes is the proprietor of The Beachwood Reporter, a Chicago-centric news and culture review.
