Rauner Pockets Additional $750,000 From RGA

April 17, 2014 | Filed under: Elections,News,Politics,State | Posted by: Justin Shimko +

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Illinois GOP Nominee Bruce Rauner.

GOP Organization Has Now Donated $1.5 Million to Unseat Quinn

The Republican Governors Association wasted little time in reinforcing their support for Republican nominee Bruce Rauner (R-Winnetka) as the Washington-based organization dropped another $750,000 into the race. The donation doubles their previous contribution into the businessman’s campaign account, now totaled at $1.5 million.

After the initial contribution, RGA chairman and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R-Mendham Township, NJ) said the RGA is “all in” for the Illinois governor’s race, rated as a Top 5 race by various news sources. Recent polls, such as the one by Illinois Mirror/Where America Stands, show Rauner with an early lead against incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Chicago).

The donation came a short time before the RGA released their first quarter finance reports to the IRS, which showed $22 million in donations from a wide group of personal and corporate donors. Among the top donors during the first quarter, which encompasses January through March of this year, include: Chicagoans Kenneth Griffin, CEO of Citadel Group, and his wife Ann, who gave $750,000 and $525,000, respectively; Muneer Satter of Satter Investment Group, who donated $250,000; and BlueCross/BlueShield Association in Illinois, which donated $250,000.

The Rauner campaign was the largest recipient among Republican nominees to receive financial backing by the RGA in the first quarter, although that is likely because only two states held primaries during the early months of the year.

Republicans currently enjoy a 29-21 lead among governors in the United States. Of the 50 seats, 36 seats are up during this mid-term cycle.

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Justin Shimko

Justin Shimko is an award-winning writer and political analyst. He began as a reporter in his college days at the University of Oklahoma, writing for The Oklahoma Daily (rated as one of the best collegiate newspapers in the nation) and The Oklahoman, the statewide newspaper, winning awards from the CSPA and the Society of Professional Journalists. He later moved on to research and writing work for a number of political campaigns. His email is [email protected]