Labor unions and pro-Israel groups are among the biggest funders of U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski’s re-election campaign, which recently reported having almost $2.1 million on hand.
By contrast, her Republican opponent, Joshua Loyd of Virden, said he had just $2,883 as of June 30.
Budzinski, a first-term Democrat whose 13th Congressional District snakes from the eastern St. Louis suburbs through Springfield to Champaign-Urbana, has already developed a nationwide fundraising base.
According to OpenSecrets, more of her campaign contributions have come from out of state than from Illinois.
Although Budzinski has received more money in this election cycle from individuals ($1.97 million) than political action committees ($1.29 million), her largest contributions have been from PACs, particularly those affiliated with labor unions. The International Association of Fire Fighters gave her $15,000, and the Amalgamated Transit Union and ironworkers, air-traffic controllers and machinists unions each gave her $10,000.
And among her top funders is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which gave Budzinski a $5,000 contribution and acted as an aggregator to collect another $23,871 in individual contributions for the Springfield Democrat.
Budzinski is one of 90 congressional Democrats to be endorsed by AIPAC (along with 124 Republicans) in this year’s election. She is also one of seven members of Congress from Illinois to win the group’s backing. They include Republicans Mike Bost and Darin LaHood and Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi, Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider and Eric Sorenson.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Chicago, the only Jewish member of the Illinois delegation and one of about 60 Democrats who boycotted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, is not endorsed by AIPAC, which is hawkish on the defense of Israel and Netanyahu.
“I have long believed, and it is clearer than ever now, that Benjamin Netanyahu is neither pro-democracy nor pro-peace. His sole priority is himself,” Schakowsky said in a statement. “He could not care less about doing what is right for the long-term security of Israel, including ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of the remaining hostages and taking meaningful steps towards a two-state solution.”
Budzinski, who has been criticized by some constituents for standing by Israel and supporting U.S. military aid to the country, attended the Netanyahu address.
“Congresswoman Budzinski makes an effort to always attend foreign leaders’ addresses to Congress,” said her spokesman, Philip Shelly. “She has repeatedly expressed her concerns with Netanyahu’s approach to the conflict in the Middle East. She’s hopeful that a mutual cease-fire can be reached as soon as possible and that all hostages can return home to their families. She also believes that the relationship between the United States and Israel is critically important.”
Besides the AIPAC money, Budzinski also received $10,250 in aggregated contributions through the JStreet PAC, a more moderate pro-Israel group that favors a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. JStreet has endorsed Budzinski and every other Illinois Democrat in Congress.
Overall, according to OpenSecrets, Budzinski has received $52,315 from pro-Israel groups, enough to rank her in the top 130 in the House. Budzinski’s religious affiliation is Christian, Shelly said.
Major individual contributors to the Budzinski campaign in the last quarter include Andrea Soros, daughter of liberal American businessman George Soros, $3,300; and Jennifer & Jonathan Soros, each of whom donated $3,300. She also got $3,300 each from Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss — also known as the Winklevoss twins — early investors in Facebook who were made famous in the 2010 film “The Social Network.” Both now oversee the Winklevoss Capital Management firm in New York.
Budzinski’s largest local contributors are Urbana attorney Ruth Wyman, $6,600, and Normand Paquin, associate director of the Coordinated Science Laboratory at the University of Illinois, $5,300.
Meanwhile, her GOP opponent, Loyd, has received just $26,636 and has spent $21,197. His biggest donor in the last quarter was Dean White of St. Charles, chairman of Peerless Enterprises LLC, who contributed $1,875. Loyd also received $250 from former Champaign County Republican Chair Jim McGuire.
Harris-Pritzker connection
Those suggesting that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid is a case of political opportunism should review the record.
More than a year ago, in June 2023, the billionaire Illinois governor contributed $125,000 to the Harris Victory Fund and another $6,600 to the Harris for President campaign organization. He made no similar contributions to the Biden-Harris campaign committee in the last year, nor did he give to any other Democrats who had been suggested as possible replacements for Biden.
In 2020, though, Pritzker gave nearly $750,000 to three separate Biden campaign funds: $360,000 to the Biden Action Fund, $355,700 to the Biden Victory Fund and $5,600 to Biden for President.
Pritzker has directed most of his federal campaign contributions in the last year to Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate: $289,100 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; $43,200 to Bob Casey in Pennsylvania; $33,200 to Lisa Blunt Richardson in Delaware; $28,200 to Ruben Gallego in Arizona; $6,600 each to Jon Tester in Montana, Colin Allred in Texas and Sherrod Brown in Ohio; and $3,300 to Angela Alsobrooks in Maryland.
Tom Kacich’s column appears weekends in The News-Gazette. He can be reached at kacich@news-gazette.com.
