From The Daily Herald:

How candidates raised and spent campaign money
By Russell Lissau Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted on October 25, 2002
The candidates vying to represent Illinois' 51st House District have raised a lot of money for their campaigns from very different sources.

Democratic candidate Nancy Shepherdson, a freelance writer from Deer Park, has raised more than $22,000 in donations, loans and other contributions since she started fund-raising this summer, including at least $6,300 from labor unions across the state.

Republican candidate Ed Sullivan Jr., a Mundelein resident who serves as Fremont Township's supervisor, has raised more than $97,000 since last year, with many donations coming from Lake County residents and businesses. He also received sizeable donations from Motorola and the owners of an Illinois casino.

Shepherdson, 47, and Sullivan, 33, will face off Nov. 5 for the House seat, which carries a two-year term.

The 51st District will get new boundaries as a result of population changes recorded by the 2000 census. Starting in January, it will include parts of Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Deer Park, Grayslake, Green Oaks, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Long Grove, Mettawa, Mundelein, North Barrington, Round Lake Park, Vernon Hills, Wauconda, Waukegan and many unincorporated areas.

Candidates who have raised or spent more than $3,000 must regularly file campaign disclosure forms with the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Lake County clerk's office that list contributions and expenses and identify donors.

These documents can be viewed at the two offices and online at www.elections.state.il.us.

Shepherdson's campaign group, "Citizens for Shepherdson," started collecting money this past August, according to the reports.

Between Aug. 8 and Oct. 9 - the time period covered by the reports on file - the group received donations ranging from $250 to $1,000 from 11 union groups and union political-action committees, including Plumbers Union 93 in Waukegan, United Auto Workers Illinois in Des Plaines and a Libertyville branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Shepherdson also received cash from area residents and physical contributions such as a computer and telephones from SBC Ameritech, MCI Worldcom and her husband, Laurence Garascia Jr.

Additionally, Shepherdson loaned the committee $7,000, the reports said.

In all, the committee raised $24,282, according to the reports. No expenditures were listed.

The reports for Sullivan's campaign group, "Citizens for Sullivan," go back to July 2001.

The documents verify a $20,000 loan from his mother, Barbara Sullivan of Mundelein, cash donations from many area residents and contributions from organizations including Motorola, the Illinois Association of Health Plans and the Illinois Association of Mortgage Brokers.

Among the largest donations were a $2,500 gift from the Hollywood Casino in Aurora and a $4,000 donation from the National Republican Congressional Committee. Sullivan also received a $5,000 contribution from his father, Mundelein Trustee Ed Sullivan.

In all, Sullivan's committee has raised $97,298, according to the reports. An estimated $32,102 of that sum was spent between Jan. 1 and June 30 on hall rental for a fund-raiser, a newspaper advertisement, signs, printing costs and other campaign expenses, the documents indicated.

Sullivan also spent $210 between July 1 and Oct. 6 on his campaign, but the nature of the expenditures are not included in the reports.

Some of Sullivan's purchases were made before his March primary campaign against Mundelein Mayor Marilyn Sindles for the Republican nomination for the District 51 seat.

Shepherdson at first ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the Lake County board District 17 seat in the March primary, and she did not raise any money then. Shepherdson later withdrew her candidacy to seek the General Assembly post.