From the Quincy Herald-Whig

Politicians talk frugality but spend big in key races this fall

Thursday, October 28, 2004
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Less than a week before Election Day, a state Supreme Court race in southern Illinois is on pace to become the state's and possibly the nation's most expensive yet and several legislative races are threatening state spending records.
In the state Senate's 47th District, Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, and Republican challenger Tom Ernst of Quincy have both received more than $300,000 during the past three weeks. The two have topped $1.3 million in cash collected overall.
Ernst said some of that money will go toward final advertising campaigns that try to capture the key points of a six-month political race. But he also plans to get out and meet votes face to face because "some of them are so completely upset with political advertisements" that he isn't sure advertisements are very effective.
Sullivan also plans to "hit as many meetings and dinners and events as I can and get out there among the people." But he says the final campaign ad barrage will be targeted at any undecided voters.
Media campaigns are an expensive part of politics that both Sullivan and Ernst say probably gets too much attention.
Campaign finance reports filed with the state also show party leaders in Illinois are taking more control of campaign contributions, raking in a greater share of the money and doling it out to candidates whose wins would bolster their power in the state Capitol.
While candidates and interest groups say it's a necessary part of elections, a campaign finance watchdog group says the concentration of money and power is a troubling trend.
"The fund-raising operations seem to be more centralized than ever before," said Cindi Canary, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.
Candidates aren't required to detail all their campaign spending until well after the election, but reports filed since July 1 reveal a significant money trail so far.
In the 47th Senate race most of Sullivan's money has come from the Democrat campaign coffers controlled by Senate President Emil Jones and others. Most of Ernst's money comes from the Senate Republican fund controlled by Minority Leader Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville.
The Fifth District Supreme Court race between Democrat Gordon Maag and Republican Lloyd Karmeier has drawn much of the attention and money. The two have raised more than $6.5 million, and if all of that is spent, they could easily eclipse state and national records, Canary said.
In the House, two races where Republicans could take seats from Democrats have topped $1 million and two others will likely eclipse that before the election.
Herald-Whig Senior Writer Doug Wilson contributed to this story.