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Illinois State Senate Candidate Michael Bond

DEMOCRAT UP IN MONEY RACE

Democratic state Senate candidate Michael Bond started the second half of the year with about $48,000 in his political war chest – more than five times what his Republican opponent saved, new records show.

Although Republican Suzanne Simpson’s campaign committee started July with about $9,000 in the bank, she actually collected nearly triple what Bond did during the first six months of 2006. Much of that cash went to her successful primary fight against veteran incumbent state Sen. Adeline Geo-Karis, however.

Bond ran unopposed in his party’s primary for the 31st District seat. He feels “pretty good” about his campaigns financial health. With three months to go before Election Day, Simpson isn’t concerned about being behind financially. “I know that I will have the wherewithal to be competitive in this race,” said Simpson, of the Grayslake area. “My campaign will raise whatever is necessary to do the job.”

Bond and Simpson will face off Nov. 7. The 31st District includes nearly all of northern Lake County. Bond works at Allstate Insurance Co. and serves on the Woodland Elementary District 50 school board. Simpson is Warren Township supervisor and a former state representative.

Both filed disclosure forms with the Illinois State Board of Elections in July, as did Geo-Karis. The reports cover donations and purchases made between jan.1 and June 30. The Michael Bond for Senate committee started the year with more than $65,000 in the bank. It collected more than $34,000 in donations, transfers from political groups and loans, documents show. Donors included the campaign committees for Democratic state Sens. Terry Link of Waukegan, Susan Garrett of Lake Forest and Kwame Raoul of Chicago.

During the same six-month period, Bond spent more than $51,000 on consulting, rent, postage and other expenses. Bond said his campaign team is finalizing a strategy for the rest of the campaign; one he said could include television advertising. Such ads require significant capital, Bond acknowledged. We know it costs money to win elections and we want to win, Bond said.

The Simpson for Senate committee started 2006 with more than $36,000. It raised nearly $103,000 and spent about $130,000 from January through June. Much of Simpson’s financial support came from GOP lawmakers such as state senator and congressional candidate Peter Roskam of Wheaton, state Sen. Steven Raushenberger of Elgin and state Sen. William Peterson of Long Grove. Peterson was Simpson’s biggest backer. His political committee donated more than $30,000 during the first half of the year and funded voter research, records show. Simpson expects continued support from GOP leaders. “They have a lot of confidence in Springfield that I’m going to win this race,” she said.

Either Bond or Simpson will succeed Geo-Karis, who has held the seat since 1979. The Re-elect Senator Geo-Karis committee raised more than $54,000 and spent about $97,000 during the first half of the year records show. Even with the roughly $40,000 the committee had in the bank on New Year’s Day, it started July nearly $3,200 in debt, records show.

Source : Daily Herald, August 2006


	© 2006, Michael Bond for Illinois State Senate