SPRINGFIELD | While voters struggle to come up with gas money and cash to pay for increasingly expensive food, dollars continue to flow into the campaigns of Illinois candidates for Congress.
Candidates on Tuesday had to report their fundraising activity over the last three months, and University of Illinois at Springfield political scientist Kent Redfield said tough economic times don't usually slow down donations to politicians.
Usually, he said, people giving to federal-level candidates aren't having a lot of money problems and can afford political donations.
"The level tends to be people who give at the high end, rather than the low end," Redfield said.
Republican Marty Ozinga, of Homer Glen, has brought in more than $800,000 in the opening months of his bid to succeed U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller in Illinois' 11th Congressional District.
Ozinga's campaign Tuesday tried to use the hefty sum to suggest Democrat Debbie Halvorson isn't doing so well.
"It looks like her momentum has kind of come to a halt," Ozinga campaign manager Andy Sere said.
Halvorson, a state lawmaker from Crete, raised about $405,000 in the first three months of the campaign and still has more cash on hand than Ozinga does. She had $916,636 as of July 1. He had about $650,000.
"People from across the political spectrum know she's an independent fighter and we are confident that we will have the resources we need get our message out," Halvorson campaign manager Brian Doory said.
Green Party candidate Jason Wallace, of Normal, is also in the race and had about $1,700 on hand at the end of the reporting period.
The 11th Congressional District stretches from Chicago's south suburbs to Bloomington-Normal.
In the race for retiring U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood's seat, Republican Aaron Schock, of Peoria, is looking forward to a fundraising visit from President Bush next week.
Schock raised about $401,000 in the last quarter and had about $363,000 on hand at the beginning of the month.
Democrat Colleen Callahan, of Kickapoo, has said she expects to have about $140,000 on hand when her reports are filed.
Callahan's specific numbers were unclear late Tuesday, as were Green Party candidate Sheldon Schafer's.
The 18th Congressional District includes all or parts of Logan, Tazewell, Woodford and Macon counties, as well as part of north Decatur.
In the Chicago area, Democrat U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. had $844,000 available for a campaign against Republican Anthony Williams, of Dolton. Williams' report wasn't immediately available.
Mike Riopell can be reached at mike.riopell@lee.net or (217) 789-0865.
