2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Jason Friedman?
The money.
- Raised
- $2.5M
- Spent
- $2.1M
- Cash on hand
- $386K
- Debts
- $500K
- Individuals 73% $1.8M
- PACs & other committees 0.4% $11K
- Candidate's own money & loans 26% $653K
- Other receipts <0.1% $451
Campaign totals through Feb 25, 2026.
Outside groups: $348K supporting · $61K opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
- STRONGER ILLINOIS PAC $348K
Biggest spenders opposing
Largest direct PAC contributions
- AMERICAN HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ('HOTELPAC') $2,500
- AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION PAC $2,500
- UNITED PILOTS PAC/UNITED AIRLINES MASTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL $2,500
- JERSEY VALUES PAC $2,500
- BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $1,000
Who gave.
Who gives $1.8M from individuals
0.7% in small-dollar gifts
$14K of $1.8M came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
85% from Illinois · 15% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
2% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Illinois $1.5M
- Florida $60K
- New York $48K
- California $35K
- New Jersey $23K
- Arizona $22K
- Texas $16K
- Colorado $7,000
Top employers named by donors
- LINDEN CAPITAL PARTNERS $25K
- KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP $18K
- BARTLIT BECK LLP $15K
- @PROPERTIES $14K
- GREENBERG TRAURIG LLP $11K
- CSG LAW $5,300
- CBRE $5,000
- CHIESA SHAHINIAN & GIANTOMASI PC $3,050
- WHITE & CASE LLP $2,750
Employers as donors wrote them on the form. A company listed here did not give this money; people who work there did.
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $530K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $1.1M, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Feb 25, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Apr 11, 2025 to Feb 25, 2026, net of refunds (835 entries). Every itemized contribution on FEC.gov ↗
From the principal campaign committee's FEC reports; joint-fundraising transfers and later reports are not included, and no donor is named here. A contribution is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Outside money in the final weeks.
Outside spending including late reports: $348K for / $61K against · $0 in the final two weeks
Source: FEC regular reports. The final two weeks run Oct 21, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026, by the date each ad or mailing went out.
What it bought, per the late reports
- Digital ads 12% $50K
- Ads, medium not stated 15% $60K
- Mail, print & signs 71% $289K
- Ad production 2% $9,938
Largest late spenders for
- STRONGER ILLINOIS PAC $348K
Largest late spenders against
Latest dissemination on these reports: March 16, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (15 entries). These reports on FEC.gov ↗
Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate and is not the candidate's money. Purposes are grouped from each spender's own description, so the groups are approximate. A dollar figure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Where it went.
Where the money went $2.1M in itemized spending
- Advertising & outreach 61% $1.3M
- Consultants & strategy 11% $234K
- Staff & payroll 12% $256K
- Fundraising & processing fees 4% $84K
- Polling, research & data 7% $139K
- Travel, meals & events 0.7% $15K
- Office, technology & overhead 2% $44K
- Legal & compliance 2% $46K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 0.1% $2,800
Largest payees
- ADELSTEIN & ASSOCIATES $750K
- THE STRATEGY GROUP, LLC $496K
- GUSTO, INC. $253K
- BLUE RAVEN CAMPAIGNS $114K
- GLOBAL STRATEGY GROUP, LLC $87K
Paid to individuals: $80K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Feb 10, 2025 to Feb 25, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (526 entries). Every payment on FEC.gov ↗
Grouped by each campaign's own description of the payment, so the groups are approximate. Payments of $200 or less to one payee need not be itemized, detail filed only as memo entries counts under other or unclassified, and spending by the candidate's other committees or by outside groups is not included. A payment is not evidence of a favor or wrongdoing.
Others who filed for this seat.
- Thomas FisherDemocrat · $917K raised · $120K outside
- Melissa Conyears-ErvinDemocrat · $825K raised · $5.0M outside
- La Shawn K FordDemocrat · $819K raised · $2.5M outside
- Richard BoykinDemocrat · $454K raised
- Reed ShowalterDemocrat · $368K raised
- Anabel MendozaDemocrat · $294K raised
- Anthony Driver Jr.Democrat · $249K raised · $538K outside
- Rory E. HoskinsDemocrat · $214K raised
- Danny K. DavisDemocrat · $101K raised
- Chad KoppieRepublican · $60K raised
- Kina I CollinsDemocrat · $55K raised
- Jazmin J. RobinsonDemocrat · $21K raised
Questions worth asking.
Money shows who backed a campaign, not how a person will act. Compare it with what they did and said: their votes or official actions if they have held office, their own statements, and their answers to a finding. Use the same questions for every candidate.
FEC bulk data read November 4, 2026. Campaign totals come from each filing's own FEC summary through its latest processed report. Outside spending is independent expenditures itemized in committee reports in the FEC bulk files, primaries included; late 24- and 48-hour reports, party coordinated spending, communication costs and groups that do not report to the FEC are not included. Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate, and it is not the candidate's money. A contribution or expenditure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing. This page identifies the filing by its FEC candidate ID; a person can hold more than one filing.