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2026 candidate · follow the money

Who funds Melissa Luburich Bean?

Illinois U.S. House District 8DemocratFiled for an open seatFEC H6IL08329
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The money.

Melissa Luburich BeanFEC filing: Melissa Luburich Bean · H6IL08329 ↗
Raised
$2.4M
Spent
$2.2M
Cash on hand
$302K
Debts
$391K
  • Individuals 67% $1.6M
  • PACs & other committees 20% $478K
  • Candidate's own money & loans 13% $323K
  • Other receipts 0.4% $9,256

Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026. Excludes $14K moved between the candidate's own committees.

Outside groups: $5.5M supporting · $60K opposing ($10 of it designated for the general election)

Biggest spenders supporting

  1. ELECT CHICAGO WOMEN AKA ECWSuper PACSpent mainly in primaries $4.0M
  2. NEW DEMOCRAT MAJORITYSuper PACSpent mainly in primaries $935K
  3. PROTECT PROGRESSSuper PACSpent mainly in primaries $557K
  4. DMFI PACHybrid PAC (super PAC account)Spent mainly in primaries $381
  5. SIERRA CLUB INDEPENDENT ACTIONSuper PAC $10

Biggest spenders opposing

  1. JUSTICE DEMOCRATS PACHybrid PAC (super PAC account)Spent mainly in primaries $57K
  2. THE PEOPLE'S LOBBYFiler that is not a political committee $2,194
  3. PROGRESSIVE CHANGE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEEPAC with no sponsoring organization $650

Largest direct PAC contributions

  1. AMERICA'S CREDIT UNIONS PACTrade association PAC · America'S Credit Unions $10K
  2. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEMembership group PAC · National Association Of Realtors $10K
  3. THE COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEEMembership group PAC · Council Of Insurance Agents & Brokers $10K
  4. NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEETrade association PAC · National Beer Wholesalers Association $10K
  5. FEDERAL BIPARTISAN VOLUNTARY PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, INC. (PNCCorporate PAC · The Pnc Financial Services Group, Inc. $10K

Who gave.

Who gives $1.6M from individuals

2% in small-dollar gifts

$32K of $1.6M came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.

The itemized gifts below add up to $1.4M of the $1.6M the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026 for this campaign.

44% from Illinois · 56% from elsewhere

Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.

40% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.

Top states

  1. Illinois $629K
  2. California $147K
  3. New York $125K
  4. Florida $123K
  5. New Jersey $51K
  6. District of Columbia $47K
  7. Massachusetts $42K
  8. Maryland $39K

Top employers named by donors

  1. TIBER CREEK GROUP $8,500
  2. MESIROW $6,250
  3. SIMMONS HANLY CONROY $6,000
  4. MESIROW FINANCIAL $4,750
  5. GILL PORTS HOSTE LLC $1,500

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: $594K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $798K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.

Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Sep 10, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (1,027 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: $6.6M for / $191K against · $132K in the final two weeks

That is $1.3M more than the $5.5M in regular reports alone. Source: FEC regular reports plus 24- and 48-hour reports they do not yet cover. 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 19% $1.3M
  • Ads, medium not stated 72% $4.9M
  • Mail, print & signs 6% $421K
  • Phones & texts 2% $153K
  • Canvassing & field <0.1% $1,029
  • Ad production 0.9% $59K

Largest late spenders for

  1. ELECT CHICAGO WOMEN AKA ECW $4.0M
  2. THINK BIG $1.1M
  3. NEW DEMOCRAT MAJORITY $935K
  4. PROTECT PROGRESS $557K

Largest late spenders against

  1. LINCOLN LEGACY PAC $132K
  2. JUSTICE DEMOCRATS PAC $57K
  3. THE PEOPLE'S LOBBY $2,196

Latest dissemination on these reports: October 31, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (44 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 $1.9M in itemized spending

These itemized payments cover $1.9M of the $2.2M the campaign reported spending through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026.

  • Advertising & outreach 56% $1.0M
  • Consultants & strategy 6% $104K
  • Staff & payroll 21% $385K
  • Fundraising & processing fees 5% $98K
  • Polling, research & data 4% $81K
  • Travel, meals & events 3% $61K
  • Office, technology & overhead 2% $42K
  • Legal & compliance 2% $43K
  • Other or unclassified 0.1% $2,115

Largest payees

  1. AL MEDIA $554K
  2. MISSION CONTROL, INC. $434K
  3. GUSTO $346K
  4. NEW BLUE INTERACTIVE $53K
  5. NORMINGTON PETTS $52K

Paid to individuals: $34K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.

Payments dated Sep 1, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (445 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.

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.