2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Robert James Peters?
The money.
- Raised
- $1.3M
- Spent
- $1.3M
- Cash on hand
- $1,425
- Individuals 91% $1.2M
- PACs & other committees 9% $114K
- Party committees 0.2% $2,500
- Other receipts 0.2% $3,097
Campaign totals through Sep 30, 2026.
Outside groups: $463K supporting · $817K opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
Biggest spenders opposing
- FAIRSHAKE $817K
Largest direct PAC contributions
Who gave.
Who gives $1.2M from individuals
54% in small-dollar gifts
$656K of $1.2M came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
Adding itemized gifts from donors whose itemized total is $200 or less, about 56%. Many small gifts sent through ActBlue or WinRed are itemized anyway, so the first figure runs low; this estimate groups donors by name and ZIP code as filed and counts only itemized gifts already in the FEC bulk file.
61% from Illinois · 39% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
94% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Illinois $310K
- California $65K
- New York $25K
- Texas $19K
- District of Columbia $9,600
- Florida $9,589
- Massachusetts $7,565
- Pennsylvania $7,408
Top employers named by donors
- STATE OF ILLINOIS $6,000
- UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO $5,710
- JCUA $2,712
- CITY OF CHICAGO $2,500
- UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS $1,796
- LOEVY & LOEVY $1,750
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: $241K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $247K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Sep 30, 2026. Itemized gifts dated May 7, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026, net of refunds (1,683 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: $463K for / $817K 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
- TV, radio & streaming TV 16% $200K
- Digital ads 12% $153K
- Ads, medium not stated 58% $739K
- Mail, print & signs 13% $164K
- Phones & texts 0.2% $2,500
- Ad production 2% $24K
Largest late spenders for
Largest late spenders against
- FAIRSHAKE $817K
Latest dissemination on these reports: March 14, 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 $1.3M in itemized spending
- Advertising & outreach 22% $281K
- Consultants & strategy 8% $105K
- Staff & payroll 15% $188K
- Fundraising & processing fees 12% $153K
- Polling, research & data 3% $40K
- Travel, meals & events 1% $12K
- Office, technology & overhead 34% $428K
- Legal & compliance 5% $65K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds <0.1% $250
- Other or unclassified 0.1% $1,129
Largest payees
- GRASSROOTS ANALYTICS, INC. $439K
- AGENCY $219K
- GUSTO $188K
- ADELSTEIN & ASSOCIATES LLC $82K
- JKCS $63K
Paid to individuals: $24K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated May 13, 2025 to Jun 29, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (332 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.
- Donna MillerDemocrat · $2.7M raised · $4.5M outside
- Robin KellyDemocrat · $456K raised
- Jesse L. Jackson Jr.Democrat · $366K raised · $1.4M outside
- Willie Junior PrestonDemocrat · $146K raised
- Yumeka S BrownDemocrat · $118K raised
- Adal RegisDemocrat · $71K raised
- Eric FranceDemocrat · $22K raised
- Patrick John KeatingDemocrat · $15K raised
- Calvin ColemanRepublican · $7,994 raised
- Jeremy YoungDemocrat · $4,370 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.