2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Sean Casten?
What they did in office.
Sitting member of Congress · Sean Casten
In the U.S. House (IL-6) since 2019 · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
- Recorded yea or nay on 24 of the 24 key House floor votes captured in Hugin's snapshot
- 1 committee: Financial Services · 3 subcommittees
- 203 committees reported contributions to them this cycle · 2 committees reported outside spending for or against them
Linked to this filing by its exact FEC candidate ID (H8IL06139) in the congress-legislators roster of Oct 21, 2026. Votes are one key floor vote per bill on bills named in contractor lobbying reports (Oct 29, 2026); committee seats are the roster as of Oct 24, 2026; money counts are FEC reports for 2026 as of Oct 24, 2026. These are what Hugin's snapshots captured, not complete records, and none of them is a score or evidence of motive.
The money.
- Raised
- $2.5M
- Spent
- $2.2M
- Cash on hand
- $1.0M
- Debts
- $456K
- Individuals 62% $1.6M
- PACs & other committees 36% $896K
- Party committees <0.1% $33
- Other receipts 2% $59K
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026.
Outside groups: $12K supporting · $0 opposing
Biggest spenders supporting
Largest direct PAC contributions
- MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS $10K
- AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION PAC (BANKPAC) $10K
- MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (MORPAC) $10K
- AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E $10K
- UBS AMERICAS INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (UBS PAC) $10K
Who gave.
Who gives $1.6M from individuals
13% in small-dollar gifts
$209K 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 $1.1M of the $1.4M 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.
71% from Illinois · 29% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
75% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Illinois $817K
- Massachusetts $62K
- California $55K
- New York $40K
- District of Columbia $29K
- Florida $25K
- Maryland $14K
- New Jersey $9,750
Top employers named by donors
- CME GROUP $12K
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY $7,050
- UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO $5,203
- PIONEER PUBLIC AFFAIRS $3,500
- COLDWELL BANKER REALTY $2,500
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS $1,500
- ACCENTURE $1,300
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: $665K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $447K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 1, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (4,813 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: $12K for / $0 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 95% $11K
- Other or unclassified 5% $600
Largest late spenders for
Latest dissemination on these reports: February 19, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (3 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 $1.2M in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $1.2M 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 29% $356K
- Staff & payroll 15% $181K
- Fundraising & processing fees 11% $138K
- Polling, research & data 3% $34K
- Travel, meals & events 1% $13K
- Office, technology & overhead 24% $295K
- Legal & compliance 4% $46K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 0.8% $9,275
- Other or unclassified 11% $138K
Largest payees
- BREAK SOMETHING INC. $357K
- THE PIVOT GROUP, INC. $162K
- PNC VISA $124K
- CONRAD GROUP $90K
- NGP VAN $78K
Paid to individuals: $127K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 2, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (622 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.
- Niki ConfortiRepublican · $348K raised
- Joseph RuzevichDemocrat · $169K raised · $347 outside
- Skylar DuensingRepublican · $11K 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.