Researcher Notes Uncommon Support from Teacher Unions for Downstate Republicans
Unexpected Twist: Teacher Unions Fund Republican Candidates
In an unusual political shake-up, teacher unions are breaking from tradition, funneling substantial donations into the campaigns of selected Republican contenders for state legislative primaries. The spotlight shines on the intriguing contest for the 102nd Illinois House seat, where incumbent Adam Niemerg faces off against Jim Acklin, a race garnering national attention due to this rare phenomenon.
Acklin received $35,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and a significant $68,500 boost from the Illinois PAC for Education. His war chest now boasts a healthy $116,000, based on figures from Illinois Sunshine—a well-known campaign fund tracker.
Caught in a whirlwind of controversy, Niemerg has been vocal about his views, attributing the unions’ financial support for his opponent to calculated moves:
“They found somebody that will be their puppet candidate. Now they’re spending $400,000 spreading lies and misinformation about me to try and perpetuate their indoctrination of the kids in the classrooms. The people of southeast Illinois are fed up with it and they’re not going to stand for it,” Niemerg stated, his own political fund sitting at $121,840 in reserves.
Unions’ Partisanship Patterns Shift
Open Secrets data paints a stark contrast: Teacher unions’ political action committees have tipped the scales with over $4 million to Democrats and a mere $24,000 to Republicans nationwide for the 2021-2022 election cycle. According to Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy at Open Secrets, witnessing hefty contributions towards Republican primaries remains an outlier event.
“By and large they tend to support people who they think understand their causes,” Bryner explained. “It’s more common to see unions dive into Democratic primaries, as they often determine the eventual winner. Rarely do you see such support for Republicans.”
Wider Political Implications
The donations have crossed into other races as well. Matthew Hall, challenging Blaine Wilhour for the 110th Illinois House District, received similar backing, creating a ripple effect throughout the local political landscape.
However, the 102nd District holds a unique predicament with no candidates appearing on the ballot. Both Niemerg and Acklin are relying on write-in votes, and no Democrat has yet entered the ring. Niemerg quipped, “They could slate a Democrat in, but it wouldn’t matter. In my opinion, they’ve got one running against me in the primary already.”
Across town, another race heats up as the indefatigable Chicago Teachers Union aligns its support behind kindergarten teacher Graciela Guzman in the Illinois 20th Senate District race. Her campaign fund, Gente for Graciela Guzman, has swelled to $583,155, with Senator Bernie Sanders recently endorsing her candidacy.
Despite this, she faces a formidable opponent in Senate President Don Harmon, who has reportedly channeled over $1.5 million into incumbent state Sen. Natalie Toro’s campaign fund, swelling it to $2 million, with the bulk coming from the Illinois Senate Democrats Fund.
List of notable campaign fund figures:
- Jim Acklin: $116,000 cash on hand
- Adam Niemerg: $121,840 cash on hand
- Matthew Hall: $210,461 cash on hand
- Blaine Wilhour: $147,384 cash on hand
- Graciela Guzman: $583,155 cash on hand
- Natalie Toro: $2 million cash on hand
Attributing the prevalence of unopposed races to increased polarization and the steep cost of campaigning in Illinois, Alisa Kaplan of Reform for Illinois sheds light on the underlying trends fueling this unconventional support from teacher unions.
While attempts to reach Acklin and Hall for comments went unanswered, it’s clear that the upcoming primary wields an unprecedented dynamic—at least in terms of campaign funding—poised to stir the political pot.
Contributions by Greg Bishop.
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