Rahm Emanuel Has Roughly $2 Million In Campaign Cash To Spend In Aldermanic Runoffs

Rahm Emanuel's fundraising machinery in the Chicago mayoral race was a force of nature. By the day before the election, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform reported that he had raised nearly $10 million in the for the race.

Emanuel had cash in his coffers in part to prepare for a potential run-off election, which would have prolonged the campaign six weeks. But, having won outright on Tuesday, he's now got a healthy campaign fund to push around as he sees fit.

An email message from the Emanuel camp sent this afternoon reported a ballpark figure for their leftover money:

In response to a request from many of you, I wanted to provide an estimate of cash-on-hand remaining in the campaign fund. It's only an estimate because we have subtracted what we know are the outstanding expenditures, but there could be something we are missing and the final report with all of the expenditures is not immediately due.

The estimate of cash-on-hand remaining is $2.1 million -- and again I caution you that the final number could be slightly different when all is said and done.

What will Emanuel do with all that money? Some of it is likely to be spent influencing the make-up of the City Council. Fourteen aldermanic races will go to runoffs on April 5, and Emanuel has openly said that he would be willing to back reform-minded candidates who sought his help.

The Chicago Tribune relayed a conversation with the mayor-elect in which he described the "scope and scale" of the assistance he might offer aldermanic candidates: "Some candidates may want to hold a town hall with him at their side. Others may solicit financial assistance, which he's prepared to offer if they want it."

Emanuel could use the funds to build alliances on the future Council, which he'll need to advance his ambitious agenda.

Comments

[Tim Moore]

10:03 PM on 02/27/2011

I suggest giving the 2 mil to Chicago charities. Because ordinary people are hurting, and 2 million goes a long way, as opposed to spending it on more polticking.

[kingbarry]

08:21 PM on 02/27/2011

The $$ came from all those $25 donations via the internet just like barak

[Hallywood]

08:53 AM on 02/27/2011

Now that is being honest, and as well being nice, EMANUEL!! 1st hit the 50th ward and help out Bernie STONE! OK OK, great job, i love that in you Rahm, always there to lend a helping hand!!! and you are still out here shaking hand"s to the people of Chicago, whom elected you!!! HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!!!!!

[leah32]

12:03 PM on 02/28/2011

Rahm is reportedly backing Debra Silverstein, not Bernie Stone.

[m1jones]

11:56 PM on 02/26/2011

It's nice to see a Democrat win in Chicago who can operate within the City's tried and true pattern of building an effective political machine. I don't agree with everything Rahm does, but I am so happy to see a Democrat who understands that you need money and power to get things done that I am glad to see Chicago elect him without a run-off.

I think the whole country is watching to see if Rahm can run Chicago well. $2 million doesn't go very far these days in political elections. I hope he gets a suportive City Council or whatever they call Alderpeople in the Windy City.

[k4329]

08:54 PM on 02/26/2011

He bought the election. It is much better every four years we should auction Mayor seat to highest bidder, and that money should go to schools.

[m1jones]

11:57 PM on 02/26/2011

It costs so much money to run any election that every candidate who wins buys the election. Get behind the guy and give him your support until he shows himself unworthy of it. He deserves all the help he can get.

[random100]

05:08 PM on 02/26/2011

HEY HUFFPOST WHY NO STORY ABOUT THE RALLY TO SUPPORT UNIONS IN CHICAGO? STATE OF ILLINOIS BUILDING WAS FULL.

[bitsy79]

08:14 PM on 02/26/2011

I was just going to post that too! It's outrageous! More than 1000 people demonstrated. Durbin was there. Hardly a peep from the media, including this one. Still giving Rahm that big wet kiss, I guess.

[m1jones]

11:58 PM on 02/26/2011

Good question. I am wondering how influential aa ohh ell is. This is a very important issue.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

04:50 PM on 02/26/2011

What's he going to do with all that %$#* money now that he's the &$#^ing mayor of %^$^ing Chi-town?

[Concerned in the 50th]

01:51 PM on 02/26/2011

Ballywood may be impressed with Stone but most are not because there is a runoff !

Voters in the 50th Ward need to do the math. The 37.2% of the vote that Stone was able to muster up really means that 62.8% of the voters thought he is worthless. Open your eyes and realize that his razor slim lead of 3.4% will evaporate quickly even if we have another low voting turnout.

Look closely and become conscious that during the interim, we do not have to accept the fact that dozens of illegally posted Stone campaign signs have been attached to public street lights, public property, abandoned buildings and businesses that have been forced to leave.

If you are as disgusted about this then do something about it. Start calling 311 and have the Department of Streets and Sanitation remove every last one of those signs. Level the playing field.

Shame on those that illegally posted campaign signs all over the ward.

Shame on those that arranged for that to happen.

Shame on those in the 50th that did not vote.

It's up to you to either accept another 4 years of this or take our best shot to End the Stone Age.

Call 311. Remove the signs. Get out and Vote in the runoff.

[Hallywood]

09:06 AM on 02/27/2011

I CAN ONLY SAY SHAME ON THE RESIDENTS ,WHO DID NOT GET OUT AND VOTE, AS WE KNOW BERNIE WON, BUT HE STILL NEEDS 50 OR 51 %, AND HE WILL GET IT, WE MUST NOT LET THE TRADITION, OF ALDERMAN BERNIE STONE, GO, NOT TO DISS HIS RUN-OFF ,MS, SILVERSTIEN, BUT WHAT DOES SUZY HOMEMAKER KNOW ABOUT POLITIC"S ANYWAY? SHE MAYBE A GREAT MOTHER AND A GREAT COOK BUT OTHER THAN THAT !! WELL WHAT CAN I SAY? I HAVE SEEN THE SIGN"S: AND ARE NOT ILLEGAL, AND IF A property is abandoned, who cares anyway? there will be no end of so called STONE AGED, HE LOOK"S AND FEELS GREAT!!! KEEP THE TRADITION IN THE 50th WARD, ELECT, BERNIE STONE HE STILL HAS PLENTY OF MILES AHEAD OF HIM!!!

[Concerned in the 50th]

11:00 AM on 03/02/2011

Campaign signs posted on on public utility poles or on the parkways owned by the city are illegal. This goes for any candidate not just Stone. Abandoned buildings are simply bad for any neighborhood but the 50th has got more than its fair share thanks to the tradition that you are so enamored with. April 5 is not far away and the people that do care about abandoned buildings and keeping the hood financially strong and attractive will be cleaning up the mess that the tradition is leaving behind.

[leah32]

12:06 PM on 02/28/2011

Rahm is reportedly supporting Debra Silverstein, not Bernie Stone. Hopefully it will help, but money and name recognition aren't everything when it comes to unseating a corrupt machine candidate who has been in office since '73.

[corwin]

10:00 AM on 02/26/2011

Thank you,Santa

[bernusdellus]

08:55 AM on 02/26/2011

Only in America are political struggles defined purely by how much money each candidate has. The land of the free was never less free than it is today.

[47th]

11:16 AM on 02/26/2011

Unfortunately, money always trumps Democracy.

[Hallywood]

08:17 AM on 02/26/2011

Also, BERNIE STONE, HAS AN OPEN DOOR POLICY IN WHICH I LOVE I WALKED RIGHT INTO HIS OFFICE YESTERDAY!!!, HE HAS HIS HEART IN IT , AND HE LOVE"S WHAT HE DOES, IT IS NOT JUST A PAYCHECK FOR BERNIE,PLEASE ALL IN 50 TH WARD VOTE YES TO KEEP ALDERMAN BERNIE STONE IN OFFICE!!!!! GET OUT AND VOTE BECAUSE YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT!!!

[leah32]

12:07 PM on 02/28/2011

If you support Rahm, support his candidate Debra Silverstein.

[Hallywood]

08:12 AM on 02/26/2011

Well, i would use some of that monies, to help Alderman Bernie Stone, he runs the 50th ward, to me he won, but we all know that he needs 50 or 51 % percent, Let us not break the TRADITION, of Alderman Stone, He did a great job with the blizzard of 2011, And also he has and is doing wonderful thing"s for West Rogers park, Bernie, has a lot in him as i saw him yesterday he looks great, If he want"s/need"s your help please do so ,I lived in West Rogers park, I always said one day i will move back that is a dream for me, but being a single mom , and trust me when i say it is hard, my oldest Daughter wants to move there, but i got into this building 11years ago, and with today economy, well you all know! Rahm, if Bernie need"s or want"s your help please do so!!! let me say again to all of you in the 50th ward please do not break the TRADITION, OF ALDERMAN BERNIE STONE,now remember the Mayor, of Rose mont, he was in office like for 30 yrs, he died in office, a few years back, but he loved his job.. may he rest in peace but he died doing what he loved, Being the Mayor, as so of Alderman STONE, he loves running the 50th ward let us not take that away from him , Remember , to vote for BERNIE

[leah32]

12:08 PM on 02/28/2011

Remember to vote for DEBRA SILVERSTEIN if you want to help the new mayor. Rahm backs Debra, not Bernie Stone.

[Lakeview Greg]

06:34 PM on 02/25/2011

He should give it to Ricketts so he can put some actual urinals in the men's rooms at Wrigley. That would be money well spent.

[Trickery]

08:13 PM on 02/25/2011

What happen to all that money the Ricketts made on last years horrible season with exceptional fan turnout with the cubs?