The “Level” Playing Field
The fact that allowing megadonors to contribute without limit is considered 'leveling the playing field,' creating a playing field on which the vast majority of Chicago voters can't play any meaningful role, is a sad statement of how big money has been allowed to dominate our elections
William Kelly, a Chicago Mayoral candidate, announced yesterday that he had given his campaign a $100,000 contribution. On top of past contributions he has made to his campaign, Kelly is now considered a “self-funded candidate” by Illinois campaign finance law. Because of that, there are now no caps on the size of contributions any candidate for Chicago Mayor can take.
The fact that allowing megadonors to contribute without limit is considered ‘leveling the playing field,’ creating a playing field on which the vast majority of Chicago voters can’t play any meaningful role, is a sad statement of how big money has been allowed to dominate our elections. How many of us can play when it costs tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars just to step on to the field?
Along with a Governor’s race that is breaking spending records and Congressional campaigns that are receiving only 16% of their campaign funds from donors giving $200 or less, the case for changes to campaign finance law to empower small donors is clear. Illinois PIRG is advocating for small donor campaign finance solutions, similar to that which exists in New York City, and is proposed in the Government by the People Act, which has 160 co-sponsors in the US House.
Authors
Abe Scarr
State Director, Illinois PIRG; Energy and Utilities Program Director, PIRG
Abe Scarr is the director of Illinois PIRG and is the PIRG Energy and Utilities Program Director. He is a lead advocate in the Illinois Capitol and in the media for stronger consumer protections, utility accountability, and good government. In 2017, Abe led a coalition to pass legislation to implement automatic voter registration in Illinois, winning unanimous support in the Illinois General Assembly for the bill. He has co-authored multiple in-depth reports on Illinois utility policy and leads coalition campaigns to reform the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program. As PIRG's Energy and Utilities Program Director, Abe supports PIRG energy and utility campaigns across the country and leads the national Gas Stoves coalition. He also serves as a board member for the Consumer Federation of America. Abe lives in Chicago, where he enjoys biking, cooking and tending his garden.
