Prized GOP Recruit Stumbles Coming Out Of Gate

Tim Baldermann, mayor of New Lenox, Ill., and the GOP candidate to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), has made some missteps so far in his bid for a House seat.

Baldermann doesn't like raising money, it appears, and in his race against the Democratic candidate, State Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, he's clearly going to need a lot of it. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted this seat, and Halvorson will be a strong candidate to switch it to the Blue column. The Evans-Novak Political Report, not known as always favorable to Democrats, rates this seat as "Leans Democratic Takeover."

As of Dec. 31, Halvorson had raised $427,000 and had $392,000 cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission disclosure reports. Baldermann reported to the FEC on Jan. 24 that he had raised slightly more than $103,000 and had just over $50K in cash in the bank.

A big chunck of Baldermann's money so far has come from House Republicans — Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio), Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.), Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.), and Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.) and John Shimkus (Ill.) — gave nearly $25,000 to his campaign from their leadership PACs or own campaigns, roughly one-quarter of what Baldermann has raised so far. Baldermann claimed "the Republican Party wanted me to run; the Republican Party should help fund my campaign."

Democrats have vetted the rest of Baldermann's donors and found some questionable contributors, particularly Allison Davis, a Chicago developer who was a partner with Tony Rezko, who has been indicted in bribery charges. Yes, that Tony Rezko of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) fame. Davis contributed $500 to Baldermann's campaign on Nov. 14.

 
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