Candidates › State Senate

Ann Gillespie D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Senator District 27

June 28, 2022 primary: won with 15,228 votes (100%) · November 8, 2022 general: won with 40,774 votes (100%)

Worth a look

Context How the money was spent

$6,548.92 in payments described as a vehicle purchase, lease or payment

The Election Code bars campaign money for club and gym dues, clothing, vehicles not used mainly for the campaign, and tuition, each with exceptions. These payments' descriptions name one of those.

What to check

Club: renting a club for a specific campaign event is allowed; dues aren't.
Clothing: costumes or items worn to advertise the campaign are allowed.
Vehicle: allowed when used primarily for the campaign or government duties.
Tuition: allowed for education directly tied to the official's duties.

The entries (3)

Name	Kind	Purpose (as reported)	Date	Amount
Golf Mill Ford	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	car lease downpayment	2022-10-25	$5,010
Ford Motor Chicago	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	car lease	2022-11-18	$770
Ford Motor Chicago	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	car lease	2022-12-20	$770

Rule: Car leases and other restricted spending

“For membership or club dues charged by organizations, clubs, or facilities that are primarily engaged in providing health, exercise, or recreational services”10 ILCS 5/9-8.10(a)(7) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Context Late reports

1 contribution of $1,000 or more ($1,000) with no A-1 found

Each contribution of $1,000 or more must be reported on an A-1 within days of receipt, ahead of the quarterly report. These appear on a quarterly report, but no A-1 entry from the same contributor for the same amount within a week of the date was found. The largest: $1,000 from Teamsters Volunteers in Politics on 2021-07-26.

What to check

The A-1 may list the contributor under another spelling or a different amount (a split check).
A contribution received and returned within the same period needn't be reported on an A-1.
Search the committee's A-1 filings on the State Board of Elections' site to confirm.

The entries (1)

Name	Reported on	Date	Amount
Teamsters Volunteers in Politics	Quarterly	2021-07-26	$1,000

Rule: Large contributions with no A-1 found

“A political committee shall file a report of any contribution of $1,000 or more electronically with the Board within 5 business days after receipt of the contribution”10 ILCS 5/9-10(c) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Context Late reports

1 quarterly report filed late (up to 3 days)

Quarterly reports are due by the 15th of the month after each quarter. The report for the quarter ending 2022-03-31 was due 2022-04-15 and filed 2022-04-18.

What to check

A paper report postmarked 3 days before the deadline is on time; the Board records when it arrived.
The Board assesses fines for late reports and may waive them.

The entries (1)

Quarter ending	Due	Filed	Days late
2022-03-31	2022-04-15	2022-04-18	3

Rule: Quarterly reports filed late

“A political committee shall file quarterly reports no later than the 15th day of the month following each period.”10 ILCS 5/9-10(b) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Context Missing details

4 payments ($1,658.19) with no purpose given

Every itemized payment on a report must say what it was for. These leave it blank.

What to check

The committee may have amended the report to add the purposes.
Whether each payment is a reimbursement, pay for work, repayment of a loan the candidate made to the campaign, or something else.

The entries (4)

Name	Date	Amount
United States Treasury	2022-11-04	$658
Daniel Schnepf	2022-06-16	$500
Citizens for Maggie Trevor	2021-07-19	$250
Turing Strategies	2022-06-16	$250

Rule: Payments with no purpose given

“the full name and mailing address of each person to whom expenditures have been made by the committee or candidate within the reporting period in an aggregate amount or value in excess of $150; the amount, date, and purpose of each of those expenditures”10 ILCS 5/9-11(a)(12) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Campaign money

$939,062raised, 265 itemized contributions, plus $9,597 in small ones

$0from the candidate (incl. loans)

$801,378spent

$149,353cash on hand on December 31, 2022; $10,000 in debts

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

14%28%52%

IndividualsBusinessesTrade, professional and issue groupsLabor unionsParties and legislative caucusesOther candidates and officeholders

Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $801,378

Mail and literature$285,014

Digital and online$256,545

Other (as described)$77,588

Office, printing and supplies$74,893

Staff pay$45,567

Travel and meals$32,320

Contributions to other committees$16,496

Fundraising and events$9,794

Consultants and field$1,425

Postage and delivery$1,068

Largest payees: Widfire $285,437 Mail and literature · Adelstein & Associates $251,100 Digital and online · The Sexton Group $24,584 Office, printing and supplies · Javier Villareal $21,600 Staff pay · Chi-Town Printing, Inc. $17,608 Office, printing and supplies · Double Tree by Hilton $16,912 Travel and meals · Quinn Fisher $12,997 Staff pay · Ajara Yakoubou $12,856 Staff pay

Grouped by the purpose each payment lists (“direct mail”, “consulting”), so the groups are approximate; a consultant's payments to others (ads, mail) show under the consultant.

Top contributors	Type	Total
IBEW Illinois PAC Washington	Committee	$119,800
Liuna Chicago Laborer's District Council PAC Burr Ridge	Committee	$119,800
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Countryside	Committee	$65,900
Carpentry Advancement Political Action Committee Fund Chicago	Committee	$62,400
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Springfield	Committee	$62,400
ISDF Oak Park	Business or group	$49,942.24
AFSCME Washington	Committee	$32,500
SEIU Illinois Council PAC Chicago	Committee	$30,000
SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC Chicago	Committee	$29,000
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Westmont	Committee	$25,000
Illinois PAC for Education (IPACE) Springfield	Committee	$20,000
NW Suburban Teachers Union Schaumburg	Committee	$15,250
Citizens for Mark Walker Arlington Heights	Business or group	$13,855.37
Illinois Health Care Political Action Springfield	Committee	$11,000
Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC) Springfield	Committee	$10,000

Committee: Citizens for Ann Gillespie (every report they filed is on the State Board of Elections' site). Data current as of October 12, 2026.

Outside spending for and against them

$227spent supporting them

$0spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR general · 2022-10-11 – 2022-12-07	for	$227

Independent expenditures reported by other committees since January 1, 2021. The candidate doesn't control them.

Companies on the state register

Registered agent for (the person who receives legal papers; often a lawyer or accountant for a client, not an owner): CITIZENS FOR ANN GILLESPIE (dissolved).

From the Secretary of State's business records of October 13, 2026, matched by name and ZIP code against the address the State Board of Elections has for the candidate (or by name when the company itself gave to their campaign). Someone listed only at another address isn't found; search the Secretary of State's business entity search by file number for the full record.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2022 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC Labor union · Burr Ridge	$119,800	91
IBEW Illinois PAC Labor union · Washington	$119,800	63
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Labor union · Countryside	$68,400	126
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$62,400	28
Carpentry Advancement PAC Fund Group or PAC · Chicago	$62,400	73
ISDF Business · Oak Park	$49,942	20
SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC Labor union · Chicago	$33,000	87
AFSCME Labor union · Washington	$32,500	74
SEIU Illinois Council PAC Labor union · Chicago	$30,000	2
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Labor union · Westmont	$27,000	119
Illinois PAC for Education (IPACE) Group or PAC · Springfield	$20,000	15
NW Suburban Teachers Union Labor union · Schaumburg	$15,350	9
Citizens for Mark Walker Candidate or officeholder committee · Arlington Heights	$14,487	2
Illinois Health Care Political Action Group or PAC · Springfield	$11,000	8
Julie Morrison for State Senate Candidate or officeholder committee · Deerfield	$10,000	9