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David Vella D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Representative District 68

June 28, 2022 primary: won with 4,979 votes (100%) · November 8, 2022 general: won with 17,563 votes (100%)

🔓 Contribution limits are off in their race (board determination).

Also ran for State Representative in 2026 ($472,439 raised), 2024 ($958,101 raised).

Worth a look

Worth a look Contribution limits

1 source gave more than the contribution limit ($3,500 over in all)

A candidate's committee may accept only so much from one source in an election cycle: in 2025–26, $7,300 from an individual, $14,600 from a corporation, union or association, and $72,800 from a PAC or another candidate's committee. The most over: Carpentry Advancement PAC Fund gave $63,400 in the primary cycle, against a limit of $59,900 for a PAC or candidate committee.

What to check
  • Excess returned to the source (or given to charity) within 30 days of the Board's notice isn't a violation; a refund the committee listed under another name or purpose isn't subtracted here.
  • Two different people with the same name and ZIP code would be added together.
  • Spouses are separate sources, as are a business and the person who owns it.
  • Whether a corporation's or union's own PAC gave instead (the PAC limit applies to it).
The entries (1)
NameKindCycleContributionsGivenLimitOver
Carpentry Advancement PAC Funda PAC or candidate committeeprimary4$63,400$59,900$3,500
Rule: Contributions over the limit
“During an election cycle, a candidate political committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the following: (i) $5,000 from any individual, (ii) $10,000 from any corporation, labor organization, or association, or (iii) $50,000 from a candidate political committee or political action committee.”10 ILCS 5/9-8.5(b) (adjusted for inflation each odd year, 9-8.5(g)) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Worth a look Late reports

6 large contributions ($8,250) reported on an A-1 after the deadline

A contribution of $1,000 or more must be reported to the State Board of Elections within 5 business days (2 in the last 30 days before an election the candidate is on the ballot for). The latest: $2,500 from Albany Care, Inc., received 2021-10-12, reported 2021-12-27: 50 business days, 45 past the deadline.

What to check
  • The receipt date is what the committee reported; a correction or a typo there changes the count.
  • A contribution received and returned within the same quarterly period needn't be reported on an A-1.
  • The Board decides on fines and can waive them (inadvertence, clerical error, days late).
The entries (6)
NameDateA-1 filedBusiness daysAllowedAmount
Albany Care, Inc.2021-10-122021-12-27505$2,500
Wilson Care, Inc.2021-10-122021-12-27505$1,500
Bryn Mawr Care, Inc.2021-10-122021-12-27505$1,250
Greenwood Care, Inc.2021-10-122021-12-27505$1,000
Decatur Manor Healthcare, LLC.2021-10-122021-12-27505$1,000
Andrew Vella2021-08-232021-09-07105$1,000
Rule: Large contributions reported late
“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, except that the report shall be filed within 2 business days after receipt if (i) the contribution is received 30 or fewer days before the date of an election”10 ILCS 5/9-10(c) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Campaign money

$2,704,669raised, 382 itemized contributions, plus $11,784 in small ones
$0from the candidate (incl. loans)
$1,971,882spent
$184,591cash on hand on December 31, 2022; $20,000 in debts
Where their money comes from (besides their own)

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

Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $1,971,882

TV and streaming ads$1,541,587
Staff pay$115,051
Other (as described)$103,734
Polling$62,515
Office, printing and supplies$54,758
Consultants and field$31,400
Contributions to other committees$18,750
Donations and sponsorships$13,075
Postage and delivery$11,622
Fundraising and events$6,527

Largest payees: Buying Time, LLC. $1,541,587 TV and streaming ads · Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, Inc. $72,800 Other (as described) · Tulchin Research $52,515 Polling · Leticia Robles $25,830 Staff pay · Minuteman Press $24,579 Postage and delivery · Anthony Street $23,500 Staff pay · Donovan Strategies, Inc. $22,000 Legal, accounting and fees · Kamilla Nagy $18,250 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 contributorsTypeTotal
Democrats for the Illinois House
Westchester
Committee$647,000
Democrats for the Illinois House
Westchester
Business or group$398,938.41
Democratic Party of Illinois
Chicago
Business or group$147,915.74
Carpentry Advancement PAC Fund
Chicago
Committee$123,300
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC
Countryside
Committee$119,800
LIUNA Chicago Laborers District Council PAC
Burr Ridge
Committee$119,800
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee
Springfield
Committee$89,900
IPACE
Springfield
Committee$70,000
Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 23 PAC
Rockford
Committee$65,000
IBEW Local 364 Political Action Fund
Rockford
Committee$60,000
North Central Illinois Laborers' District Council PAC
Peoria
Committee$60,000
Friends of Fran Hurley
Chicago
Committee$59,900
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Account
Springfield
Committee$59,900
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
Washington
Committee$59,900
SEIU Illinois Council PAC Fund
Chicago
Committee$50,000

Committee: Friends of Dave Vella (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

$61,855spent supporting them
$0spent opposing them
SpenderAmount
Illinois REALTORS Fund
general · 2022-10-17 – 2022-11-21
for$61,787
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR
general · 2022-10-26
for$69

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

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2022 state candidates.

DonorTo themCandidates fundedBy party
Democrats for the Illinois House
Candidate or officeholder committee · Westchester
$1,045,93858
Democratic Party of Illinois
Party or caucus committee · Chicago
$147,91673
Carpentry Advancement PAC Fund
Group or PAC · Chicago
$123,30073
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC
Labor union · Countryside
$119,800126
LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC
Labor union · Burr Ridge
$119,80091
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee
Labor union · Springfield
$89,90088
IPACE
Group or PAC · Springfield
$70,00038
Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 23 PAC
Labor union · Rockford
$65,0008
IBEW Local 364 Political Action Fund
Labor union · Rockford
$60,0009
North Central Illinois Laborers' District Council PAC
Labor union · Peoria
$60,00011
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC
Labor union · Washington
$59,9008
Friends of Fran Hurley
Candidate or officeholder committee · Chicago
$59,9004
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Account
Group or PAC · Springfield
$59,90028
SEIU Illinois Council PAC Fund
Labor union · Chicago
$50,00029
Realtor Political Action Committee
Group or PAC · Springfield
$44,500134