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Harry Benton D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Representative District 97

March 19, 2024 primary: won with 4,124 votes (100%) · November 5, 2024 general: won with 27,540 votes (100%)

🔓 Contribution limits are off in their race (limits off for race).

Also ran for State Representative in 2026 ($145,194 raised), 2022 ($1.7M raised).

Worth a look

Worth a look Contribution limits

1 source gave more than the contribution limit ($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: IBEW Illinois PAC gave $69,000 in the primary cycle, against a limit of $68,500 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
IBEW Illinois PACa PAC or candidate committeeprimary4$69,000$68,500$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

Campaign money

$2,402,818raised, 333 itemized contributions, plus $12,276 in small ones
$0from the candidate (incl. loans)
$1,540,980spent
$237,444cash on hand on December 31, 2024
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: $1,540,980

TV and streaming ads$1,134,379
Contributions to other committees$207,925
Other (as described)$93,148
Polling$39,500
Consultants and field$31,001
Office, printing and supplies$13,653
Travel and meals$12,065
Donations and sponsorships$5,290
Digital and online$3,020
Refunds$1,000

Largest payees: Buying Time, LLC $1,134,379 TV and streaming ads · Democratic Party of Illinois $200,600 Contributions to other committees · Tulchin Research $73,515 Polling · GKS Strategies LLC $20,000 Consultants and field · Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, Inc. $11,001 Consultants and field · Joshua Walsh $10,250 Other (as described) · Kwas Media Group $7,000 Other (as described) · Breaker Press $6,285 Office, printing and supplies

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$1,062,000
Democrats for the Illinois House
Westchester
Business or group$345,918.57
Democratic Party of Illinois
Chicago
Business or group$271,403.78
IBEW Illinois PAC
Washington
Business or group$72,000
IPACE
Springfield
Committee$70,000
Carpentry Advancement PAC Fund
Chicago
Committee$69,500
UFCW International Union
Washington
Business or group$53,500
LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC
Burr Ridge
Committee$30,000
Personal PAC
Chicago
Business or group$27,911.82
AFT Local 604 COPE II
Crest Hill
Committee$25,000
Illinois Farm Bureau Activator Politcal Involvement Fund
Bloomington
Business or group$20,904.52
Ironworkers Local 395 IPAL
Portage
Business or group$20,000
Illinois AFL-CIO
Springfield
Business or group$12,275
Smart Local 265
Carol Stream
Committee$12,000
AFSCME
Washington
Business or group$10,000

Committee: Friends to Elect Harry Benton (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

$22spent supporting them
$0spent opposing them
SpenderAmount
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR
general · 2024-10-16
for$22

Independent expenditures reported by other committees since January 1, 2023. The candidate doesn't control them.

Their home

$500,000 – $600,000estimated market value, 2026 assessment
$340,200median home value in Will County (Illinois: $280,700)

The Will County assessor's estimate of the market value of the home at the address Harry Benton filed with the State Board of Elections, shown as a range; the address isn't published here. Assessments trail the market and can be appealed, so treat it as a rough figure. How this works. Medians: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2024 state candidates.

DonorTo themCandidates fundedBy party
Democrats for the Illinois House
Candidate or officeholder committee · Westchester
$1,407,91959
Democratic Party of Illinois
Party or caucus committee · Chicago
$271,40452
IBEW Illinois PAC
Labor union · Washington
$74,00066
IPACE
Group or PAC · Springfield
$70,00030
Carpentry Advancement Political Action Committee Fund
Group or PAC · Chicago
$69,50065
LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC
Labor union · Burr Ridge
$30,00071
Personal PAC
Group or PAC · Chicago
$27,91232
AFT Local 604 COPE II
Labor union · Crest Hill
$25,00011
Illinois AFL-CIO
Labor union · Springfield
$13,27542
Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC
Labor union · Countryside
$12,94219
SMART Local 265
Labor union · Carol Stream
$12,00014
Local 444 IPAL Fund Ironworkers Local 444
Labor union · Joliet
$11,9905
Disparti Law Group
Business · Holiday
$10,0002
Friends for Larry Walsh Jr
Group or PAC · Elwood
$10,0004
AFSCME
Labor union · Washington
$10,00074