Candidates › State House

James O'Brien D

Democratic candidate for State Representative District 13

March 17, 2026 primary: lost with 7,229 votes (27.1%)

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

Worth a look

Context Late reports

1 quarterly report filed late (up to 1 days)

Quarterly reports are due by the 15th of the month after each quarter. The report for the quarter ending 2026-06-30 was due 2026-07-15 and filed 2026-07-16.

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
2026-06-30	2026-07-15	2026-07-16	1

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

1 payment ($1,500) 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 (1)

Name	Date	Amount
GTO Strategies	2025-11-20	$1,500

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

$141,368raised, 183 itemized contributions, plus $19,403 in small ones

$65,960from the candidate (incl. loans)

$220,717spent

$203cash on hand on June 30, 2026; $70,000 in debts

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

61%14%11%

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

Plus $960 of their own money and from their other committees. Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $220,717

Postage and delivery$46,731

Digital and online$43,089

Mail and literature$42,491

Staff pay$32,823

Office, printing and supplies$12,917

Polling$11,657

Other (as described)$11,286

Consultants and field$10,500

Fundraising and events$3,572

Legal, accounting and fees$3,501

Largest payees: USPS $46,884 Postage and delivery · First Tuesday Political Consultancy $42,491 Mail and literature · QUWA LLC $39,404 Digital and online · GTO Strategies $20,478 Digital and online · LD Productions & Consulting, LLC $17,000 Staff pay · Andrew Milroy $15,000 Staff pay · Chi-Town Printing Inc. $12,917 Office, printing and supplies · Flywire Global $6,567 Other (as described)

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
Michael O'Brien Attorney · Sheppard Mullin · Winnetka	Person	$13,625
Cheryl O'Brien Attorney · Self-Employed · Winnetka	Person	$10,875
I.P.A.C.E. Springfield	Committee	$10,000
I.P.A.C.E. Springfield	Business or group	$10,000
First Tuesday Political Consultancy Chicago	Business or group	$8,760
Jean Dolan None · None · Evanston	Person	$7,300
47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization Chicago	Committee	$5,250
Carolyn Driscoll Senior Living · The Carrington at Lincolnwood · Chicago	Person	$4,100
Friends of Larry Walsh Jr. Elwood	Committee	$3,500
Jim Byrne Real Estate Development · Self-Employed · Chicago	Person	$3,250
Mary Jean Dolan Lawyer · Ancel Glink · Hinsdale	Person	$3,000
Ironworkers Local 63 Westchester	Committee	$3,000
Illinois Association of School Administrators PAC Springfield	Committee	$2,500
Daniel Levine Not Employed · Not Employed · Wilmette	Person	$2,500
Jerry O'Connor Retired · Retired · Chicago	Person	$2,500

Committee: Friends of James O'Brien (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

$34,400spent supporting them

$0spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
Illinois REALTORS Fund primary · 2026-03-03	for	$34,400

Independent expenditures reported by other committees since January 1, 2025. The candidate doesn't control them.

Their home

$400,000 – $500,000estimated market value, 2026 assessment

$335,800median home value in Cook County (Illinois: $280,700)

The Cook County assessor's estimate of the market value of the home at the address James O'Brien 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 2026 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
I.P.A.C.E. Group or PAC · Springfield	$20,000	52
47th Ward Regular Democratic Organization Party or caucus committee · Chicago	$5,250	4
Ironworkers Local 63 Labor union · Westchester	$3,000	2
Illinois Association of School Administrators PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$2,500	5
Friends of Natalie Manley Candidate or officeholder committee · Joliet	$2,000	5
Jack Wuest Administrator, Alternative Schools Network · Chicago	$1,500	20
Friends of Robert Martwick Candidate or officeholder committee · Chicago	$1,000	3
Friends of Rita Mayfield Candidate or officeholder committee · Waukegan	$1,000	3
Chris Stone President, CapStone Consulting · Springfield	$1,000	6
Eileen Dordek LCSW, Self · Chicago	$1,000	7
Friends of Michelle Mussman Candidate or officeholder committee · Schaumburg	$1,000	5
Barbara Currie Chicago	$750	2
Debra Shore Evanston	$500	6
Ben Lazare Lobbyist, Ben Lazare Consulting, Inc · Chicago	$500	4
Dave Sullivan Government Affairs, Raucci & Sullivan Strategies · Park Ridge	$300	2