Candidates › State House

Justin Cochran D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Representative District 55

March 17, 2026 primary: won with 8,811 votes (100%) · November 3, 2026 general

Worth a look

Worth a look Missing details

4 payments ($3,455) with no purpose given, $3,455 of it to the candidate or family

Every itemized payment on a report must say what it was for. These leave it blank. Payments to the candidate or their family are allowed only as pay for work they did, so a payment to them with no purpose is worth asking about.

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	Who	Date	Amount
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2025-12-08	$1,000
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2025-12-26	$1,000
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2026-02-08	$955
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2026-01-04	$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

Context How the money was spent

$3,455 paid by the campaign to the candidate

Campaign money may go to a candidate or their family only as pay for work actually done; reimbursing campaign costs they paid out of pocket (mileage, travel, supplies) is common and allowed. The purposes the campaign wrote are listed with each payment.

What to check

Whether each payment is a reimbursement for campaign costs, or pay for work done.
Family is matched by last name and the home address on file with the Board; relatives elsewhere aren't found.

The entries (4)

Name	Who	Date	Amount
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2025-12-08	$1,000
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2025-12-26	$1,000
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2026-02-08	$955
Justin Cochran	the candidate	2026-01-04	$500

Rule: Mileage, reimbursements and pay to the candidate

“For payments to a public official or candidate or his or her family member unless for compensation for services actually rendered by that person.”10 ILCS 5/9-8.10(a)(11) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Campaign money

$328,901raised, 61 itemized contributions, plus $965 in small ones

$2,768from the candidate (incl. loans)

$8,784spent

$7,859cash on hand on June 30, 2026

$309,644 of it in 35 large contributions reported on A-1s since their last quarterly report (through June 30, 2026): $1,000 or more from one source must be reported within days, ahead of the next quarterly.

Democrats for the Illinois House $234,316 2026-10-02 · Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE $16,000 2026-09-22 · Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC $14,000 2026-10-07 · Northwest Suburban Teachers Union $10,000 2026-09-22 · Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC $6,446 2026-08-31 · I.P.A.C.E. $5,000 2026-08-24 · Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois PAC $2,500 2026-08-24 · Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Political Action Committee $2,500 2026-08-31 · Local 134 State & Municipal PAC $2,500 2026-08-31 · AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 Political Action Committee $2,000 2026-09-09

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

15%74%

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

Plus $2,768 of their own money and from their other committees. Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $8,784

Other (as described)$4,374

Travel and meals$1,589

Fundraising and events$1,584

Print ads and billboards$449

Donations and sponsorships$258

Staff pay$251

Office, printing and supplies$250

Digital and online$30

Largest payees: Justin Cochran $3,455 Other (as described) · Beacon Tap $1,527 Office, printing and supplies · Airbnb Inc. $1,309 Travel and meals · Best Buy $523 Digital and online · Journal & Topics $449 Print ads and billboards · Northfield Inn Suites and Conference Center $376 Travel and meals · Javier's Sabor Mexicano & Agave Bar $306 Fundraising and events · Trinity Lutheran Church $258 Donations and sponsorships

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
Democrats for the Illinois House Westchester	Business or group	$234,316.46
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Westmont	Committee	$16,000
Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC Des Plaines	Business or group	$14,000
Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Schaumburg	Committee	$10,250
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Countryside	Business or group	$6,446.29
I.P.A.C.E. Springfield	Committee	$5,000
Friends for Marty Moylan for State Representative Des Plaines	Committee	$3,250
Justin Cochran	Person	$2,767.87
Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois PAC Springfield	Committee	$2,500
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Political Action Committee Springfield	Committee	$2,500
Local 134 State & Municipal PAC Chicago	Committee	$2,500
AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 Political Action Committee Springfield	Committee	$2,000
Carpentr Advancement Committee PAC Fund Chicago	Committee	$2,000
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Countryside	Committee	$2,000
I.U.O.E. Local 399 Chicago	Committee	$2,000

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

Committees

Their seats in the current General Assembly, from ilga.gov. Compare with who funds them: their donors.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2026 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
Democrats for the Illinois House Candidate or officeholder committee · Westchester	$234,316	33
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Labor union · Westmont	$16,000	88
Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC Business · Des Plaines	$14,000	39
Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Labor union · Schaumburg	$10,250	7
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Labor union · Countryside	$8,446	115
I.P.A.C.E. Group or PAC · Springfield	$5,000	52
Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$2,500	69
Local 134 State & Municipal PAC Labor union · Chicago	$2,500	10
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$2,500	89
I.U.O.E. Local 399 Labor union · Chicago	$2,000	12
AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 PAC Labor union · Springfield	$2,000	37
UFCW Local 881 PAC Labor union · Des Plaines	$2,000	27
Daniel Didech Campaign Committee Group or PAC · Buffalo Grove	$1,428	13
Sean Tenner Consultant, KNI Communications · Chicago	$1,000	4
Carpentry Advancement PAC Group or PAC · Chicago	$1,000	36