Candidates › State Senate

Omar Aquino D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Senator District 2

June 28, 2022 primary: won with 12,580 votes (75.6%) · November 8, 2022 general: won with 39,186 votes (100%)

Also ran for State Senator in 2026 ($381,213 raised).

Worth a look

Context How the money was spent

$25,197.61 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 (24)

Name	Kind	Purpose (as reported)	Date	Amount
Joe Rizza Ford	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-11-28	$12,500
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-01-11	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-02-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-03-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-04-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-05-10	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-06-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-07-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-08-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-09-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-10-12	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-11-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2021-12-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-01-10	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-02-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-03-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-04-11	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-05-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-06-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-07-11	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-08-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-09-09	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-10-11	$552
Cab West LLC	a vehicle purchase, lease or payment	Car lease	2022-11-09	$552

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 large contribution ($1,250) 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: $1,250 from Ulises Ruelas, received 2021-09-20, reported 2021-09-28: 6 business days, 1 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 (1)

Name	Date	A-1 filed	Business days	Allowed	Amount
Ulises Ruelas	2021-09-20	2021-09-28	6	5	$1,250

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

Context Late reports

1 contribution of $1,000 or more ($3,000) 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: $3,000 from Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association Political Action Committ on 2022-06-30.

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
Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association Political Action Committ	Quarterly	2022-06-30	$3,000

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

Campaign money

$811,142raised, 367 itemized contributions, plus $5,231 in small ones

$0from the candidate (incl. loans)

$658,641spent

$383,715cash on hand on December 31, 2022

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

21%45%28%

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

Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $658,641

Contributions to other committees$194,250

Other (as described)$188,593

Office, printing and supplies$103,699

Mail and literature$76,955

Staff pay$45,085

Donations and sponsorships$36,051

Fundraising and events$8,629

Travel and meals$3,276

Consultants and field$1,000

Legal, accounting and fees$721

Largest payees: Wildfire Contact $76,955 Mail and literature · 4053 W. Armitage LLC $60,000 Office, printing and supplies · Aquino for Illinois $59,900 Contributions to other committees · All for Justice $50,000 Contributions to other committees · Ivan Gonzalez $33,000 Staff pay · Community for Lori Torres Whitt $30,000 Contributions to other committees · Sweet Dreams Infant Care $28,691 Other (as described) · Ravisloe Country Club $21,130 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
LiUNA Chicago Laborers District Council Burr Ridge	Committee	$62,900
Carpentry Advancement PAC Chicago	Committee	$59,900
Realtor Political Action Committee Springfield	Committee	$56,000
Illinois PAC for Education (IPACE) Springfield	Committee	$40,000
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee Springfield	Committee	$31,000
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Springfield	Committee	$27,500
Stand For Children Illinois PAC Chicago	Committee	$25,000
Chicago Teachers Union Chicago	Committee	$21,500
SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC Chicago	Committee	$19,000
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Westmont	Committee	$18,000
Affordable Assisted Living Coalition Springfield	Committee	$15,000
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Countryside	Committee	$13,000
AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 PAC Springfield	Committee	$12,500
Clifford Law Offices Chicago	Business or group	$12,000
Tomasik Kotin & Kasserman LLC Chicago	Business or group	$12,000

Committee: Friends of Omar Aquino (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

$53,443spent supporting them

$0spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
Illinois REALTORS Fund primary · 2022-06-06 – 2022-06-20	for	$49,867
Personal PAC Independent Committee primary · 2022-06-02 – 2022-06-21	for	$3,508
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 home

$300,000 – $400,000estimated 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 Omar Aquino 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 2022 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
Liuna Chicago Laborers District Council Labor union · Burr Ridge	$62,900	20
Carpentry Advancement PAC Group or PAC · Chicago	$59,900	39
Realtor Political Action Committee Group or PAC · Springfield	$56,582	134
Illinois PAC for Education (IPACE) Group or PAC · Springfield	$40,000	15
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee Labor union · Springfield	$31,000	88
Illinois Pipe Trades PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$27,500	28
Stand for Children Illinois PAC Group or PAC · Chicago	$25,000	35
Chicago Teachers Union Labor union · Chicago	$23,000	9
SEIU Healthcare IL IN PAC Labor union · Chicago	$19,000	87
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Labor union · Westmont	$18,000	119
Affordable Assisted Living Coalition Group or PAC · Springfield	$15,000	8
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Labor union · Countryside	$13,000	126
AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 PAC Labor union · Springfield	$12,500	41
Clifford Law Offices Business · Chicago	$12,000	18
Tomasik Kotin & Kasserman LLC Group or PAC · Chicago	$12,000	23