Candidates › State House

Paul Jacobs R

Republican candidate for State Representative District 118

June 28, 2022 primary: won with 6,137 votes (68.3%) · November 8, 2022 general: won with 22,613 votes (100%)

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

Also ran for State Representative in 2024 ($39,676 raised).

Worth a look

Worth a look Late reports

2 large contributions ($8,000) 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: $6,000 from Richard Uihlein, received 2021-10-01, reported 2022-01-18: 71 business days, 66 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 (2)

Name	Date	A-1 filed	Business days	Allowed	Amount
Richard Uihlein	2021-10-01	2022-01-18	71	5	$6,000
Illinois First - Chris Miller	2021-09-15	2021-09-27	8	5	$2,000

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

Context Missing details

3 payments ($10,500) 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 (3)

Name	Date	Amount
Advantage Inc	2022-06-21	$7,500
Winning Systems Inc	2021-07-01	$1,500
Winning Systems Inc	2021-07-26	$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

Context Missing details

5 of 14 donors giving over $500 listed with no employer or occupation

For anyone who gives more than $500 in a reporting period, a report must list their occupation and employer, or say the committee made a good-faith effort to find out. These list neither.

What to check

The committee may have filed an amendment adding them.
A retiree or someone not employed should still be listed as such.

The entries (5)

Name	Date	Amount
Elizabeth Uihlein	2021-10-27	$6,000
Sondra Gould	2022-05-05	$2,500
Gregory Parrish	2022-10-04	$2,000
Randy Meyers	2021-11-12	$1,550
Joseph Trobaugh	2022-05-20	$1,000

Rule: Donors with no employer or occupation

“if the contributor is an individual who contributed more than $500, the occupation and employer of the contributor or, if the occupation and employer of the contributor are unknown, a statement that the committee has made a good faith effort to ascertain this information”10 ILCS 5/9-11(a)(4) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how findings work

Context Context

56% of their itemized money came from party and caucus committees

$219,081.98 of $387,882.98 came from political party committees, which in the General Assembly mostly means the committees the four legislative leaders control. Party money has no limit in a general election; it's how the leaders fund the races they target.

What to check

Which committees: see the donors on their page.

Rule: Mostly party and caucus money

Context, not a rule. How findings work

Campaign money

$387,883raised, 161 itemized contributions, plus $15,336 in small ones

$0from the candidate (incl. loans)

$167,468spent

$26,847cash on hand on December 31, 2022; $9,136 in debts

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

13%11%16%56%

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

Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $167,468

Mail and literature$61,956

Other (as described)$42,569

Radio$24,955

Donations and sponsorships$10,491

TV and streaming ads$9,792

Fundraising and events$4,391

Staff pay$4,000

Office, printing and supplies$3,840

Consultants and field$3,100

Print ads and billboards$950

Largest payees: Ascent Media LLC $69,827 TV and streaming ads · Access to Media $13,630 Radio · House Republican Organization $11,650 Donations and sponsorships · River Radio WJPF $10,560 Radio · Travis Akin $10,195 Staff pay · Winning Systems Inc $9,750 Consultants and field · Advantage Inc $7,500 Other (as described) · Illinois Board of Elections $3,001 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
House Republican Organization Springfield	Business or group	$129,598.27
Illinois Republican Party Chicago	Business or group	$89,483.71
Illinois Optometric Association PAC Springfield	Business or group	$26,250
Realtor Political Action Committee Springfield	Business or group	$14,500
Richard Uihlein Management · Uline · Lake Forest	Person	$9,500
Hal Pearlman Retired · Unemployed/Retired · Carbondale	Person	$6,500
Pine Manor LLC Carbondale	Business or group	$6,000
Elizabeth Uihlein Lake Forest	Person	$6,000
AMEREN ILLINOIS ST LOUIS	Business or group	$5,000
Daniel Caulkins politician · State of Illinois · Decatur	Person	$5,000
Committee to Elect Dan Caulkins Decatur	Business or group	$5,000
Illinois State Medical Society Political Action Committee Chicago	Business or group	$4,000
James Lawder Lawyer/Retired · Wolff and Jones · Murphysboro	Person	$4,000
Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois Springfield	Business or group	$3,000
Down State GOP Fithian	Business or group	$3,000

Committee: Committee to Elect Dr Paul Jacobs (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

$957spent supporting them

$0spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR primary · 2022-06-10	for	$819
Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR general · 2022-07-26 – 2022-10-26	for	$138

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.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
House Republican Organization Party or caucus committee · Springfield	$129,598	4
Illinois Republican Party Party or caucus committee · Chicago	$89,484	49
Illinois Optometric Association PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$26,250	87
Realtor Political Action Committee Group or PAC · Springfield	$14,500	134
Richard Uihlein Owner, Uline · Lake Forest	$9,500	13
Elizabeth Uihlein CEO, Uline · Lake Forest	$6,000	3
Ameren Illinois Business · St. Louis	$5,000	96
Committee to Elect Dan Caulkins Candidate or officeholder committee · Decatur	$5,000	9
Daniel Caulkins State Rep, State Rep · Decatur	$5,000	6
Illinois State Medical Society PAC Group or PAC · Chicago	$4,000	113
Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois Group or PAC · Springfield	$3,000	16
Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, LLC Business · Miramar	$2,500	89
Illinois Optometric Association Group or PAC · Springfield	$2,500	42
Citizens for Michael T Marron Candidate or officeholder committee · Fithian	$2,500	3
Illinois Hospital Association Group or PAC · Springfield	$2,500	11