Candidates › State Senate

Sally Owens R

Republican candidate for State Senator District 46

March 19, 2024 primary: won with 7,483 votes (100%) · November 5, 2024 general: lost with 39,168 votes (100%)

Worth a look

Context How the money was spent

$1,404.12 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	Purpose (as reported)	Date	Amount
Sally Owens	the candidate	Fund raising - food	2023-12-31	$571
Sally Owens	the candidate	Printing	2023-12-31	$555
Sally Owens	the candidate	Post office box	2023-12-31	$176
Sally Owens	the candidate	Website	2023-12-31	$102

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

Context Contribution limits

1 source gave more than the contribution limit ($100 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: Don Tracy gave $7,000 in the general cycle, against a limit of $6,900 for an individual.

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)

Name	Kind	Cycle	Contributions	Given	Limit	Over
Don Tracy	an individual	general	2	$7,000	$6,900	$100

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

Context Late reports

14 large contributions ($33,841.02) 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: $1,041.02 from Peoria Siding & Window Co, received 2024-05-26, reported 2024-06-05: 7 business days, 2 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 (14)

Name	Date	A-1 filed	Business days	Allowed	Amount
Peoria Siding & Window Co	2024-05-26	2024-06-05	7	5	$1,041
John Bearce Motorsports	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$5,000
Robert Fennell	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$2,600
Brian Hogan	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$2,500
James Kellock	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$1,000
Mike Miller Auto Park	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$2,500
Peoria Siding & Window Co	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$5,000
Camilla Rabjohns	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$2,500
Alan Rassi	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$1,100
Cynthia Shoff	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$1,100
Matthew Vonachen	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$1,000
Mary Yezek	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$1,000
Julia Lamb	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$2,500
Sally Owens	2023-12-19	2023-12-28	6	5	$5,000

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

Campaign money

$313,245raised, 177 itemized contributions, plus $9,691 in small ones

$7,398from the candidate (incl. loans)

$164,551spent

$395cash on hand on December 31, 2024

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

36%51%

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

Plus $7,398 of their own money and from their other committees. Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $164,551

TV and streaming ads$111,452

Office, printing and supplies$18,028

Other (as described)$13,678

Consultants and field$8,520

Mail and literature$5,500

Fundraising and events$4,423

Donations and sponsorships$1,649

Legal, accounting and fees$615

Postage and delivery$408

Digital and online$279

Largest payees: Validus $103,952 TV and streaming ads · Local Printing & Design $7,568 Office, printing and supplies · Brand Deliver $7,500 TV and streaming ads · Senate Republican Victory Fund $5,500 Mail and literature · Roosevelt Myles $5,000 Consultants and field · Luke Wolff $2,000 Consultants and field · Edge American Fusion $1,906 Fundraising and events · Andrew Sheehan $1,705 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
Illinois Republican Party Springfield	Business or group	$84,344.67
Senate Republican Victory Fund Springfield	Business or group	$67,834.48
LaHood for Congress Peoria	Business or group	$12,000
Brian Hogan Sales · Hogan Leasing · St Louis	Person	$9,400
Peoria Siding & Window Co Washington	Business or group	$7,541.02
Don Tracy Lawyer · Self Employed · Springfield	Person	$7,500
Sally Owens Retired · OSF · PEORIA HEIGHTS	Person	$7,398.43
Kristen Hogan Teacher · Retired · St Louis	Person	$6,900
Camilla Rabjohns Nurse · Retired · Peoria	Person	$6,000
John Bearce Principle · Bearce Automotive · Washington	Person	$5,000
Steve Jackson Principle · Prairie Home Alliance · Washington	Person	$5,000
John Bearce Motorsports Washington	Business or group	$5,000
Stephanie Kool Retired · Retired · Peoria Heights	Person	$5,000
Mike Miller Principle · Mike Miller Auto · Peoria Heights	Person	$5,000
Matthew Vonachen President · Vonachen Services · Peoria	Person	$3,500

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

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2024 state candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
Illinois Republican Party Party or caucus committee · Springfield	$84,345	23
Senate Republican Victory Fund Party or caucus committee · Springfield	$67,834	11
LaHood for Congress Candidate or officeholder committee · Peoria	$12,000	16
Don Tracy Retired, Retired · Springfield	$7,500	13
John Bearce Motorsports Business · Washington	$5,000	3
John Bearce Principle, Bearce Automotive · Washington	$5,000	2
Steve Jackson Owner, Prairie Home Alliance · Washington	$5,000	2
Matthew Vonachen President, Vonachen Services · Peoria	$3,500	2
Andrew Muir Owner, Muir Omni Graphics · Peoria	$3,000	3
Jil Tracy for State Senate Candidate or officeholder committee	$3,000	7
Julia Lamb VP, DCT · Decatur	$2,500	2
Richard Holson III Chairman, Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Co. · Lake Forest	$2,500	3
Peoria County Republican Central Committee Party or caucus committee · Peoria	$2,500	2
Friends of John Curran Candidate or officeholder committee	$2,000	4
Michael Cullinan Executive, United Contractors Midwest · Peoria	$1,000	4