Candidates › State House

Sue Scherer D

Incumbent, Democratic candidate for State Representative District 96

March 19, 2024 primary: won with 3,944 votes (100%) · November 5, 2024 general: won with 22,970 votes (100%)

Also ran for State Representative in 2026 ($166,498 raised), 2022 ($379,842 raised).

Worth a look

Worth a look Late reports

1 large contribution ($1,000) 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: $1,000 from Carpentry Advancement PAC, received 2024-08-07, reported 2024-08-24: 12 business days, 7 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
Carpentry Advancement PAC	2024-08-07	2024-08-24	12	5	$1,000

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 How the money was spent

$3,802.94 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 (1)

Name	Who	Purpose (as reported)	Date	Amount
Sue Scherer	the candidate	Storage	2024-11-26	$3,803

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

$222,011raised, 80 itemized contributions, plus $8,164 in small ones

$346from the candidate (incl. loans)

$214,493spent

$65,652cash on hand on December 31, 2024; $50,776 in debts

Where their money comes from (besides their own)

24%58%13%

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

Plus $346 of their own money and from their other committees. Compare with all state candidates →

How it was spent: $214,493

Other (as described)$62,307

Staff pay$51,632

Donations and sponsorships$28,442

Consultants and field$19,500

Office, printing and supplies$19,101

Fundraising and events$8,359

TV and streaming ads$7,814

Digital and online$6,517

Print ads and billboards$4,769

Travel and meals$3,134

Largest payees: Kathryn Hogan $46,025 Staff pay · Tulchin Research $19,500 Consultants and field · CEFCU $18,105 Other (as described) · Donna Scherer $8,320 Staff pay · Peerly- Text Service $7,831 Other (as described) · Resonance Campaigns, LLC $7,814 TV and streaming ads · Verizon $6,860 Office, printing and supplies · Krista Hogan $5,325 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 Political Action Committee for Education Springfield	Business or group	$35,000
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee Springfield	Business or group	$30,000
Democratic Party of Illinois Springfield	Business or group	$29,315.26
Laborers Local 159 Decatur	Business or group	$20,250
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Countryside	Business or group	$15,000
IBEW Illinois PAC Washington	Business or group	$11,000
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Political Action Committee Springfield	Business or group	$8,500
LiUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC Burr Ridge	Business or group	$8,000
Downstate Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Springfield	Business or group	$7,500
IUOE Local 965 PAC Fund Springfield	Business or group	$5,000
Operating Engineers Springfield	Business or group	$5,000
Local 137 Springfield	Business or group	$4,500
Carpentry Advancement PAC Chicago	Business or group	$4,000
Decatur Building & Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO Decatur	Business or group	$3,000
AFSCME Illinois Council 31 Political Action Committee Springfield	Business or group	$2,500

Committee: Friends of Sue Scherer (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 Political Action Committee for Education Group or PAC · Springfield	$35,000	13
Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee Labor union · Springfield	$30,000	71
Democratic Party of Illinois Party or caucus committee · Chicago	$29,315	52
Chicago Land Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Labor union · Countryside	$15,000	97
IBEW Illinois PAC Labor union · Washington	$11,000	66
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association PAC Group or PAC · Springfield	$8,500	89
LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC Labor union · Burr Ridge	$8,000	71
Downstate Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC Labor union · Springfield	$7,500	16
IUOE Local 965 PAC Fund Labor union · Springfield	$5,000	3
Carpentry Advancement PAC Group or PAC · Chicago	$4,000	31
AFSCME Illinois Council 31 PAC Labor union · Springfield	$2,500	13
IUOE Local 399 Political Education Fund Labor union · Chicago	$2,500	31
Comcast Business · Philadelphia	$2,000	34
Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE Labor union · Westmont	$1,000	89
Ameren Illinois Business · St. Louis	$1,000	80