WASHINGTON – CUNA stepped into three races–winning two–in the Feb. 4 congressional primaries in Illinois, the earliest congressional primaries ever held in any state.
The three CUNA-backed candidates were vying to fill the seats of senior Republican House members who retired late last year, including former Speaker Dennis Hastert.
The race to succeed Hastert was problematic, with CUNA contributing the maximum allowable $5,000 to state senator Chris Lauzen, who lost the Republican primary.
But CUNA fared better in the other two races, contributing $5,000 each to Democratic state senator Debbie Halvorson, who is favored to win the seat held by Jerry Weller for 14 years, and to Republican state representative Aaron Shock, who is favored to win the seat held by Ray LaHood, who retired after seven terms.
CUNA also made its annual tithe to various entities of the Democratic and Republican parties last month, including $15,000 each to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, and the Republican Governors Association.
In addition, CUNA contributed $5,000 to the New Democratic Coalition, the Republican Mainstream Partnership PAC, Senate Minority Whip Mitch McConnell’s Bluegrass Committee, and $2,500 to NODAK PAC, a Democratic leadership PAC.
