If Toni Preckwinkle is thinking about challenging Mayor Rahm Emanuel, her campaign coffers don’t show it.
Still, she hasn’t been collecting checks like someone preparing to square off with one of the most prolific fund-raising politicians in the country. As of the end of the 2013, she had about $1 million on hand, and has reported raising about $135,000 since, according to state records.
The truth is that no foreseeable Emanuel foe will be able to engage him in a financial arms race. His connections with wealthy donors in Chicago, Washington, New York, and Hollywood mean that he can raise more than what he needs, and that scaring potential opponents out of the race is part of his strategy.
Two long-shot candidates have already announced that they’re running against Emanuel in 2015, but neither of them—former alderman Robert Shaw and community organizer Amara Enyia—has reported raising a dime for the race.
For example, the top single source of contributions to Emanuel since last July was Citadel, the investment firm led by the mayor’s billionaire friend Ken Griffin. Griffin, his wife, and other firm executives and family members gave Emanuel a total of just under $140,000.
Fioretti isn’t in the same fund-raising league yet, but he’s received donations from potentially critical allies such as the Chicago Teachers Union and AFSCME, whose members would be a major asset in any upstart campaign. And though the alderman has battled with Emanuel and Richard Daley before him, he’s received support from a number of onetime City Hall insiders, including former city corporation counsel Mara Georges, former mayoral aide Terry Teele, and Daley & George, where the former mayor’s brother is a partner.
