Follow the cash: Cook County pols in school board races

In the April, 2015 Cook County elections, a number of local mayors, two state representatives and a township highway commissioner got actively involved in local school board elections. They paid for campaign mailers, palm cards and even robo-calls.

Southtown Star columnist Phil Kadner noticed the trend in south Cook County:

There was a time, back in my days as a young reporter, when suburban mayors would boast that they never got involved in school board elections. Voters don’t want politicians sticking their noses into education, they would tell me.

Many of those mayors, who were kings in their communities, said they personally felt it was wrong to do so. It’s about what’s best for our children, they would say, not what’s best for anyone’s political career. LINK

Now that the Illinois State Board of Elections released campaign donation information for the second quarter of 2015, it’s interesting to follow the money.

In an off-year election, some familiar benefactors were donating to local politicians’ campaigns. Also several new education PACs appeared on the scene in Spring 2015. Familiar donors show up in those records too.

An analysis discloses how three recurring patrons show up in the campaign contribution records for the politicians and school board committees in the April 7, election. They are Del Galdo Law Group, Odelson & Sterk attorneys, and Franklin Park company Restore Construction.

Read more at Schoolboardfocuswest.com here