Campaign finance records with the Illinois State Board of Elections show that Jefferson County Circuit Judge Jo Beth Weber has received the most Fifth District Appellate Court campaign contributions for the third quarter with a total of $153,721.
The four candidates have raised a total of $388,326.
Third quarter reports covering contributions from July 1 through Sept. 30 were due on Monday.
Weber, who is running on the Democratic ticket for the vacancy of James Wexstten, filed her report on Friday. She has raised $178,266 so far this year. She raised $44,616 last year, for a total of $222,882.
She received $36,885 in itemized individual contributions and $16,754 in non-itemized contributions in the third quarter.
Weber also received $19,550 in itemized transfers and $1,305 in non-itemized transfers.
She contributed $79,227.62 in itemized loans.
Weber received $5,392.48 in itemized and non-itemized in-kind contributions.
Weber received a $1,000 contribution from Wexstten, the justice whose seat she seeks, as well as a $3,000 contribution from former Madison County Chief Judge Ann Callis. Callis now works as a partner with Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli in Edwardsville after running for Congress in 2014 and losing to Republican Rep. Rodney Davis.
Local firms Armbruster Dripps Winterscheidt & Blotebogel; Becker Hoerner Thompson & Ysursa; and Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd donated to Weber’s campaign.
She received donations of $5,400 from asbestos attorneys Marcus Raichle Jr., Neil Maune, Christian Harley and Barton French of the Maune Raichle firm.
She received $1,000 donations from Simmons Firm shareholders Michael G. Stewart, Clinton B. Fisher and Thomas Sheridan III.
Weber received a $2,000 contribution from Friends of Von Nida.
She also received contributions from Chicago firms Cooney & Conway, Power Rogers & Smith and Hurley McKenna & Mertz; and several attorneys with Chicago firm Clifford Law Offices.
Weber’s campaign has also spent the most money so far, with $131,971.32 reported in total expenditures.
Madison County Circuit Judge John Barberis, who is running on the Republican ticket for the vacancy created through the retirement of Bruce Stewart, filed his quarterly report on Monday. He brought in $11,805 in individual contributions and transfers.
Most of his contributions were donations of less than $1,000.
Barberis received $6,775 in itemized individual contributions and $2,890 in non-itemized individual contributions.
He also received $1,900 in itemized transfers and $240 in non-itemized transfers.
Barberis also received $394.24 in itemized in-kind contributions.
Barberis’ total expenditures were $9,902.71
Barberis didn’t establish his fundraising committee until July 26.
He self-funded his campaign for circuit judge in 2014 with approximately $5,000.
He had previously stated that he would likely have to raise funds for his appellate court campaign in order to reach voters in all 37 counties of the Fifth District.
Williamson County Circuit Judge Brad Bleyer, who is running on the Democratic ticket for Stewart’s seat, brought in $49,802.54 in individual contributions, transfers and loans.
He raised $89,182.41 this year and raised $11,935 last year, for a total of $101,117.41 so far in his campaign.
Justice James “Randy” Moore, who is running on the Republican ticket for Wexstten’s seat, brought in $18,560 in individual contributions and transfers this quarter.
Moore was appointed to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Stephen Spomer.
He has raised $36,822 this year and $15,700 last year, for a total of $52,522 so far in his campaign.
In contrast to previous contested appellate court races, campaign contributions for this election has been off to a slow start.
In the 2012 race between Democrat Judy Cates and Republican Stephen McGlynn, spending exceeded $1 million. Cates won. McGlynn was later elected circuit judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit in 2014.
Spending exceeded $2.6 million in the 2006 race between Democrat Stewart and McGlynn.