Campaign contributions pour in for Smith ahead of Election Day

Madison County Circuit Judge Sarah Smith reported more than $138,000 in campaign contributions in her final quarterly report before the Nov. 3 election, including contributions from asbestos plaintiff’s firms and unions.  

Smith is running on the Democratic ticket against Fifth District Appellate Court Justice Mark Boie, Republican, for the appellate court seat left vacant by the retirement of Justice Melissa Chapman. 

For the reporting period stretching from July 1 through Sept. 30, Smith’s campaign committee, Sarah Smith for Appellate Court, reported $122,624.98 in itemized contributions and $1,005 in not-itemized contributions. She also reported $14, 200 in itemized transfers in and $350 in not-itemized transfers in, for a total of $138,181.50 contributions for the 

Smith’s campaign committee reported $67,737.68 in total expenditures.

Since the last quarter ended, Smith has also received roughly $15,000 in campaign contributions in October, including:

• $1,500 from Jon Neumann of Maune Raichle on Oct. 1
• $1,000 form Cates Mahoney LLC on Oct. 3
• $2,500 from AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31 PAC on Oct. 6
• $1,000 from Armbruster Dripps Winterscheidt & Blotevogel LLC on Oct. 6
• $2,000 from David Arnell of Maune Raichle Hartley French & Mudd on Oct. 7
• $1,000 from Swanson and Sackett PC on Oct. 7
• $1,000 form Becker Schroader & Chapman PC on Oct. 12
• $1,000 from Erin Beavers of The Gori Law Firm on Oct. 13
• $1,000 from Illinois Federation of Teachers COPE on Oct. 13
• $1,000 from Mark Goldenberg of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli on Oct. 16 
• $1,000 from David Antognoli of Goldenberg Heller & Antognoli PC on Oct. 19
• $1,000 from Alan Pirtle of Brown & Crouppen Law Firm on Oct. 23

Prior to filing her quarterly report, Smith received more than $56,000 in campaign contributions in September, with approximately 84 percent of those contributions coming from the asbestos plaintiff firm Simmons Hanly Conroy and its attorneys.

Smith received the maximum allowable corporate limit, $11,600, from the Simmons Firm in Alton on Sept. 1. Between Sept. 9 and 13, Smith received $35,500 from 19 attorneys employed by the firm. The contributions from the Simmons firm and its attorneys totaled $47,100.

Boie’s campaign committee, Friends for Justice Boie, reported $3,950 in itemized individual contributions and $950 in not-itemized individual contributions. He also reported $8,150 in itemized transfers in and $400 in not-itemized transfers in, for a total of $14,610 contributions received during the reporting period. 

Boie’s campaign committee reported $12,138.14 in total expenditures. 

Boie also received campaign contributions in October following the reporting period, including: 

• $1,000 from Bailey for Illinois on Oct. 8
• $5,000 from Jefferson Co. Republican Central Comm. on Oct. 9
• $1,000 from Christine Heins on Oct. 9
• $1,000 from Committee to Elect Terri Bryant on Oct. 13
• $2,500 from Citizens for Patrick Windhorts on Oct. 14
• $2,000 from Effingham Co. Republican Central Comm. on Oct. 17
• $1,500 from Rex Burke on Oct. 23