BELLEVILLE - St. Clair County Circuit Judge Christopher Kolker raised $114,630 for his retention campaign in the first half of this year, mostly from lawyers.
He spent less than $10,000 and as of July 30 he had $106,160.15 available.
Chief Circuit Judge Andrew Gleeson and Circuit Judge Heinz Rudolf didn’t raise nearly as much for their retentions in the year’s first half but began catching up in July.
Circuit Judge John O’Gara didn’t raise or spend a dime for his retention.
Gleeson, Kolker, Rudolf and O’Gara are all on the ballot this November for St. Clair County voters. While they don’t face competition to keep their jobs, they must win at least 60% approval for retention.
Kolker’s biggest boost came from David Cates’s firm in Swansea which gave him $10,000.
He received $5,000 each from Keefe, Keefe and Unsell, Law Office of Christopher Cueto, and Nelson and Nelson, all of Belleville.
He received $5,000 from Korein Tillery of St. Louis, Kujawski and Associates of O’Fallon, Leskera Law Firm of Collinsville, Rich Rich Cooksey and Chappell of Fairview Heights, and Driscoll’s firm of Puerto Rico.
Cook, Bartholomew, Cook and Jones of Belleville gave him $3,000.
Bonifield and Rosenstengel of Belleville, Gori Law Firm of Edwardsville, and Weilmuenster Keck and Brown of Belleville each gave him $2,500.
He received $1,000 each from Chatham and Baricevic, Bruce and Sandra Cook, Kuehn, Beasley and Young, Matthew Marlen and Menges Law, all of Belleville.
He received $1,000 each from Armbruster Dripps Blotevogel of Maryville, Zane Cagle of St. Louis, Ann Callis of Troy, Sean Cronin of St. Louis, Timothy and Rachel Cronin of Mascoutah,
William Daniel of Fairview Heights, Gianaris Trial Lawyers of Alton, Andrew and Hilarie Mundwiller of St. Louis County, St. Clair Gilbreth Steppig of Columbia, Simon Law Firm of St. Louis, and Unsell Law Firm of East Alton.
He received $575 from Jessica Holliday of O’Fallon.
He received $510 from Matthew Armstrong of St. Louis.
He received $500 each from Kelley and Kelley, Gregory Shevlin, Sprague and Urban, and Mathis, Marifian and Richter, all of Belleville.
He received $500 each from Robert King of St. Louis County, David Piccioli of Springfield, James Dougherty of East St. Louis, Goldenberg Heller and Antognoli of Edwardsville, Tracy Weber of Robinson, and Wendler and Zinzilieta of Maryville.
He received $450 from Flynn Guymon & Garavalia of Belleville.
He received $400 from Michael and Marsha Nester of Belleville.
He received $350 from Carrie and Anthony Dos Santos of Dow.
He received $300 each from associate judge Thomas Cannady, Kevin Boyne, Elaine LeChien, and Gregory Skinner, all of Belleville.
He received $300 each from Robert Bassett of Florida, Bortz Law Firm of O’Fallon, Darrell and Judy Cates of Swansea, William Grogan of Swansea, Charles Kolker of Oklahoma, Mattea Hermanson of Maryville, Joe Szoke of Highland, and Lee and Judith Wilson of St. Libory.
He received $255 from Richard Mark of Collinsville.
He received $250 each from Brad Badgley, Clayborne and Wagner, and Charles Swartwout, all of Belleville, Bigler Holdings of Anna, and Paylater Auto Sales of Cahokia.
He received $200 each from Mark and Barbara Kern, Marsha Nester, and Russell Scott, all of Belleville, Michelle and Frank Beelman of St. Louis County, and Mark Kupsky of Fairview Heights.
He received $157.50 each from Amy Masters of Chicago and Brendan Nester of Belleville.
He also received $7,625 in contributions he didn’t itemize.
Other campaign committees transferred $14,550 to Kolker’s committee.
Steamfitters Local 439 of Caseyville transferred $2,500 to his committee.
Illinois Federation of Teachers transferred $2,000.
Circuit Judge Patrick Foley, State Representative Jay Hoffman, Iron Workers Local 392 in East St. Louis, Operating Engineers Local 520 of Granite City, and the teacher federation in Fairview Heights each transferred $1,000.
The 101 Club of Belleville transferred $600.
State Sen. Christopher Belt transferred $500.
The painters union in Maryland, plasterers in Troy, carpenters in Freeburg, teamsters in Swansea, laborers in Swansea, electricians in Collinsville, insulators in St. Louis County, and the faculty of Southwestern Illinois College each transferred $300.
So did Randolph County’s central Democratic committee and the Political Fund of Illinois in Des Plaines.
State Rep. Nathan Reitz of Steeleville, the Houlihan Campaign Fund of Springfield, AFL-CIO in Springfield each transferred $250.
State’s Attorney Jim Gomric transferred $200.
Committees transferred $1,950 that Kolker didn’t itemize.
Chief Judge Gleeson received $10,000 from the Cates firm and $5,000 from the Kujawski firm in June and ended the month with $43,614.48 available.
In July he received $12,000 from Rich Rich Cooksey and Chappell, $10,000 from Simmons Hanly Conroy of Alton, $5,000 from Keefe, Keefe and Unsell, and $2,500 from Bonifield and Rosenstengel.
Rudolf received $5,000 from Keefe, Keefe and Unsell, $5,000 from the Kujawski firm, and $1,000 from former judge Vincent Lopinot in June.
He ended the month with $11,350.25 available.
In July he received $5,000 each from the Cates firm, Korein Tillery, Nelson and Nelson, and Hipskind and McAninch of Belleville.
He received $1,000 each from Armbruster Dripps Blotevogel and from Chatham and Baricevic of Belleville.