Peoria Standard

Former Tazewell County Treasurer Mary Burress has big financial backing from Chicago Republicans in her bid to win the GOP nomination over Dr. Bill Hauter in the newly-created 87th Illinois House District, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records.

Illinois House Minority leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), a leading backer of "never Trump" GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin who lent his deputy chief of staff and spokesman to the Irvin campaign, gave Burress $5,000 on May 25.

And a political action committee run by Irvin's running mate, State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) gave Burress $59,900 on May 31, ISBE records show.

Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, left, and Dr. Bill Hauter. | Special to the Peoria Standard

That committee, the Women's Leadership Coalition PAC, has received $12,000 in funding from DuPage County Board President candidate Greg Hart, $12,000 from State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst), $5,000 from the Inland Real Estate Group of Oak Brook and $59,900 from the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor Management PAC. All are Durkin allies.

The 87th district includes parts of northeast Sangamon, Macon, DeWitt, McLean, Woodford and Tazewell counties and all of Logan County.

Burress has pledged to support Durkin as House GOP leader; Hauter has not.

Hauter, 51, of Mackinaw, is endorsed by outgoing State Rep. Keith Sommer (R-Morton). He's Tazewell County Board member and pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist with OSF Healthcare.

Hauter has criticized Durkin and Chicago Republicans' involvement in the race. He says Burress is a "career politician" who is looking for a full-time job, while he intends on being a "citizen-legislator."

He said he won't take a legislative pension; Burress would draw two government pensions if she wins election to the House.

“Mary Burress has been in the Tazewell County Treasurers office for 42 years,” he wrote in a newsletter to supporters. “As a career politician, she holds an office dealing mainly with the collection of taxes and rarely takes a position or makes a decision on the issues facing Illinois."

"That is why, when the campaign started, it was so disappointing to see multiple mailers from Burress with shallow platitudes such as 'The sky is the limit with Mary Burress as State Representative' and 'Mary Backs the Blue,'" he wrote.  "The mailers didn't offer one specific position on the issues or what she intends to do to take Illinois to new heights.”

“After raising almost no funds inside the district, the Burress campaign recently received massive funding from Richard Irvin/Avery Bourne and other Chicago establishment career politicians and then began savagely attacking Bill Hauter.”

Hauter recently met with Illinois Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, who visited Tazewell County.

Durkin’s is backing other primary candidates who have promised to support him as House GOP leader.

He is supporting Joe Hackler, the Illinois GOP communications director, in the 112th House District over conservative reformer Jennifer Korte, endorsed by Bailey. 

Hackler recently drew criticism for his vocal support of masking and vaccines, both points of contention for conscientious conservatives. 

In the 107th House District, Durkin and other House GOP leaders have given Kyle Ham, who is accused of not living or working in the district, more than $100,000 in campaign funds. Ham once worked as an aide to Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford.