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Peoria mayoral candidate fundraising picks up as primary election nears

FILE- In this Nov. 15, 2017, file photo, new $1 bills are cut and stacked at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
/
AP
FILE- In this Nov. 15, 2017, file photo, new $1 bills are cut and stacked at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

The campaign coffers of the three candidates for Peoria mayor are filling up at a faster clip as the February primary election grows closer.

Candidates made their fourth-quarter filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections at the beginning of the year.

John Kelly, a second-term at-large councilman, led the pack with just under $50,000 raised between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. Kelly spent just $124 during the quarter, ending the year with $71,087 cash on hand.

Incumbent mayor Rita Ali brought in $37,382 over the quarter. She spent more than $11,000 on office supplies, a website, postage, food, and donations. That brought Ali's cash on hand total to $35,844 at the end of 2024.

Chuck Grayeb, the Peoria City Council stalwart who currently represents the 2nd District, raised $4,575 over the quarter and ended the year with $7,495 cash on hand. He spent $13,415 on signage and photography costs.

Who are the biggest donors to the campaigns?

Dunlap developer Kert Huber and his wife are Grayeb's single biggest donors by far, and the largest invididual donors to any 2025 Peoria mayoral campaign to date. They made a $10,000 contribution to his campaign on Aug. 6. Ty Siebert, a business owner from Hanna City, and his spouse Becki come in second with a $2,000 contribution made back in August.

Ali's biggest donors this cycle are Peoria Public Schools superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, who made a $5,000 contribution in August; and retired Caterpillar vice president Jim Johnson, who infused Ali's campaign with a $5,000 contribution in September.

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria; and state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, each transferred $5,000 from their campaign committees last year. Advantage Communications CEO Salvador Tinajero of Santa Ana, Calif. contributed $4,000 to Ali's campaign.

Some notable Peoria-area leaders have also made smaller financial contributions to Ali's campaign for re-election.

4th District councilman Andre Allen transferred $300 from his campaign committee, and at-large councilwoman Bernice Gordon-Young made a $250 personal contribution. Former councilwoman Barbara Van Auken gave Ali's campaign $500 in October, and former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also gave $250 in October.

Illinois Central College president Sheila Quirk-Bailey has also made a $300 contribution. Carle Health Greater Peoria CEO Keith Knepp made a $500 contribution at the end of October.

Kelly's biggest campaign donors during the fourth quarter were retired Dr. Steve and Patty Cullinan of Naples, Fla.; Stratus Networks co-founder John Petrakis and his wife Gretchen; retired Caterpillar group president Gerald and Pam Shaheen; and Mike Miller Auto Park. All made $5,000 contributions to Kelly's campaign in the fourth quarter.

Custodial contracting company Vonachen Group CEO Matt Vonachen gave Kelly's campaign a $5,000 contribution in January after the fourth-quarter filing period closed.

In December, the campaign committees of former state Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, and state Rep. Travis Weaver, R-Edwards, gave Kelly $2,500 and $2,000, respectively. Former Bolingbrook mayor Roger Claar has also made a $1,000 donation from his campaign fund. Former Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy made a $500 contribution in December.

When is the next election?

The consolidated primary election for Peoria mayor is set for Feb. 25, 2024. Early voting started Thursday, Jan. 16. The top two vote-getters from that election will go on to the April 1 general election. There are also primary elections for Peoria City Treasurer and Peoria City Council District 2. Republicans have two candidate to choose from in the primary for Peoria Township Assessor.

Turnout for consolidated primaries in the city of Peoria is historically very low. Just 16.5% of registered voters cast a ballot in the five-way primary for mayor in February 2021.

WCBU, WTVP, the League of Women Voters Greater Peoria, and NAACP Peoria are co-hosting a Peoria mayoral candidate forum. The forum will be broadcast on WTVP Channel 47 and WCBU 89.9 FM at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23. WCBU will re-broadcast the forum at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24.

Tim is the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.