Public-sector unions opened their wallets wide in the 2023-24 election cycle, and Illinois ended up leading the nation. A new analysis finds unions poured hefty sums into state races and Chicago contests, with a wave of cash helping favored candidates across the city. Transparency advocates say the surge is renewing long-running fights over how rank-and-file dues are funneled into bare-knuckle politics.
According to The Center Square, which draws on an analysis from the Commonwealth Foundation, Illinois public-sector unions spent roughly $29.9 million on state-level races during the 2023-24 cycle. The outlet also notes Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as a major beneficiary, reporting he received more than $5.5 million in union-linked contributions in 2023. Those totals put Illinois ahead of California and other high-spend states in the foundation’s rankings.
Nationwide picture: nearly $1 billion
As reported by Fox News, the Commonwealth Foundation tallied about $915 million in political spending by the four largest public-sector unions, the NEA, AFT, SEIU, and AFSCME, in the same cycle. Roughly $755 million went to federal contests and about $160 million to state-level races. The analysis also notes that a large share of that money came from members’ regular dues rather than voluntary PAC contributions, a detail that has fueled louder calls for clearer union financial reporting.
What the report's authors say
David Osborne, senior director of labor policy at the Commonwealth Foundation (Commonwealth Foundation), told The Center Square that Illinois’ total is higher than any other state and that unions tend to zero in on big-ticket mayoral and gubernatorial races. The foundation’s breakdown also finds that state-level donations overwhelmingly flowed to Democratic candidates, according to the published analysis.
Local fallout and legal questions
The spotlight comes as federal lawmakers have put the Chicago Teachers Union on notice, demanding five years of audits and other records as part of a probe into union transparency, according to an audit hot seat report. Under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, unions are required to file annual financial reports with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards, and larger organizations submit the detailed LM-2 form; those filings are publicly available, per the Department of Labor.
The Commonwealth Foundation report has already sharpened the debate in Illinois over how dues and PAC money are separated, tracked, and disclosed. Expect those dollar figures, and the push for tighter oversight, to be front and center in local political battles next year.
