James M. Gardiner's campaign money: donors, lobbyists, and money near votes
Alderperson, 45th Ward (profile). Campaign committees: Friends to Elect Jim Gardiner.
- Cash on hand: $93,102 (as of Sep 30, 2026)
- Raised this term: $666,415; since 2019: $1,227,446 (1,143 itemized donations)
- From Chicago: 72% of itemized money
- From registered City lobbyists: $16,775 in 34 contributions
- From interests tied to legislation, in the 365 days before 9 votes: $70,931 (below)
Top donors
| Donor | Total | Gifts | Employer or occupation | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wintrust Bank | $148,523 | 19 | Chicago, IL | |
| Chicago Fire Department Local 2 PAC | $94,200 | 19 | Chicago, IL | |
| Fraternal Order of Police | $76,431 | 7 | Chicago, IL | |
| Koch Foods of Chicago | $40,300 | 12 | Chicago, IL | |
| Bridge Structural & Reinforcing Local #1 | $36,000 | 11 | Forest Park, IL | |
| Pipefitters Assoc. Local 597 PAC | $20,500 | 9 | Chicago, IL | |
| Liuna Chicago Laborers District Council PAC | $19,500 | 9 | Burr Ridge, IL | |
| Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council PAC | $17,500 | 8 | Chicago, IL | |
| I.U.O.E. Local 399 PAC | $17,000 | 10 | Chicago, IL | |
| Chicago Land Operators Joint labor PAC | $17,000 | 7 | Countryside, IL | |
| Local 134 IBEW | $13,500 | 10 | Chicago, IL | |
| Suhani 4 You, Inc | $13,500 | 9 | Chicago, IL | |
| Taylor Excavating & Construction | $12,625 | 9 | Chicago, IL | |
| Andrzej Kolasa | $12,500 | 5 | Andy's Deli | Northbrook, IL |
| Ironworkers District Council of Chicago & Vicinity PAC | $12,000 | 9 | Des Plaines, IL | |
| Roofers & Water Proofers Local 11 PAC | $12,000 | 10 | Oak Brook, IL | |
| Painters District Council #14 PAC | $10,350 | 10 | Chicago, IL | |
| Bill Marino | $10,250 | 5 | Loop Contracting LLC | Chicago, IL |
| Willie Wilson | $10,000 | 4 | Self | Chicago, IL |
| International Association of Fire Fighters | $10,000 | 1 | washington, DC | |
| Iron Workers Local 1 (lobbying client) | $10,000 | 2 | Forest Park, IL | |
| International Assoc of Fire Fighters | $10,000 | 1 | Washington, DC | |
| Brad Stephens for State Representative | $10,000 | 2 | Rosemont, IL | |
| Michael Fox | $8,510 | 10 | RP Fox Associates | Oak Park, IL |
| Sprinkler Fitters Local 281 | $8,500 | 8 | Chicago, IL |
Top donors' employers
| Employer | Total | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| Andy'S Deli | $12,000 | 4 |
| Good Faith Effort Made | $10,000 | 8 |
| Loop Contracting Llc | $9,000 | 3 |
| Rp Fox Associates | $7,510 | 8 |
| Little Scholars Learning Ctr | $5,000 | 2 |
| Kozonis Law Ltd. | $4,500 | 3 |
| Innovative Parking Solutions Llc | $4,050 | 7 |
| Vaughan Hospitality Group | $3,000 | 3 |
| Hills Property | $3,000 | 2 |
| Markel Group | $3,000 | 1 |
| Mk Construction And Builders Inc | $3,000 | 1 |
| Power Construction Co | $2,000 | 2 |
| Sky Cleaners | $2,000 | 3 |
| Polish Bistro | $2,000 | 2 |
| Bretford Manufacturing | $2,000 | 2 |
Lobbyists who gave
| Lobbyist | Total | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Carey | $2,500 | 5 |
| John Dunn | $2,500 | 5 |
| Thomas Raines | $1,500 | 1 |
| Rolando Acosta | $1,500 | 3 |
| Michael Alvarez | $1,500 | 1 |
| Tyler Manic | $1,250 | 3 |
| Jennifer Koehler | $1,000 | 2 |
| Terrence Durkin | $1,000 | 1 |
| Christopher Jessup | $500 | 1 |
| Jonathan Buckner | $500 | 1 |
| Mary Minaghan Dba Mkm Services | $500 | 2 |
| Gabriela Manzanares Jule | $500 | 1 |
| Sabha Abour | $500 | 1 |
| Joseph Moore | $500 | 1 |
| Lissa Druss | $250 | 1 |
Money near votes
Money from the interests tied to a piece of legislation (its lobbying clients, their lobbyists, companies and employees named in it) received in the 365 days before the vote.
| Legislation | Vote date | Their vote | Amount | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amended collective bargaining agreement with Chicago John Dineen Lodge No. 7 (f.k.a.… | Dec 13, 2023 | Y | $63,931 | Fraternal Order Of Police (company) |
| Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 6-105 modifying timelines for employer allowance… | May 20, 2026 | Y | $2,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Short Term Rentals Amendment | May 21, 2025 | Y | $2,000 | Patrick Carey (lobbyist for Airbnb, Inc.); John Dunn (lobbyist for Airbnb, Inc.) |
| Amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-022 (35.84) and 4-60-023 (35.84) to allow… | Oct 14, 2026 | Y | $500 | Rolando Acosta (lobbyist for 2616 N Milwaukee(Chicago), LLC) |
| Historical landmark designation for Bryn Mawr Avenue District located at 900 through… | Sep 23, 2026 | Y | $500 | Rolando Acosta (lobbyist for 3244 - 50 Bryn Mawr LLC) |
| Historical landmark fee waiver for property at 105 W Adams Street/210 S Clark St | Feb 18, 2026 | Y | $500 | Rolando Acosta (lobbyist for 105 Adams Development LLC) |
| Amendment of Municipal Code Section 4-60-023 (35.82) to allow additional package goods… | Jan 21, 2026 | Y | $500 | Rolando Acosta (lobbyist for 2616 N Milwaukee(Chicago), LLC) |
| Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14A, 14B, 14X and 15 (2026… | Dec 19, 2025 | Y | $500 | Jonathan Buckner (lobbyist for Airbnb, Inc.) |
| Lincoln Ave 35-2015 | Dec 13, 2023 | Y | $500 | Rolando Acosta (lobbyist for 5019 Lincoln LLC) |
Money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.
Shares the most donors with
- Nicholas Sposato: 27 donors in common (4% overlap)
- Samantha Nugent: 28 donors in common (3% overlap)
- Ruth Cruz: 21 donors in common (3% overlap)
- Raymond A. Lopez: 23 donors in common (2% overlap)
- Anthony V. Napolitano: 18 donors in common (2% overlap)
Legislation they sponsored that was lobbied
- LAC Ordinance - 3955 N. Kilpatrick: 10 filings (Commonwealth Development Partners, Mitch Goltz, Xrpr Portage Park)
- Issuance of permits for sign(s)/signboard(s) at 5224 N Northwest Hwy: 4 filings (Ampler Development LLC, Ampler Restaurant Group)
- Used Lithium battery prohibitions on resale: 4 filings (Doordash, Inc., Illinois Environmental Council, Ulse Inc. D/B/A Ul Standards & Engagement)
- Designation of April 1 through April 30 as Arab American Heritage Month in Chicago.: 3 filings (Jewish Federation Of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation Of Metropolitan Chicago)
- Commemoration of National Hispanic Heritage Month and designation of September 15 through October 15 as…: 2 filings (Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation Of Metropolitan Chicago)
- Department of Family and Support Services and Department of Public Health required to annually collect race…: 2 filings (Chinese American Service League, Inc.)
- SO2024-0008201: 2 filings (Amazon.Com Services LLC, Illinois Environmental Council)
- Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 4-17 by modifying procedures for designation of restricted residential…: 2 filings (Airbnb, Inc.)
- Call for hearing(s) on utilization of MBE/WBEs by Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and associated spending for…: 1 filings (Comed)
- Amendment of Municipal Code Section 8-32-065 to establish noise sensitive zones for places of worship during…: 1 filings (Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation Of Metropolitan Chicago)
- Call on Illinois General Assembly to pass transit management reform and revenue omnibus package: 1 filings (Illinois Environmental Council)
- Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14A, 14B, 14X and 15 (2026 Municipal Code…: 1 filings (Airbnb, Inc.)
- Amendment of Municipal Code Section 2-120-518 establishing reporting and tracking procedures regarding hate…: 1 filings (Equality Illinois)
- Amendment of Municipal Code Title 3 by adding new Chapter 3-46A to impose Ground Delivery Tax on use of…: 1 filings (Grubhub Inc.)
Campaign data from the Illinois State Board of Elections (itemized: $150+). Lobbyist data from the City of Chicago Board of Ethics. Lobbyist and lobbyist-client donor flags are name matches. Street addresses are not published. Links between money and legislation are computed: lobbying filings are matched to legislation by record number, address, the client's name, or similar wording; donors are matched by exact company or employer name. Money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote. See also James M. Gardiner's connections and money across the Council.
Sources and methods: how we get and count this data · report an error