The millions of dollars Republican Governor Bruce Rauner poured into his campaign landed him near the top of a national list of last year's biggest campaign contributors to state races.
The Center for Public Integrity gathered data on political giving to state races. It then used that information tocrown "sugar daddies of state politics."
Gov. Rauner and his wife, Diana, came in seventh.
That's just counting the money Rauner put into his campaign committee before Election Day; since winning, the former private equity investor put another $10 million into his campaign fund -- money Rauner says he'll use to advance his agenda.
Rauner actually made the Center's list not once, but twice. First, for the money he withdrew from the bank and put into his campaign account. The second time, for his namesake campaign committee's giving $4 million to the State GOP.
Also on list of the 50 biggest donors in the nation is Illinois' richest man, Ken Griffin, who gave $7.5 million in support of Rauner.
Further down the list, the Illinois Education Association --- the teacher's union which backed former Gov. Pat Quinn in the November election. And finally, the Illinois Democratic Party, and the $3.9 million it spent, largely on legislative candidates.
Copyright 2015 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS
