Sarah Palin event raised $100K for Illinois GOP

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Illinois State Rep. Jim Durkin says Sarah Palin raised about $100,000 in her one-hour appearance at Wednesday's GOP fund-raiser in Rosemont, money which will be distributed to the campaigns of statewide party candidates in November:

Durkin, who campaigned in 2008 for the former Alaskan governor and Arizona Sen. John McCain in Illinois and Pennsylvania, said Illinois candidates desperately need the funds in 2010.

"For the past eight years the Republican Party has been at a severe financial disadvantage versus the Democrats," he said. "We need to do the best we can to raise money. Gov. Palin offered the party the opportunity, the party accepted the invitation, and I'm glad it went well."

Republicans paid $500 to $25,000 to attend the state party fund-raiser, which excluded some of the party faithful.

State Sen. Kirk Dillard, who didn't attend the event because he said he still has prior campaign debts to pay off before he can contribute more to the state party, nevertheless said he admired the former Governor:

"For the Republican base, Sarah Palin is an icon, and somebody that conservative Republicans admire," he said. "She has a crossover appeal to conservative Democrats, labor unions and tea party folks as well.

State Senator Dan Cronin cited the excitement and resolve Gov. Palin generated in her speech at a second Rosemont event which followed the fund-raiser as factors which will be critical in the November midterm elections. A crowd of 4,000 paid $56 apiece to attend her speech at the event sponsored by Chicago talk station WIND:

"The message she articulated last night is one we will hear much more before the November elections -- It's time for Illinois," he said. "We saw what happened in Massachusetts."

Durkin agreed the time is right for Republican gains in Washington and Springfield.

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"Illinois is going to be a tier-one targeted state for the Republican National Committee," he said. "We haven't heard that in a long time. There will be resources. Illinois is going to be a battle ground like we've not seen in a few decades in a major election cycle, and we need to be ready."

- JP