Sarah Palin event raised $100K for Illinois GOP

*
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.

[...]

"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

Sun-Times: Sarah Palin impresses top Republicans at Illinois fundraiser

*
Chicago Sun-Times political reporter Abdon Pallash covered Sarah Palin's appearance at a state GOP fundraiser in Romemont today. Pallash reports that Gov. Palin impressed Illinois’ leading Republicans, a number of whom paid from $500 to $25,000 to schmooze with the first woman in history to be the party's vice presidential candidate:

“We talked about the situation in Illinois — the deficit, the high taxes, job creation,” said the party’s nominee for governor, State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington. “I told her, ‘Your being here is helping rally the troops and get the message out.’”

[...]

“She came in and was gracious enough to help us raise money,” said state Sen. Jim Durkin. “It was very low-key, no speeches. She just met with people and talked with them. She said we have the chance to win many seats. People were very eager to take out their check books.”

Durkin brought a picture he took with Palin, himself and Mike Ditka at a Latrobe, Pa., rally a week before the 2008 election, which Palin signed for him.

“She said this could be a good year for Republicans,” State GOP Chairman Patrick Brady said.

“It was a moving experience,” said former GOP candidate for governor Adam Andrzejewski. “She was very personable. She was encouraging us to keep up the fight for reform in Illinois.”

Tonight at a separate event, “An Evening with Sarah Palin, ” Governor Palin spoke to a crowd of 4,000 at the Rosemont Theater. Sponsored by Chicago news-talk radio station WIND, the evening event offered much more affordable ticket prices of $56.

- JP

Sarah Palin is in Chicagoland for two Rosemont appearances

*
Sarah Palin is in Chicagoland today, and she will appear at two separate events in Rosemont:

The former Alaska governor will appear at a fund-raiser for the Illinois Republican Party at the Rosemont Westin hotel for which a few hundred people have paid $500 to $25,000 apiece to spend time with her.

State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), the conservative Republican nominee for governor, will attend the fund-raiser.

[...]

After the fund-raiser, Palin has a public appearance planned — at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, where fans have paid $56 or more a ticket to attend what’s billed as “An Evening with Sarah Palin.”

The Sun -Times says that tickets are still available for the evening event in the 18,500 seat venue. That seating capacity does not include the 48 skyboxes...

- JP