See if your state lawmaker took Chicago Teachers Union money

The Chicago Teachers Union has spent nearly $1.3 million on campaign donations in an effort to influence what happens in the Illinois General Assembly. See if your state lawmakers accepted money from the CTU.

Campaign cash buys influence, and the Chicago Teachers Union has purchased nearly $1.3 million worth of it in the Illinois General Assembly since 2010.

Use the search function in the table below to see if your state lawmakers accepted campaign donations from the CTU. Here’s a hint: if the lawmaker is a Republican, the answer is “no”; if a Democrat, the answer is “yes” for nearly 3 of every 4 lawmakers.

Political contributions buy political clout – and CTU isn’t going to let that go to waste. CTU logged support or opposition over 1,360 times on at least 480 bills between 2011-2022, according to Illinois General Assembly data. In the first part of the General Assembly’s current session, CTU supported 33 bills, and nearly 2 in 3 were enacted. CTU started touting its legislative wins as soon as the recent session ended.

Political contributions and lobbying give CTU a one-two political punch and an advantage over parents and other Illinoisans. Polling and test scores show other Illinoisans have very different ideas about what’s best for kids than the CTU.

CTU's political spending appears to be backfiring, though. A recent poll showed 55% of voters would be less likely to vote for a candidate who accepted CTU's campaign cash.