| Position Category | Headcount | Avg Monthly | Months Active | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Advisors & General Consultants | 3 | $16,667 | 7 | $350,000 |
| Kilduff, Peterson, Corbett (Cor Strategies) | ||||
| Campaign Manager / Deputy CM | 1 | $8,500 | 7 | $59,500 |
| Communications Director | 1 | $7,500 | 7 | $52,500 |
| Field Director | 1 | $6,500 | 7 | $45,500 |
| Finance Director | 1 | $7,000 | 7 | $49,000 |
| Digital Director | 1 | $6,500 | 7 | $45,500 |
| Data Director / VAN Admin | 1 | $5,500 | 6 | $33,000 |
| Compliance Director | 1 | $5,000 | 7 | $35,000 |
| Scheduler | 1 | $4,500 | 7 | $31,500 |
| Media Director | 1 | $7,000 | 6 | $42,000 |
| National Fundraiser | 1 | $7,500 | 6 | $45,000 |
| Candidate Aide (Brady Wilson) | 1 | $4,000 | 7 | $28,000 |
| Regional Political Directors (10) | 10 | $5,000 | 6 | $300,000 |
| Western IL (Reis/Claymore), SE IL (Butler), + 8 hires | ||||
| Law Enforcement & Ag Coordinators | 2 | $4,500 | 5 | $45,000 |
| Senior Field Organizers (20) | 20 | $3,500 | 5 | $350,000 |
| Field Organizers — Full Cohort (50) | 50 | $3,000 | 4 | $600,000 |
| Full 102-county presence by June 1 | ||||
| GOTV Surge Staff (temporary, Sep–Nov) | 40 | $2,500 | 2 | $200,000 |
| Volunteer & Canvass Coordinator | 1 | $4,000 | 5 | $20,000 |
| Payroll Taxes & Benefits (est. 12%) | — | — | — | $289,000 |
| SUBTOTAL — Staff & Personnel | $2,720,000 | |||
| Pollster / Survey Research (3–4 surveys) | — | — | — | $150,000 |
| Media Consultant Fee | — | — | — | $120,000 |
| Opposition Research Firm | — | — | — | $85,000 |
| Digital Consulting / Ad Tech | — | — | — | $75,000 |
| Legal / FEC Counsel (Fogarty) | — | — | — | $75,000 |
| Claymore Strategic Solutions Retainer | — | — | — | $175,000 |
| SUBTOTAL — Consultants & Outside Contracts | $680,000 | |||
| TOTAL — STAFF & PERSONNEL | $4,200,000 45% | |||
| Line Item | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Office Rent & Utilities (5 offices) | Springfield HQ + Peoria, Rockford, Metro East/Belleville, Chicago NW suburb | $175,000 |
| Office Equipment & Supplies | Computers, phones, furniture for regional buildout | $50,000 |
| VAN / VoteBuilder Licensing | Statewide deployment; ILGOP coordinated rate | $75,000 |
| Predictive Modeling & Data | Voter targeting model, persuasion/turnout universes | $60,000 |
| Relational Voter Contact Tools | Peer-to-peer texting, digital organizing platform | $40,000 |
| Volunteer & Canvass Supplies | Door hangers, lit, walk packets, precinct maps, kits | $200,000 |
| GOTV Materials & Final Push | Mailers, lit drops, election day supplies | $150,000 |
| Candidate Travel & Advance | 102-county presence; air for statewide events | $150,000 |
| Event Production (rallies, town halls) | Sound, staging, signage for 20+ major events | $75,000 |
| Coalition Program Events & Materials | Law enforcement, ag, veterans, faith outreach | $275,000 |
| TOTAL — OPERATIONS & FIELD | $1,025,000 11% | |
Campaign-funded media only. NRSC and aligned PAC independent expenditure ($2–3M projected) supplements but is not reflected here. Five planned tracks + one protected rapid response reserve.
| Line Item | Format / Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MEDIA PRODUCTION | ||
| TV Spot Production — 5 Hero Spots | :30 broadcast-quality; $85K each (Senate rate) | $425,000 |
| Spot 1: Don Tracy for All of Illinois (positive ID) | ||
| Spot 2: Bless Juliana's Heart (BJH contrast) | ||
| Spot 3: Don Tracy Bio (biographical) | ||
| Spot 4: Contrast / Persuasion (direct contrast) | ||
| Spot 5: Closing GOTV | ||
| Rapid Response Pre-Built Creative (2 variants) | Gaming Board rebuttal + Trump rubber stamp rebuttal; 48-hr turnaround premium | $150,000 |
| Digital Cutdowns & Platform Versioning | :15/:06 cuts for all 5 spots; Facebook, YouTube, CTV optimized | $100,000 |
| Radio Production (4 spots) | :60 downstate format; $20K each | $80,000 |
| Archival Footage & Licensing | For contrast/BJH spots; SAFE-T Act, F-bomb ad | $45,000 |
| Production Subtotal | $800,000 | |
| PLANNED MEDIA BUY — FIVE TRACKS | ||
| TV / CTV Buy — Campaign Funded | Downstate DMAs + Chicago DMA collar targeting; Lowest Unit Rate | $900,000 |
| Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign — primary markets | ||
| Chicago DMA collar targeting (DuPage, Lake, Will, NW Cook) | ||
| Radio — Downstate Markets | AM/FM downstate; cost-of-living audience targeting | $250,000 |
| Digital / Social / CTV Programmatic | YouTube pre-roll, Meta, CTV streaming; voter file targeting | $350,000 |
| Direct Mail — 3 Programs | Primary contrast mail; collar ID; GOTV chase | $175,000 |
| Earned Media & Press Operations | Release wire, media monitoring, press events | $50,000 |
| Planned Buy Subtotal | $1,725,000 | |
| ⚠ RAPID RESPONSE & CONTINGENCY RESERVE | Protected. Triggers: (1) attack gaining tracking traction, (2) race tightens final 30 days → converts to closing buy. Decision: principal level only. | $600,000 |
| TOTAL — MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS | $3,125,000 34% | |
| Line Item | Notes | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Finance Events & Donor Operations | Host recruitment, event venues, catering, invitations | $175,000 |
| Digital Fundraising Platform | WinRed fees, email program, SMS fundraising | $60,000 |
| Donor Prospecting & Contact Append | iWave / DonorSearch / Aristotle vendor append for FEC data | $75,000 |
| Call Time Operations | Dial sheets, call time management, NGP setup | $40,000 |
| FEC Compliance Software & Reporting | NGP VAN, compliance software licensing | $35,000 |
| General & Administrative | Insurance, banking, postage, miscellaneous | $100,000 |
| IT & Campaign Technology | Campaign hub hosting (Cloudflare), software licenses | $30,000 |
| Headquarters Contingency Reserve | Unplanned operational needs | $135,000 |
| TOTAL — FUNDRAISING, COMPLIANCE & G&A | $650,000 7% | |
| Category | Amount | % of Budget |
|---|---|---|
| §1 — Staff & Personnel | $4,200,000 | 45% |
| §2 — Operations & Field Infrastructure | $1,025,000 | 11% |
| §3 — Media & Communications | $3,125,000 | 34% |
| Incl. $800K production, $1.725M planned buy, $600K reserve | ||
| §4 — Fundraising, Compliance & G&A | $650,000 | 7% |
| §3 Reserve (Rapid Response / Closing Conversion) | (included above) | protected |
| TOTAL BASE SCENARIO | $9,000,000 | 100% |
| Range: $9.0–$9.3M depending on NRSC coordination timing, field hiring pace, and reserve deployment. NRSC + aligned PAC independent expenditure of $2–3M additional is expected but not reflected here. Total Tracy-side media environment at ceiling: $12–15M. | ||
* Nov 1–3 media includes $600K rapid response reserve converted to closing GOTV buy if unspent on defense. If reserve was deployed on defense, closing buy is reduced accordingly.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cash on Hand (as of Feb 25, 2026) | $1,794,886 |
| Candidate Loan Outstanding | ($2,000,000) |
| Estimated Primary Close Obligations | ($400,000) |
| Estimated GE Starting Balance | ~$1,395,000 |
| Total Base Budget | $9,000,000 |
| Less Starting Balance | ($1,395,000) |
| GE FUNDRAISING TARGET (Direct Raise) | ~$7,605,000 |
| Minimum viable: $5.5M direct raise (Floor scenario). Base scenario requires $7.6M direct raise April–October. NRSC and aligned PAC IE supplements candidate buy but does not reduce candidate raise requirement for operations. JFC structure and Prairie 102 PAC intended to supplement direct raise. | |
| Candidate Loan Repayment (if funds allow) | $2,000,000 |
| Net New Raise Needed (above repayment) | $9,605,000 |
| Loan repayment is secondary to operational funding. Candidate loan converts to contribution if not repaid by election day. Recommend prioritizing operations over repayment in tight cash scenarios. | |