Show Us The Money

Mark Rice raised $139,895 in the 2026 election cycle for his Republican bid in Illinois's 8th U.S. House District, according to federal campaign finance records. Individual donors contributed $39,895 of that total. No political action committees or party committees contributed to his campaign. Rice loaned his own campaign $100,000 and has repaid nearly all of it ($98,993), leaving $153,357 in total debt owed by the campaign. His campaign reported no cash on hand as of the latest filing.

Candidate Rankings

Rice's fundraising total places him well outside the top tier of candidates competing in Illinois. Candidates in the state collectively raised more than $357 million this cycle, and Rice's haul represents less than 0.04% of that statewide total.

Democratic candidates in Illinois have dominated the fundraising landscape, raising a combined $97.8 million across 90 candidates in the cycle, while Republican candidates, a smaller field of 32, have collectively raised $11.7 million. Rice's individual total of $139,895 underscores the financial challenges facing Republican challengers in the state.

Among the state's top fundraisers, the disparities are dramatic. S. Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic incumbent, raised $31.4 million in the 2026 cycle and held $3.2 million in cash on hand as of March 31. Krishnamoorthi's fundraising totals dwarf Rice's numbers by a factor of more than 200. For context on congressional campaign contributions in Illinois, Rice's campaign spending of $241,509 has already exceeded his receipts, a sign of financial strain in his open-seat bid.

Contributors

Rice's campaign received no PAC or organizational money in the 2026 cycle. This stands in contrast to his 2024 performance, when he pulled in $281,464 total, including $500 from other political committees, and carried $101,614 in cash into the new cycle. The absence of committee support in 2026 reflects the difficulty Rice faces in attracting institutional backing for his Illinois 8th district fundraising effort.

Incumbents vs. Challengers

Across Illinois, incumbents are significantly outpacing challengers and open-seat candidates in fundraising, a pattern typical in competitive states. Rice, running for an open seat, faces the financial headwinds common to non-incumbent candidates. The FEC campaign finance report data show Democratic incumbents like Krishnamoorthi commanding massive cash advantages, while Republican challengers and open-seat candidates struggle to build competitive war chests.

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Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of March 31, 2026.

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