From the Ted Dabrowski for Governor campaign:
Business donor base supporting Dabrowski campaign
Wilmette — Illinois’ business donor base is rallying around Ted Dabrowski’s gubernatorial campaign.
Richard Uihlein, CEO of Uline, is the most notable donor to the campaign given his major support of Republican candidates in recent elections. Uihlein contributed $250,000 to the Ted for Illinois campaign on Friday of last week.
James Perry, co-founder of Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn, has also contributed $250,000 to the campaign. Perry is joined by co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of Madison Dearborn, John Canning, with a $100,000 contribution.
Other donors contributing $100,000 or more include Chicago investor Noel Moore; Vince Kolber, CEO of Residco; Ed Bachrach, retired chairman and CEO of Bachrach Clothing, Inc.; and Alex Melvin, owner and chairman of Rural King.
Gerald Beeson, COO of Citadel, has also donated $50,000 to Ted for Illinois.
Increasing support for Dabrowski from the business community is based on his 15 years of work on tax, economic and education reforms, most recently at research and policy group Wirepoints. Dabrowski’s efforts focus on a reduction in taxes, a dramatic increase in job creation, and the restoration of literacy and numeracy in Illinois’ schools.
Dabrowski’s approach stands in sharp contrast to Gov. Pritzker’s record-level spending and his continued use of tax hikes to fuel that spending. Private-sector job creation under Pritzker has been virtually nonexistent since 2019, and student outcomes have remained dismal, even as per student spending has continued to jump.
In all, Dabrowski has raised more than $1.2 million, the leading amount among candidates in the Republican primary, since announcing his candidacy on September 12, 2025.
