Democratic U.S. Representative Bill Foster’s top expenditure this election cycle has been distributing his campaign money to help other democratic candidates win their elections. 

Foster, who serves as the representative for the 11th Congressional District of Illinois, has spent $50,000 so far in the 2021-2022 election cycle in contributions to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) out of $350,000 total, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). In the last cycle, 2019-2020, Foster’s campaign spent a total of $300,000 on the DCCC.

Payments to the DCCC made up about 16% of the Foster campaign’s total spending during the previous election cycle and was the top expenditure for the campaign. Although the current cycle has just started, Foster is still giving about the same portion of his campaign money.

Other than DCCC contributions, Foster’s top expenditures for this election cycle include payroll for employees and services for the campaign. Angerholzer Broz Consulting is their fundraising firm and NC Consulting is their consulting business. Printing for the campaign is done by Breaker Press Co. Payments to the Illinois Department of Revenue and U.S. Treasury are also in the top 10 expenditures.

The DCCC works to support democratic House candidates in their elections. In the 2020 election, incumbent Representative Foster had a strong lead from the beginning over Republican candidate Rick Laib. This comfortable start allowed his campaign to focus their resources on helping the Democratic party as a whole, since Foster was largely projected to win.

According to Open Secrets, a non-partisan, nonprofit group that analyzes campaign finance, Foster’s fundraising has decreased with each election, but is still raising more than his opponents. In 2008, his first election, he raised $4.92 million. This was the only time that his opponent, James Oberweis, raised more. Still, it was not much more at $5.07 million.

In 2020, Laib, Foster’s opponent, only raised $20,342. On the other hand, Foster raised $2.37 million. Due to this sizable difference, Foster was able to contribute to other democratic campaigns that had a closer race through his donations to the DCCC.

Foster has been the representative for the 11th District since 2012. He represents largely populated areas including Naperville, Joliet, Aurora and Downers Grove. Foster has previously served as Illinois’s 14th Congressional District’s representative, from 2008 to 2011.

Having a long tenure in Illinois and democratic politics has allowed Foster to establish allies. Through the DCCC, he helps contribute to their campaigns.

Congresswoman Lucy McBath serves as the representative for Georgia’s 6th congressional district. Friends of Lucy McBath has received $2,000 from Bill Foster for Congress, which is tied with Cindy Axne for Congress for the campaign that has gotten the most financial support from Foster.

McBath is a native of Joliet, Illinois, which is an area Foster represents. Now serving in Georgia, a state that has historically been dominated by republican representation, McBath has received support from Foster’s campaign. This helps to bring more democratic representatives to the state and increase the party’s presence in Congress.

Cindy Axne, who has also received $2,000 from Bill Foster for Congress this cycle, serves as the representative for Iowa’s 3rd congressional district. Axne is also a member of the democratic party.

DCCC spending is the second-highest expenditure for Bill Foster for Congress this cycle, only behind Paychex, a payroll service. Dovile Svirpskaite, the campaign manager for Bill Foster for Congress, is the highest paid employee on staff. 

Since May 2020, Svirpskaite has overseen the day-to-day operations of the campaign, which includes fundraising. Svirupskaite has been paid $30,133 in the first half of 2021.

In the previous cycle, Robert Bourret was the highest paid employee for Foster’s campaign. At the time, he served as the campaign manager for Bill Foster for Congress. His total salary came to $205,529. Svirpskaite is on track to be paid a similar amount by the end of this election cycle.