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Richard Uihlein
| Richard Uihlein | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Uline Corporation |
| Role: | Co-founder, Chairman of the Board, Director, and CEO |
| Location: | Chicago, Ill. |
| Education: | B.A., Stanford University |
Richard Uihlein is the co-founder, director, chairman of the board and CEO of Uline Corporation, which was launched in 1980.[1] Prior to founding Uline, Uihlein worked at General Bindings Corporation from 1967 to 1980, which was co-founded by his father, Edgar Uihlein. Crain's Chicago Business named Uihlein, a self-described "conservative Republican," as "Illinois' largest GOP donor nationwide."[2]
Biography
Uihlein earned his bachelor's in history from Stanford University. In 1967, Uihlein joined General Bindings Corporation, the company his father, Edgar, co-founded.[3] Uihlein worked in international sales until 1980, when he and his wife co-founded Uline Corporation, a shipping company.[2]
Work and activities
A March 2018 Politico article called Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth, "the biggest Republican donors of the 2018 midterm elections, having given $21 million to candidates for federal office and super PACs that will support them."[4] According to Crain's Chicago Business, prior to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Uihlein, "was considered a modest but reliable donor to Republican candidates."[2]
Uihlein is a frequent donor to the Club for Growth Action, a super PAC that endorses candidates who support lower taxes, reduced government spending, and pro-economic growth policies.
Restoration PAC (2018)
During the 2018 campaign cycle, Uihlein contributed $4.73 million to Restoration PAC, a political action committee founded by former U.S. Senate candidate Doug Truax (R) in 2015.[5] The group supports candidates who uphold the Blueprint for the Restoration of America.[6] Uihlein contributed $3.75 million to the PAC during the 2016 election cycle.[7]
Illinois gubernatorial primary (2018)
During the 2018 Republican primary campaign for governor of Illinois, Uihlein supported state Rep. Jeanne Ives' (R) challenge to sitting Gov. Bruce Rauner (R). Uihlein had contributed $2.63 million to Rauner's campaign during the 2014 election cycle.[8] During the 2018 primary, Uihlein contributed $2.5 million to Ives' campaign, accounting for more than half of her total fundraising, which stood at $3.9 million as of March 19, 2018.[9][10]
2018 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin
During the 2018 election cycle, Uihlein supported the primary campaign of Kevin Nicholson (R) in his effort to secure the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. Uihlein donated an initial $3,500,000 to Solutions for Wisconsin, a super PAC supporting Nicholson, in 2017.[11][12]
2017 U.S. Senate election in Alabama
Beginning in September 2017, Uihlein donated a total of $100,000 to Proven Conservative PAC, a super PAC that supported former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore (R) in his U.S. Senate campaign.[13] One donation, which was given on November 22, 2017, came more than a week after the first allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore surfaced. In November 2017, The Daily Beast reported that the organization had "spent more than $120,000 on about 15 television spots for ads boosting Moore and casting [Moore's opponent Luther] Strange as a D.C. insider and [Democratic candidate Doug] Jones as a liberal extremist."[14]
2016 presidential election
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
During the 2016 presidential election, Uihlein made donations to organizations supporting Carly Fiorina (R), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Scott Walker (R-Wis.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Donald Trump (R).[3]
USA Today reported that he spent a total of $19.6 million at the federal level in 2016.[15] His giving included the following noteworthy donations in the 2016 presidential election:
| Noteworthy Richard Uihlein donations to presidential super PACs, 2015-2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | Supporting | Donation | Date | FEC document |
| Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for you and for America | Carly Fiorina | $100,000 | September 8, 2015 | Filing |
| Unintimidated PAC | Scott Walker | $1,000,000 | June 30, 2015 | Filing |
| $750,000 | May 14, 2015 | Filing | ||
| RAND PAC | Rand Paul | $5,000 | November 25, 2015 | Filing |
| Keep the Promise PAC | Ted Cruz | $1,000,000 | January 6, 2016 | Filing |
| Great America PAC | Donald Trump | $100,000 | October 5, 2016 | Filing |
2016 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin
In addition to supporting presidential super PACs, Uihlein donated a total of $3,450,000 during the 2016 cycle to Restoration PAC, a super PAC that supported Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) re-election campaign. The following table shows Uihlein's donations to the super PAC during the 2016 elections.
| Richard Uihlein donations to Restoration PAC, 2015-2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | FEC document | Donation |
| July 16, 2015 | Filing | $700,000 |
| September 9, 2015 | Filing | $300,000 |
| December 16, 2015 | Filing | $500,000 |
| July 8, 2016 | Filing | $1,050,000 |
| September 15, 2016 | Filing | $500,000 |
| November 2, 2016 | Filing | $400,000 |
| Total | $3,450,000 | |
2014 Illinois gubernatorial election
Uihlein donated $2.6 million dollars to Gov. Bruce Rauner's campaign in 2014.[3] The Illinois State Board of Elections lists Uihlein's total state-based donations at over $7.7 million dollars.[16]
Club for Growth Action donations
Uihlein has been a major donor to Club for Growth Action, a super PAC that endorses and makes independent expenditures in federal elections that concern government spending and economic policy. The following table shows Uihlein's donations to the organization from its founding in 2010 to November 2017.
| Richard Uihlein donations to Club for Growth Action, 2010-November 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | FEC document | Donation |
| May 24, 2017 | Filing | $1,500,000 |
| October 13, 2016 | Filing | $250,000 |
| October 6, 2016 | Filing | $250,000 |
| September 2, 2016 | Filing | $500,000 |
| April 12, 2016 | Filing | $1,000,000 |
| April 12, 2016 | Filing | $250,000 |
| February 2, 2016 | Filing | $500,000 |
| January 13, 2016 | Filing | $500,000 |
| September 16, 2015 | Filing | $500,000 |
| May 19, 2015 | Filing | $500,000 |
| October 8, 2014 | Filing | $200,000 |
| December 30, 2013 | Filing | $250,000 |
| May 7, 2013 | Filing | $50,000 |
| January 29, 2013 | Filing | $200,000 |
| October 31, 2012 | Filing | $100,000 |
| October 2, 2012 | Filing | $200,000 |
| July 26, 2012 | Filing | $100,000 |
| June 27, 2012 | Filing | $200,000 |
| May 2, 2012 | Filing | $10,000 |
| January 11, 2012 | Filing | $100,000 |
| June 17, 2011 | Filing | $100,000 |
| October 19, 2010 | Filing | $100,000 |
| October 5, 2010 | Filing | $10,000 |
| August 27, 2010 | Filing | $50,000 |
| August 11, 2010 | Filing | $50,000 |
| Total | $7,470,000 | |
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bloomberg Business, "Profile of Richard E. Uihlein," accessed October 28, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Crain's Chicago Business, "The Koch of conservative politics in Illinois: Uihlein," September 28, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chicago Sun-Times, "Mega donor Richard Uihlein ramps up donations to conservative causes," September 7, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpoliticoMar18 - ↑ OpenSecrets, "Restoration PAC, Contributors, 2018 cycle," accessed August 23, 2018
- ↑ FOX Business, "This GOP millionaire is ramping up donations," February 14, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Restoration PAC - Contributors, 2016 cycle," accessed August 23, 2018
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Contributions List," accessed March 19, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "The biggest Republican megadonor you’ve never heard of," March 19, 2018
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Contributions List," accessed March 19, 2018
- ↑ FEC, "Solutions for Wisconsin Form 3X," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ FEC, "Solutions for Wisconsin Form 3X," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ FEC, "Proven Conservative PAC form 3X," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ The Daily Beast, "Roy Moore Super PAC Financier Finally Revealed," November 27, 2017
- ↑ USA Today, "10 super-rich people dominate giving to super PACs active in midterm elections for Congress," February 24, 2018
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Richard Uihlein," accessed October 28, 2015
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