Qasim for Congress Announces $305k Q3 Fundraising Haul

NAPERVILLE, IL – Human rights lawyer Qasim Rashid’s campaign for Congress in IL-11 announced Sunday evening that it raised over $305,000 in the third financial quarter, beating Rep. Bill Foster’s Q1 and Q2 totals. Rashid is the only Democrat in IL-11 to refuse corporate money and run a 100% people funded campaign.

“I launched my campaign for Congress on the promise to fight for working Americans, small businesses, and economic, social, and climate justice,” Rashid said. “Ultimately, whoever funds your campaign is who you’re accountable to, and with our 100% people funded campaign, we are upholding our campaign’s founding promise of remaining exclusively accountable to the people.”

With an average contribution of about $55, Rashid’s campaign received more than 5400 donations. That’s more than five times the number of Rep. Foster’s donations in the first two quarters combined. And while Rashid’s campaign remains 100% people funded, Foster’s campaign donors include GM—whose union workers are currently on strike for fair wages with UAW, as well as Wells Fargo, Visa, the Mortgage Bankers Association, Goldman Sachs, and HSBC—all companies Foster oversees on the House Financial Services Committee.

“This July at a town hall in Woodridge, Rep. Foster told a room full of constituents that he was against corporate money in politics,” said Ben Goldberg, Rashid’s campaign manager. “Rep. Foster publicly committed that he’d stop accepting corporate money when his opponents do the same, specifically declaring, ‘I’ll put down my gun when you put down yours.’”

Meanwhile, Foster’s campaign has accepted money from fossil fuel giant Exxon Mobil, big energy company Exelon—which the SEC just fined $46m for corruption and bribery, railroad giants BNSF and Union Pacific, for profit health insurer UnitedHealth—which the Federal government is currently suing for denying legitimate insurance claims, housing speculation firm BlackRock—a global leader in pollution, and defense contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

“Accepting corporate money puts politicians at odds with Democratic values. It obliges politicians to serve the companies they’re supposed to regulate while ignoring the needs of working Americans,” Rashid said. “I call on Rep. Bill Foster to uphold his promise to our district and refuse corporate money in the Democratic primary, a value shared by over 90% of Democratic voters. This should be an election about what matters to working families, not billion dollar companies.”

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About Qasim Rashid

Qasim Rashid is a human rights lawyer, author, and speaker. A resident of Naperville, IL, Rashid is happily married to his wife Ayesha Noor of 15 years. They have three children in Naperville public schools. Rashid has spent his career championing the values of economic and social justice, environmental protection, and accessible healthcare. His campaign is powered by the people and refuses fossil fuel and all other corporate contributions. According to his wife Ayesha, Qasim’s main flaw is his incessant love of dad jokes, which become a parent when you speak with Qasim.

For more information or to join the campaign, please visit qasimrashid.com or follow @QasimRashid across all major social media platforms.