Though the 2015 mayoral election is still far off, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's war-chest is already overflowing, per a new Chicago Sun-Times report.
According to the paper, Emanuel has $5 million cash on hand and raised more than $1.1 million worth of contributions of $1,000 or more in September alone -- with a year and a half to go before the next election in Chicago.
Among the donations, the mayor's political strategist told the Sun-Times, are $783,400 from organized labor since late June, despite some unions -- the Chicago Teachers Union in particular -- coming out strong against the idea of an Emanuel administration expanding beyond one four-year term. Unite Here is among the unions that have donated to the mayor.
The latest numbers jibe with June reports that also indicated Emanuel is having a solid fundraising year.
Despite the strong fundraising numbers, there is still plenty of reason to believe Emanuel is far from invincible in 2015. Last month, he was openly booed during an anti-violence youth basketball tournament on the city's South Side. And Emanuel's most recent approval rating, according to a May poll conducted by WGN/the Tribune, showed many Chicagoans -- particularly lower-income and African-American voters -- were increasingly souring on the mayor's performance.
For its part, the CTU said Friday the mayor "needs every dime" and "some very strong policy" in order to weather what they say will be a very heated reelection battle, according to the Sun-Times' Natasha Korecki.
No major rivals have yet emerged to challenge Emanuel.
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