How to Buy a Senate Seat

Over the last seven years, the Chesney family has quietly funneled $257,900.00 into Andrew Chesney’s political machine. The breakdown is as telling as it is disturbing:

• Steven Chesney (Nevada Resident), Andrew’s father and the former owner of Seaga Manufacturing Inc., has contributed a staggering $210,850.00.

• Beverly Chesney (Nevada Resident) has chipped in $31,500.00.

• Andrew himself? A laughable $2,950.00—barely a dent in the empire built on family fortune, corporate capital, and at the expense of taxpayers throughout Freeport and the region.

The strategy was simple and ruthless: bankroll his own campaign under the guise of “self-funding” using immediate family contributions. And under Illinois law, if a candidate or their family contributes over $100,000 to their campaign, they can file a Self-Funding Notification—triggering the elimination of contribution limits for every candidate in the race. But in Chesney’s case, this wasn’t about leveling a playing field—it was about clearing it.

March 15, 2022: The Power Play

On this date, just three and a half months before the June 28, 2022, primary election, Chesney’s campaign filed the paperwork declaring itself “self-funded.” Overnight, contribution limits disappeared. At that moment, the Chesney for Illinois PAC had over $212,000 in its war chest—largely thanks to the influence Steven Chesney amassed across northern Illinois through a trail of ethically murky business ventures and politically entangled activities.

The timing wasn’t accidental. With the playing field wiped clean of donation caps, the campaign was free to collect, reimburse, and spend without traditional accountability. This included loaning himself funds, only to repay those loans later with other people’s donations—a legal but morally bankrupt sleight of hand, one mirrored by Freeport’s Mayor, Jodi Miller, who’s used similar tactics to consolidate power and shield herself from scrutiny or financial risk. Chesney had made a mockery of “self-funding.”

A System Built to Protect the Elite

Illinois law doesn’t just allow this—it rewards it. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections:

“There is nothing to be done, no regulation against what he is doing.”

That’s not a bug in the system. It is the system. A system where those who buy it get to write the rulebooks. A system where candidates with deep family pockets can declare themselves “self-funded,” wipe out campaign contribution limits, rake in massive unchecked donations—and then turn around and call themselves public servants.

The War Chest That Won’t Quit

As of July 2022, just after bulldozing his way through the primary, Chesney was sitting on $212,493.88. And despite another election cycle coming up, his current balance still hovers around $212,207.17—more than enough to crush any competitor before the first mailer goes out.

But here’s the catch: he hasn’t declared self-funding this time around. Why would he? When you’ve already been gifted a golden slingshot and your enemies are showing up with sticks, there’s no need to change the rules.

Legal Corruption 101

Let’s call this what it is: legal corruption. A prime example of how Illinois campaign finance law has been weaponized to lock out working-class candidates and ensure that those born into wealth stay in power. Senator Chesney didn’t just beat the system—his daddy bought it.

And while the rest of us play by the rules, men like Chesney are rewriting them to ensure that Northwestern Illinois stays under their thumb, their family name stitched into every backroom deal, every sweetheart contract, and every back-patting committee assignment from Freeport to Galena to Springfield.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans. It’s about a system rigged from the start—a campaign finance structure that allows a politician’s father to bankroll their rise, lets them declare themselves self-funded at the most convenient moment, and then use that status to repel any real challenge—all while hiding his insecurities and obvious lack of ability by making friends using taxpayer money, throughout his kingdom. Neglecting his responsibilities to his constituents has only led to the further decline of the majority of cities and counties throughout his district. Mr. MAGA wannabe himself hasn't led Northwestern Illinois forward—he's dragged us into economic decline, turning our communities into welfare zones reliant on state and federal handouts (grants) just to stay afloat.

Let's be honest. Senator Andrew Chesney is a little man who desperately wanted to be a big fish, so he has ensured that our pond stays very, very small.

In any functioning democracy, this would raise red flags. In Illinois? It’s just another Tuesday.

Fighting4Freeport is calling for reform, transparency, and real accountability. Because if this is how our leaders rise to power, then it’s no wonder working families in Northwestern Illinois are stuck at the bottom.

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-Fighting4Freeport