High Time for Political Consultant Thacker
1 comment July 22nd, 2008
Jim Thacker, a Rockford-based political consultant, is doing quite well for himself thanks to the campaigns of Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey, Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen, U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo and others.
Such local political campaigns paid Thacker at least $108,120 during the year ended June 30, according to state and federal campaign finance disclosure statements.
Thacker earned $42,000 from Chuck Prorok’s campaign for Winnebago County state’s attorney, $22,000 from Morrissey’s campaign, $10,200 from Christiansen’s campaign, and $4,000 for Mike Hakanson campaign for Winnebago County auditor during that one-year period, according to statements updated Monday with the State Board of Elections.Prorok, Christiansen and Hakanson are Republican. Morrissey came from a strongly Democratic family and won election in 2005 as an independent. Thacker describes himself as a conservative Republican.
Thacker also earned $29,920 from Manzullo’s campaign during the year ended June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission. Thacker is formerly Manzullo’s chief of staff.
Thacker started volunteering for political campaigns in 1984 and he’s been a full-time political consultant since 1992, he told me.
“I’ve been involved in politics for 24 years on a pretty serious level,” he said. “And I think what most of these folks are looking for is basically a resource — somebody they can talk to who’s been through the battles before. It’s reassuring when, in the course of a campaign, that different issues pop up and they’re working with somebody who’s probably experienced those issues on a previous campaign.”
As a full-time, Rockford-based political consultant, Thacker has little competition — at least on GOP side of the equation.
“There’s not a lot of people like me,” he said. “I only take on a number of races base on my ability to spend the right amount of time with them and basically not have to work 24 hours a day.”
Thacker, 45, grew up in Woodstock. He attended Rockford College and spent considerable time in Rockford as Manzullo’s chief of staff.
“I’ve been coming back and forth to Rockford for 20 years,” he said. “Later, when I was working on Larry Morrissey’s campaign, that’s when I actually started living here. And I’ve been living here for about five years.”
As is typical for political staff, Thacker said he’d rather not be in the spotlight. He’d rather stay behind the scenes.
“I will not be upset if no article appears,” he said.
