Central Illinois’ own Jim Acklin gets national publicity for his shady campaign to unseat Adam Niemerg

We covered the campaign for the Republican nomination for the 102nd Illinois House District between incumbent Adam Niemerg and newcomer Jim Acklin.  What makes this race exceptional is that it’s a duel of write-in candidates.  The “education” unions are supporting Acklin, trying to take out one of their biggest critics in the General Assembly.

Well, the tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to take out the solidly pro-gun Adam Niemerg has caught the attention of a national news blog, The Daily Signal.

Here’s the relevant Daily Signal excerpt, starting with the opening lines:

Though teachers unions are well known for donating huge sums to Democratic candidates, a closer look at donor data reveals that the unions have spent the last six years quietly slipping millions of dollars into the pockets of Republican candidates for state legislatures in contested primary races.

According to databases maintained by Open Secrets and Follow the Money, the largest teachers unions in 32 states have drastically increased donations to Republican state house, assembly, and senate candidates since 2018—donating up to $117,700 to individual candidates in a Republican primary…

Teachers unions are the largest donor to Democratic campaigns in the United States, with their unions and affiliated political action committees donating $55.3 million to Democratic primary and general candidates in congressional elections in 2022 and $66.5 million to Democratic primary and general congressional and presidential candidates in 2020. In 2022, teachers unions only donated $26,050 total to Republican primary and general congressional candidates…

And now about Acklin’s shady campaign, funded by the rabidly anti-gun teachers’ unions…

The Illinois Education Association spent the second-highest amount on Republican state legislative primaries, only behind Alabama. Between 2018 and 2024, the association spent $2,650,315 on Republican candidates.

A report from public radio station WGLT in Illinois reports that at least $250,000 of this sum is dedicated to “unseating two conservative House Freedom Caucus members in southeastern Illinois,” state Reps. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, and Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City.

Dick Simpson, a former Chicago alderman and professor at the University of Chicago, told WGLT that this move would be “to the advantage of the unions to try and get more moderate Republicans.”

“Even if they’re not going to vote with [the unions] 100% of the time,” Simpson said, “at least their more vocal opponents will be out of the legislature.”

Niemerg’s primary opponent, Jim Acklin, is neither a stranger to state representative primaries nor to teachers union donations. In 2016, Acklin received $63,900 from the Illinois Education Association but lost the primary for Illinois’ House District 102.

Acklin did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by time of publication, but the story will be updated if he does.

And just a reminder, Acklin’s got a lot of warts in his warehouse of skeletons:

From our friends over at Edgar County Watchdogs:

Jim Acklin has announced he is running as a write-in candidate against State Representative Adam Niemerg who is also a write-in candidate.  Niemerg has been endorsed by every GOP County Chairman in the 102nd district and is a member of the Illinois Freedom Caucus.

According to State Board of Election campaign reporting found here and here, Acklin is being funded by the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois PAC for Education, and the Illinois Laborers Legislative Committee.

Acklin is currently the Acting Mayor of Ogden, Illinois, and Interim Superintendent of Chrisman Schools.  Acklin currently draws just under $11,000.00 ($10,980.82), a month from the Teachers Retirement fund as reported on Open the Books at this link.

We believe people should know their candidates, so here is what we and others wrote about Acklin the last time he ran for State Representative:

• Prior reporting on Acklin regarding failures in mandated reporting allegations of sexual abuse of a child at this link.
• Madison -St. Clair Record reporting on Acklin: “In sexual misconduct suit, state rep candidate said female student was responsible for relationship with teacher”.  Our prior reporting on that matter at this link. 
• Acklin said “follow the money” (HERE) –
• Prior reporting on bogus Acklin robocalls is found at this link.
• Our prior reporting on Acklin regarding mandated reporting at this link and exposed by Liberty Principals PAC in his past campaign at this link.
• Campaign funding reporting concerns were reported here and here.
• Prior reporting on sexual abuse coverup at this link. (HERE);
• We fact-checked an editorial about Acklin (HERE);
• WCIA verified Acklin’s robocalls were not true. (HERE);
• Acklin allowed electioneering in Chrisman Schools (HERE);

We attempted to reach out to Acklin for comments but could not find any email address for his campaign.

We urge voters to do their homework and vote accordingly.

The last line is crucial.