The race for Illinois State Senate in the 36th District between Senator Mike Jacobs and Republican Neil Anderson is the most expensive legislative race in state history.
According to Kent Redfield, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois-Springfield and expert on campaign finance, at least $3.6 million has been spent on the race.
That's nearly $1 million more than the previous record of $2.7 million set in a State Senate race in 2010, according to figures from Redfield.
It is a significant increase from the $2 million Redfield says was spent in the 36th District race in 2012, when Senator Jacobs beat Republican Bill Albracht.
"There's only 19 Senate seats up in and nine of them are contested, maybe three could possibly imagine a seat flipping from Democrat to Republican or Republican to Democrat," said Redfield.
Redfield's figures show more than $2 million has been spent on the Jacobs campaign and just under $1.5 million for Anderson's campaign.
Both have received the majority of their money from their respective parties and party leaders.
"They literally don't have a lot of places to spend money because only one third of the Senate is up and so you're going to see a lot of leadership money. You're going to see some outside expenditures, but not a lot. But they really are, these targeted races are, expensive and really dominated by money that's raised by the legislative leaders and state parties," said Redfield.