Unsurprisingly, incumbents in two Illinois-side legislative races hold huge financial advantages over challengers, according to end-of-the-year financial reports filed with the state board of elections.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-Moline, began 2008 with $148,372.09 in his campaign fund. Paul Rumler, a Moline Democrat seeking to wrest the party nomination from the senator, had $9,872.94 on Jan. 1. Since then, Sen. Jacobs has received $19,250 in donations of at least $500 each; Mr. Rumler has received $3,000 in such donations.

Mr. Jacobs' largest single donor during the report period was the Illinois Senate Democratic Fund, controlled by Senate President Emil Jones. It provided Sen. Jacobs $20,000.

In the 72nd House District, incumbent Democrat Mike Boland of East Moline had $76,027.53 on Jan. 1; Jerry Lack, who also wants the party nomination, had $17,075.90.

Since Jan. 1, Mr. Boland has taken in $7,699, all but $1,500 of it from Friends of Mike Madigan, a fund controlled by House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Among the criticisms Mr. Lack has leveled at Rep. Boland is that, because of his dependence on Mr. Madigan for money, Rep. Boland votes more in the interest of Chicago than of the Quad-Cities. Mr. Madigan put several hundred thousand dollars into Mr. Boland's successful campaign against Republican Steve Haring in 2006.

Mr. Lack has taken in $3,000 in $500-plus contributions since Jan. 1. They include $1,000 from Denny Jacobs and Associates, a lobbying firm run by the former state senator; and $2,000 from Friends of Pat Verschoore, a fund operated by the Democrat representative from neighboring District 71.

Mr. Boland, a former teacher, is seeking at eighth term in the House. Mr. Lack, a long-time aide for former congressman Lane Evans, is seeking a first term.

While Mr. Rumler's campaign fund is less than 10 percent of Sen. Jacobs', it is considerably more than he spent in 2006, when he first challenged Sen. Jacobs for the Democrat senatorial nomination in the 36th District. In that election, Sen. Jacobs spent $149,972, while Mr. Rumler spent $7,966. Sen. Jacobs won the nomination by a 56-44 margin.

Mr. Rumler, a Moline native, formerly worked on the Staff of U. S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland. He's director of Community and Economic Development for the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce.

The primary election is Feb. 5. The winner of the Democrat legislative nominations likely will face only token opposition -- if that -- from Republicans.

Examine the reports online:

Paul Rumler

Mike Jacobs

Mike Boland

Jerry Lack