Originally published at Crain's Business Magazine By: Paul Merrion

Ron Gidwitz, a longtime leader and financial stalwart of the Illinois Republican Party, is brewing up ways to turn the Tea Party's anger and energy into a real political force in some of the state's hottest elections this fall.

The establishment credentials of Mr. Gidwitz, a Chicago civic leader and former Fortune 500 CEO, might seem at odds with the disaffected members of the decentralized Tea Party movement, who don't trust either party to end corruption and wasteful government in Illinois.

But it's the first sign of a link between the state's business community, which has tended to back centrist GOP candidates, and Tea Party activists, who consider themselves independent and guided by principles rather than party loyalty. Putting business leaders' cash and political savvy together with the grass-roots manpower of the Tea Party could make their candidates far more formidable.

“We're getting better because of people like him,” says Steve McQueen, a leader of one of the state's largest Tea Party groups, based in Quincy.

The former CEO of Helene Curtis Industries Inc., who ran for governor in 2006 and now chairs Republican Bill Brady's gubernatorial campaign, is donating his own money and raising more from other Chicago executives to help Tea Party groups in various parts of the state. The money helps the activists get organized, a largely behind-the-scenes effort that could benefit candidates up and down the Republican ticket this fall.

“I see energized people,” Mr. Gidwitz says. “A lot of people are angry. We want to identify people who are dissatisfied with the status quo in Illinois and give them the opportunity to make a change.”

Mr. Gidwitz chairs and helps fund the Illinois arm of Americans for Prosperity, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative, anti-tax group that has a political organizer—longtime Illinois GOP operative Joe Calomino—working with Tea Party groups here.

“They're very good at putting the plan on the ground,” Mr. McQueen says. “They're instrumental at showing us what we need to do to be effective.”

Already, vulnerable Illinois Democratic incumbent Reps. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, Bill Foster of Geneva and Phil Hare of Rock Island are in close races with Tea Party favorites.

Chicago public affairs consultant Thom Serafin predicts Tea Party activists will “make a difference in some of those tight races.”

Candidates appreciate the help. “It's incredibly nice when groups just call and say, "We've got six people who can come by the office tonight—what do you have for us?' “ says John Cooney, campaign manager for state Sen. Randy Hultgren, who's challenging Mr. Foster.

Americans for Prosperity also has a professional fundraiser in Chicago and an Illinois mailing list with about 30,000 members and roughly 3,000 contributors, says Mr. Calomino, who has worked for former Gov. George Ryan and former Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood and run several statewide campaigns.

“When the Tea Party movement started, our membership doubled,” he says. His role is “helping them understand what the next level is,” such as organizing phone banks and canvassing drives. The Tea Party is known for “a lot of town halls, rallies and energy that needs to be strongly directed toward educating citizens about where candidates stand on issues and getting them to the polls,” he adds.

Mr. Gidwitz won't say how much money he has contributed or raised for organizational efforts in Illinois by Americans for Prosperity. Typically, the money pays for field organizers such as Mr. Calomino as well as the cost of organizing bus tours, phone bank systems and door-to-door canvassing efforts by Tea Party and other grass-roots volunteers on behalf of their candidates.

Mr. Calomino says Americans for Prosperity also may do independent direct mail or even television advertising for candidates, depending on how much is raised.