* 9:26 pm - I’m done. The AP has finally called it for Quigley. A bit late, but better late than never. I’m moving the automated news feed to the top for your reading pleasure…
* 9:12 pm - Fox Chicago is reporting that Rep. Feigenholtz has now called Quigley to concede. Rep. Fritchey called earlier.
* 8:59 pm - Lynn Sweet just posted the Quigley team list. I thought I’d share…
Campaign manager : Thomas C. Bowen
Press Secretary: Billy Weinberg
Media consultant: Saul Shorr
Pollster: Anzalone Liszt
Direct mail consultant: Pete Giangreco
Finance director: Kelly Dietrich
Campaign treasurer: Ronald G. Hayden
Top members of finance committee include: Bill Brandt and Henry Feinberg
Pulido, Rosanna GOP 808 25%
Hanson, Tom GOP 701 22%
Anderson, David GOP 595 18%
Bedell, Gregory GOP 501 16%
Kay, Daniel GOP 315 10%
Stewart, Jon GOP 305 9%
Greens…
Reichel, Mathew Grn 142 34%
Gordils, Deb Grn 133 32%
Fredrickson, Mark Grn 62 15%
Augustson, Alan Grn 53 13%
Ribeiro, Simon Grn 25 6%
* 8:49 pm -Rep. John Fritchey has called Mike Quigley to concede. He is expected to speak soon.
* 8:45 pm - Rahm Emanuel has reportedly called Quigley’s campaign headquarters, where the Capitol Fax Blog is on full-time. This is from the Quigley HQ…
According to estimates provided by the FEC for all the major candidates and the independent expenditures on behalf of Representative Feigenholtz and opthamalogist Paul Bryar, the total spending for all of Commissioner Quigley’s opponents was approximately $3,000,000. Quigley’s campaign spent approximately $550,000.
$3,000,000 - $550,000
5-1 spending.
As of 8:36 pm, the race has not been officially called, but the lead Commissioner Quigley holds right now is virtually insurmountable.
* 8:42 pm - The city has ward and precinct totals up now. Click here to see them. [hat tip to a commenter]
Mike Quigley 9,526 23.06%
John A. Fritchey 7,274 17.61%
Sara Feigenholtz 6,774 16.40%
Patrick J. O’Connor 5,233 12.67%
Victor A. Forys 4,313 10.44%
Cook…
Mike Quigley (DEM) 429 13.08%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 186 5.67%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 813 24.78%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 526 16.03%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 663 20.21%
* 8:32 pm - Full Democratic results so far from the AP…
Quigley, Mike Dem 9,797 22%
Fritchey, John Dem 7,689 17%
Feigenholtz, Sara Dem 7,478 17%
O’Connor, Patrick Dem 5,367 12%
Forys, Victor Dem 4,966 11%
Wheelan, Charles Dem 2,912 7%
Geoghegan, Tom Dem 2,619 6%
Bryar, Paul Dem 891 2%
Donatelli, Jan Dem 697 2%
Annunzio, Frank Dem 607 1%
Capparelli, Cary Dem 565 1%
Monteagudo, Carlos Dem 401 1%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 424 13.07%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 186 5.73%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 799 24.62%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 522 16.09%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 661 20.37%
Mike the intern has done city/county totals for the Republicans and the Greens.
Here’s the GOPs…
Rosanna Pulido (REP) 784
Tom Hanson (REP) 689
David J Anderson (REP) 583
Gregory A. Bedell (REP) 494
Daniel S. Kay (Karkusiewicz) (REP) 311
Jon Stewart (REP) 299
You’d think a name like “Jon Stewart” would count for something.
Greens…
Matt Reichel (GRN) 134
Deb Leticia Gordils (GRN) 124
Mark Arnold Fredrickson (GRN) 56
Alan Augustson (GRN) 51
Simon Ribeiro (GRN) 24
Mike Quigley (DEM) 424 13.07%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 186 5.73%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 799 24.62%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 522 16.09%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 661 20.37%
“I’m in shock,” Quigley said. Poking fun at his reputation for wearing a scowl, Quigley added, “With the results so far, for a guy that doesn’t smile much, I’m smiling now
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 788 24.77%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 515 16.19%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 649 20.40%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 411 12.92%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 180 5.66%
* And in case you care. From the city…
REP - Rep. In Congress, 5th 364 of 486 precincts counted 74.90%
Gregory A. Bedell 368 16.34%
Rosanna Pulido 563 25.00%
Tom Hanson 465 20.65%
Jon Stewart 217 9.64%
David J Anderson 438 19.45% Daniel S. Kay (Karkusiewicz) 201 8.93%
GRN - Rep. In Congress, 5th 364 of 486 precincts counted 74.90%
Alan Augustson 44 12.32%
Mark Arnold Fredrickson 52 14.57%
Deb Leticia Gordils 114 31.93%
Matt Reichel 124 34.73%
Simon Ribeiro 23 6.44%
* 7:54 pm - This thing sure looks over to me. What say you?
Mike Quigley 8,809 23.22%
John A. Fritchey 6,653 17.53%
Sara Feigenholtz 6,207 16.36%
Patrick J. O’Connor 4,721 12.44%
Victor A. Forys 4,055 10.69%
County… Precincts Counted: 68 of 92 (73.91%)
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 727 23.84%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 510 16.73%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 634 20.79%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 397 13.02%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 171 5.61%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 642 23.13%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 479 17.26%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 577 20.79%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 360 12.97%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 156 5.62%
* 7:33 pm - More city numbers. 327 of 486 precincts counted 37,393 votes, 67.28%
Mike Quigley 8,076 23.18%
John A. Fritchey 6,101 17.51%
Sara Feigenholtz 5,555 15.94%
Patrick J. O’Connor 4,449 12.77%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 317 12.57%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 137 5.43%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 538 21.33%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 585 23.20%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 434 17.21%
* 7:27 pm - More from the city. 289 of 486 precincts counted 59.47%…
Mike Quigley 7,213 23.50%
John A. Fritchey 5,293 17.24%
Sara Feigenholtz 4,828 15.73%
Patrick J. O’Connor 4,028 13.12%
Victor A. Forys 3,159 10.29%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 228 13.34%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 98 5.73%
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 392 22.94%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 300 17.55%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 368 21.53%
City turnout: 18,684. Top tier so far with 164 of 486 precincts counted (33.74%)…
Mike Quigley 4,164 23.98%
John A. Fritchey 2,863 16.49%
Sara Feigenholtz 2,662 15.33%
Patrick J. O’Connor 2,278 13.12%
Victor A. Forys 1,773 10.21%
County Precincts Counted: 20 of 92 (21.74%)…
Sara Feigenholtz (DEM) 143 20.28%
John A. Fritchey (DEM) 138 19.57%
Victor A. Forys (DEM) 134 19.01%
Mike Quigley (DEM) 116 16.45%
Patrick J. O’Connor (DEM) 48 6.81%
* Click below for results. I’ll be updating as we go along. Hopefully, this won’t take forever…
* The Sun-Times will post live reports here [new link]. The Tribune will have some reports here. But the Tribbies apparently have a taste for the obvious. This was posted a few minutes ago…
If early word is any indication, it’ll be a low turnout election.
A person commits distracted driving when he or she operates a motor vehicle while (i) engaging in text messaging, (ii) reading a newspaper, book, magazine, or map, (iii) engaged in an act of personal grooming, and the operation of the motor vehicle is in violation of a law or ordinance governing the movement of vehicles.
[Emphasis added]
The cops can’t pull you over specifically for any of these acts. It has to be an add-on situation. So, if you’re speeding or weaving you can get hit with this extra pop, but it won’t add a moving violation to your record.
Just curious what you think about the bill, particularly the highlighted selection above. Perhaps you could also suggest additional distracted driving provisions.
*** UPDATE - 1:53 pm *** The bill has now been pulled from consideration so that it can be “improved,” according to the sponsor.
* There isn’t much to report about the race at the moment. I’m hearing Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico has flipped and is now with Rep. Sara Feigehnoltz, which is kinda funny, considering this recent story.
*** UPDATE 1 - 1:39 pm *** The Quigley campaign is filing a complaint with the Cook County Clerk alleging that Mayor Serpico’s people are using city cars to electioneer for Rep. Feigenholtz, and that they’re allegedly electioneering too close to the polls. More in a bit.
…Adding… A Quigley campaign lawyer just said the campaign had heard “multiple reports” of these alleged violations.
“We have had over 4,000 ballots returned to us from overseas voters,” Neal said. “Many of them are military personnel.
Um, not quite. Not even close. According to the city’s Board of Elections, the actual total of overseas ballots returned was 190. In total, there were 5,060 absentee and early voting ballots filed, including 4,698 Democratic, 310 Republican and 52 Green.
*** UPDATE 3 - 2:55 pm *** I’m hearing that lots of Polish-Americans are showing up to the polls. Anecdotally, I’m told that quite a few are asking not for Democratic or Republican ballots, but for the “Forys ballot.” Then again, those wards reportedly aren’t doing all that much better with turnout. So, we’ll see.
*** UPDATE 4 - 3:23 pm *** Lakefront turnout is horrible, from all accounts I’m getting. We’ll see if there’s any sort of after-work bump. Here are a couple of totals so far: 47th Ward at 2 o’clock: 3,648 Dem ballots. 36th Ward at 2 o’clock: 2,655 Dem ballots.
Chicago Board of Elections spokesman Jim Allen says calls to the board’s Polish hotline are much higher than calls to any other hotline this morning.
A few candidates have focused efforts in Polish areas, but Vic Forys has made the Polish vote his entire campaign. Keep in mind, however, that’s it’s extremely difficult to change the actual structure of a voting population.
* Pete Giangreco, who is with the Quigley campaign, predicted in comments earlier today on a previous thread that he believes “turnout is headed to about 46,000.” That’s at the upper end of predictions I heard last week. “LaborGuy,” who is working for the Feigenholtz effort (and whose identity is known to me) is predicting 42,000 to 46,000 for turnout. The Fritchey campaign thinks 46K is way too high. If memory serves, there are about 35,000 or so D-3 voters in the district (people who have voted in the last three Dem primaries), which gives you a good idea about the baseline turnout there. The Cook County Clerk’s office says turnout’s been “really slow” from anecdotal information they’re getting.
52 votes per precinct = 30,000 voters
61 votes per precinct = 35,000 voters
69 votes per precinct = 40,000 voters
78 votes per precinct = 45,000 voters
86 votes per precinct = 50,000 voters
I have access to a tracker system from one of the campaigns, but the 10 am results are spotty. The highest precinct showed 53 votes, most others were far below that.
* What are you hearing out there?
* Today’s previous 5th CD post (97 comments - which is almost a higher turnout than the actual campaign) is now closed. Here’s the news roundup…
* Here’s just one more example of why Rod Blagojevich’s word can never be trusted at any time on any subject. On his last day in office, Rod Blagojevich suggested to the New York Times that his lieutenant governor had abused his office by traveling all over the world on the taxpayers’ dime…
“We should have been more selfish, not selfless,” [Blagojevich] said. “It sounds probably perverse for me to say that based on what some people are saying about me. But it’s true. My family, we didn’t take advantage of all these things that people do.
“My successor has done a whole bunch as the lieutenant governor — taken all kinds of trips all over the world and trade missions — like he’s got anything to do with anything as lieutenant governor.”
It was journalistic incompetence to print that quote without challenge, but the AP has now taken a look at Blagojevich’s claim…
It’s true. Quinn was overseas 10 times in six years as lieutenant governor. But he billed the state for just two of those treks.
In fact, an Associated Press review of the Democrat’s travel records shows Quinn has never accepted the $32 daily meal allowance for traveling state workers and often pays his own lodging, too — even when he’s on state business.
“I try to be thrifty for the public,'’ Quinn told the AP in a telephone interview.
Through November, records show Quinn had been reimbursed about $17,800 for travel in six years, an average of $250 a month.
$250 a month is pretty light, if you ask me. And that total taxpayer bill is minute in comparison to what Blagojevich charged the state.
* The fact that you can’t believe a word that Blagojevich says also causes me to somewhat doubt these stories…
Blagojevich’s publicity agent announced Monday that the impeached governor will receive an undisclosed “six-figure” sum to pen a book about the “dark side of politics.”
Show me the contract.
And if he does write it, we all know it’ll be fiction.
In & Out: Embattled U.S. Sen. Roland Burris may have decided to tough it out, but Sneed is told Fred Lebed, Burris’ former business partner, has now severed his relationship with the Burris campaign.
• • Oil & water: “Fred just quit as Burris’ campaign treasurer –mainly because he is not a big fan (which is putting it mildly) of Burris’ new press flack, Delmarie Cobb,” said a source.
That’s part of the reason, anyway. Lebed is definitely no Cobb fan. Cobb, of course, has been pushing the race issue hard to defend her new client.
This departure is big news. Fred Lebed has been with Burris since before the beginning, and that’s a heckuva long time ago.
* I got an e-mail from this guy yesterday. He thought he might have a scoop….
Both Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo report that Burris has put up a campaign website, with most of the pages empty, but featuring a biography and, of course, an online donation button. The website does say that it is paid for by Burris for Senate. Nevertheless, given how simplistic the site is, I’m still half-thinking it’s a hoax… There is a contact phone number, so I called it. […]
The woman that answered, in the way that people answer a phone at a law firm when they rattle off the name of the firm, “Gonzalez, Saggio & Harlan.” I asked if this was Roland Burris’ campaign office. She said no. I asked if any Roland Burris staff was there (making no distinction between campaign staff and law firm staff). She again said no. So, not only is the number on the alleged campaign website wrong, but the number that Burris’ old law firm lists on YellowPages.com forwards to this larger law firm, Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, at the same address in the same office suite. […]
So, I wonder, is that really a Roland Burris campaign website? If it’s a hoax, it’s understandable why there is a bad phone number - whoever concocted the website just grabbed the old number off of Burris’ old law firm without checking it…
I told him that this was most likely incompetence and not a hoax.
A spokesperson for Burris said Monday that the Web site supportburris.com was launched soon after the Democrat was seated in the Senate.
Always look for the most likely explanation. “Incompetence” is Burris’ claim to fame.
* Speaking of which, 2008 GOP Senate candidate Steve Sauerberg won’t try again…
SAUERBERG: My desire to interrupt the world of professional politics has been relatively unsuccessful.
Sauerberg still hasn’t recooped all the money he loaned his campaign. He’s now returned to his full-time job as a physician in the western suburbs. He sounds tired by just the suggestion of another run at the Senate.
* Illinois treasurer launches Burris challenge: The Illinois Republican Party, seeking to link virtually every Illinois Democrat with the disgraced Blagojevich, accuses Giannoulias of having lent money to convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko in Giannoulias’s capacity as a bank officer, as well as to other figures who have recently been embroiled in legal trouble.
* My buddy and former Sun-Times editor Steve Huntley is a conservative. Today, he takes the traditionally conservative viewpoint on legalizing marijuana, meaning, it should be legalized…
Its budget meltdown has California taking a look at legalizing marijuana as a means to revive its depleted treasury. But common sense, not economic need, should persuade Americans it’s past time for a sober look at our mad “reefer madness” laws.
The Golden State legislator pushing the idea, Tom Ammiano of — plug in the appropriate joke — San Francisco, says licensing and taxing legal marijuana production and sales would earn California $1.3 billion a year. His bill would legalize marijuana possession and use for adults 21 or older, license commercial farming of it and tax it at $50 an ounce.
A big problem: California can’t do this on its own. The federal prohibition law would have to be changed for Sacramento to impose and collect the licensing fees and taxes. Given all the controversial financial and social engineering bills on its plate, Congress likely isn’t eager to take on this contentious issue. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll found only 41 percent of Americans favor legalization. That’s an improvement over the 34 percent in a 2002 CNN/Time poll, but still 52 percent are against it.
It would be best if Washington could leave this matter in the hands of states. Thirteen states have to some extent decriminalized marijuana. Massachusetts is the latest. Its voters last month eliminated criminal penalties for possession of small amounts.
* A couple of researchers at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia have put together a freedom index for states. The website is down at the moment, but Steve Chapman sums up one appalling bullet point…
[Illinois] arrest rates for “victimless” crimes like marijuana possession that are so high as to be “almost unfathomable.”
llinois’ prison population has more than doubled in the last 25 years. That’s according to a study released today by the Washington DC based Pew Center on the States.
One out of every 133 Illinoisans is behind bars, and 1 in 38 is under some sort correctional supervision, according to Pew. That accounts for people incarcerated, on probation or on parole. Those numbers are a bit lower than the national average.
The day may not be far off when Americans conclude, as they did with Prohibition in the 1930s, that violence associated with the marijuana ban is worse than the drug’s social ills. Some will raise the slippery slope argument that legalization opens the way to decriminalizing hard drugs like heroin and cocaine. Maybe we would have that discussion if legal marijuana works out, but saying yeah to one doesn’t mean saying yes to the other.
Marijuana prohibition no longer makes sense, if it ever did. For the record, my recreational chemical of choice is alcohol. After the sun sets, I like to enjoy a glass of wine or scotch. Why shouldn’t my neighbor, if so inclined, be able to relax with a joint?
If you talk to legislators off the record, you’d be surprised at how many will tell you that marijuana laws are stupid and counter-productive. But they won’t vote for them out of intense political fear. It’s just a sad, mad situation.
* And on another front, thank goodness this crazy idea is being dumped…
A Will County judge should throw out criminal charges against five people who allegedly were smoking cigarettes in public last year, a Peoria lawyer says.
The reason? Recent changes to the state’s smoking ban that attorney Daniel O’Day contends makes a smoking violation a civil, not criminal, offense.
O’Day will argue in court March 24 that legislation signed Feb. 4 by Gov. Pat Quinn clarifies a once-murky section of the state law that forbids smoking in most public places.
In the past, if someone was ticketed for smoking in Will County, there were two courses of action - pay a fine or go to court. Now if someone gets a ticket and wants to fight the fine, the Illinois Department of Public Health will hold an administrative hearing.
A “flash index” of the state’s corporate, personal and sales tax receipts was at 96.3 last month compared to 97 in January, but J. Fred Giertz said the state has avoided the worst of the national recession.
Any figure below 100 on the index indicates the state’s economy is shrinking
“So far, Illinois seems to have been affected less severely by the recession compared to the rest of the country,” said Giertz. “During 2008, Illinois’ unemployment rate rose 1.6 percentage points to 7.2 percent, while the rate for the whole country rose 2.3 percentage points, ending the year at 7.2 percent.”
Alderman Richard Mell… said, “People will not want to move into this neighborhood; people will not want to invest in this neighborhood. If they drive down the street and see 5 or 6 buildings like this, they’re going to look for somewhere else to live.”
An explosion of failed mortgage loans in moderate-income and middle-class Chicago communities last year helped drive new foreclosure filings to nearly 20,000 here, a report released Monday by the nonprofit National Training and Information Center found.
The report also revealed that 75 percent of the mortgage loans were adjustable-rate or other high-risk loan products.
New foreclosure filings numbered 19,943 in 2008, nearly double the 10,673 filings reported in 2006. Eighty-six percent of the mortgages were made within the last three years.
Tomorrow, Canadian National Railway (CN) will begin increasing train traffic along the EJ&E Rail Line, which stretches 198 miles throughout the Chicagoland area.
President Barack Obama has declared nine southern Illinois counties as disaster areas after a severe winter storm in late January.
The declaration makes federal funding available to state and local governments and some nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis. The money can be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm from Jan. 26-28.
The Daley administration has signed another $5 million public relations contract — bringing the citywide total to 11 firms and $55 million — to augment the highly controlled message coming out of City Hall.
Mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard insisted last fall that not a penny would be paid to outside spin doctors until Chicago’s budget crisis is over.
A clout-heavy company with two generations of ties to the Daley family has been chosen to build the third and final runway in Phase One of Mayor Daley’s massive O’Hare Airport expansion project.
A loyal campaign worker in the powerful Hispanic Democratic Organization had been rewarded with a city job, so when a call came to cut the grass at the home of Chicago Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Al Sanchez, he allegedly did as he was told.
In a six-page letter to commissioners, Julia Nowicki said it will be at least 18 more months before the federal courts find that monitoring is no longer needed.
Commissioners, Nowicki added, “can nudge” Stroger to take steps to eliminate the widely held perception that patronage continues to hobble county government.
Eugene Mullins, Stroger’s spokesman, said “perception is not reality,” and a lawyer for Stroger issued a 12-page letter outlining his steps to prevent patronage.
State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons said Monday that Peoria mayoral candidate General Parker has until Wednesday to withdraw from the race before his office decides how it will proceed.
* If you’re in the district, tell us what’s going on. I’m hearing turnout is unbelievably light (5 votes per precinct in much of the district as of 7:30 or so).
…Adding… Please tell us if you’re seeing polling workers in your precinct or at the polling place and who they were with. I’m hearing that troops are invisible for some of the candidates. Also, keep in mind that over 4,000 people have already early voted.
