* This post will be updated as new press releases are received. Pritzker campaign…
Today, after collecting almost 35,000 signatures from voters in 90 counties across the state, JB Pritzker and Juliana Stratton formally filed petitions to run for governor and lieutenant governor of Illinois.
The campaign enters its next phase with a grassroots, statewide operation that includes opening 15 field offices and counting, endorsements from the statewide AFL-CIO, over 20 individual unions, and statewide leaders like Secretary of State Jesse White, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, and Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs.
“I am proud to file my petitions to be the next governor of Illinois and humbled that we collected nearly 35,000 signatures from every region across the state,” said JB Pritzker. “Since announcing in April, our campaign has built a grassroots movement, earned support from leaders and working families across the state, and released detailed policy plans to get this state back on track. After three years of Bruce Rauner creating crisis after crisis, it’s clear that his damage is done. Working families are ready for a governor who listens and fights every day to put Springfield back on their side. That’s exactly the type of leader I will be and I’m excited as we take this next step together.”
“I am honored to join JB Pritzker in filing petitions to be the next lieutenant governor of Illinois,” said State Representative Juliana Stratton. “Since joining the campaign in August, I’ve been humbled by the outpouring of support from working families throughout the state as we build our grassroots movement. Together, I’m confident JB and I can beat Bruce Rauner and put this state back on track by expanding healthcare, investing in quality education, and creating jobs. I am thrilled to take the next step as we work to put Springfield back on the side of working families.”
* Excerpt…
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering officially filed in Springfield, IL as a candidate for Attorney General with 10,000 petition signatures circulated by nearly 200 volunteers from across the state. Candidates for this office may file a minimum of 5,000 and a maximum of 10,000 signatures to be placed on the ballot for the March 2018 primary election. Today is the first day to file petitions.
* Erika Harold excerpt…
Erika Harold filed the maximum 10,000 petition signatures to qualify for the Republican nomination for Attorney General. However, volunteers from across the state gathered more than 16,000 signatures for her candidacy. Candidates need to submit a minimum of 5,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
* Hmm…
Progressive Democrat Fritz Kaegi, an Oak Park resident challenging incumbent Assessor Joe Berrios, delivered more than 22,000 petition signatures on the first day of submissions, far surpassing the nearly 8,000 needed to secure a spot on the ballot for the March 2018 primary. The number of petitions submitted, a strong showing for a first time candidate, comes on the heels of a steady increase in public support for Kaegi and his quest to unseat Berrios, who has held the Assessor’s role since 2010.
Flanked by his family, well wishers and campaign staffers, Kaegi stood proud of the progress made in his campaign since tossing his hat in the ring back in May.
“Today is a tremendous day for truth, honesty and transparency for the residents of Cook County,” remarked Kaegi as he greeted supporters after submitting the petition documentation for verification. “We have made great strides since starting our campaign in the spring. We have a great team and we’ve worked hard to get to this point, but we have a long road ahead of us. We need to make sure that the residents of Cook County know that there is someone fighting for them, someone who is not beholden to deep pockets and conflicts of interest.”
* Kennedy…
Democrats Chris Kennedy and Ra Joy took a big step today in the race for governor today by filing nominating petitions to get on the ballot for the March 20, 2018 primary.
About 200 volunteers collected more than 10,000 signatures from all 102 counties in Illinois to secure a spot on the ballot for Kennedy-Joy.
“Today, we take a big step forward in our campaign to change the status quo in Illinois,” Kennedy said. “Ra Joy and I are running to restore opportunity and fairness in our state.”
Joy, Kennedy’s lieutenant governor running mate, traveled to Springfield today to help file the petitions.
“Our state government is rigged for political insiders at the expense of everyone else,” Joy said. “This election is about change or more of the same. We’re the ticket for change.”
* Biss…
Today, Daniel Biss’ campaign submitted the maximum number of verified signatures allowed to the State Board of Elections.
“I’m grateful for the hundreds of volunteers across our state who made today possible,” said Daniel Biss. “Every day for the last three months, our volunteers have inspired me with their dedication to organizing their communities, rain or shine, to get Litesa and me, two middle-class candidates with strong progressive records in government on the ballot.”
* Raoul…
Over 10 thousand signatures were filed in support of IL Sen. Kwame Raoul’s candidacy for attorney general at the IL State Board of Elections today.
Despite a narrow window, Raoul’s campaign collected the petitions from areas across the state in support of his candidacy.
“The petition process allowed our campaign to directly engage voters about their vision for the attorney general’s office. I’m proud to have the support of so many voters who want an attorney general to not just advocate to improve their lives but fight for them against Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump. We’ve been able to build this movement because of my history of getting things done, and I’ll be telling that record to more and more Illinoisans in the months ahead.”
* More…
Does that Paterakis dude even have a running mate?
* Sen. Ira Silverstein’s primary…
Alison Leipsiger, Democratic candidate for the 8th State Senate district, announces today that she will not file her petitions to run in the 2018 primary election. Leipsiger, a social worker and the executive director of a new nonprofit, Reimagine Illinois, decided to run for the legislature in early November. Leipsiger endorses Caroline McAteer-Fournier, a progressive health care advocate.
“Today I am proud to step aside and unite behind another strong woman,” Leipsiger said. “If we want to change the culture in Springfield, we need to put more smart women in office. Caroline has been a tireless, progressive advocate for women and families, fighting for affordable health care, access to social services and high-quality schools. I know she will work to create a culture that supports and empowers all women in Springfield.”
* We now have a complete list…
* Another one…
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today filed for re-election to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District and his campaign launched its first web ad for the 2018 election cycle.
The ad titled “Solutions” focuses on Davis’ work to cut through the political rhetoric and noise in Washington and instead, fight for solutions to the issues working families in Central and Southwest Illinois care about. The ad highlights Davis’ work to deliver solutions on tax reform, government overreach, health care, VA reform, and more.
The ad is here.
- Wait and See - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 9:34 am:
State Senator Ira Silverstein filed for reelection.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 9:40 am:
Did someone tell J.B. that the maximum number of petition signatures for statewide is 10,000? The electoral boards treat the additional sheets of petition signatures as surplus.
- Sox Fan - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 10:22 am:
===Did someone tell J.B. that the maximum number of petition signatures for statewide is 10,000? The electoral boards treat the additional sheets of petition signatures as surplus.===
It doesn’t say that he filed 35K just that he collected 35K.
- DarkHorse - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 10:36 am:
I’m looking forward to reading Biss’ self-serving statement about his filing. The guy is getting more annoying as his campaign stalls. Don’t see how he helps his career by staying in the race and getting 8%.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 10:58 am:
So the Pritzker team couldn’t get any signatures in nearly 10 percent of Illinois counties?
- Kan_Man - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:04 am:
Team Alex’s running mate is developer/veteran Matthew Smarjesse from Wheeling, Il.
- Telly - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:13 am:
Does anyone have a good link for Cook County candidate filings?
The only thing I can find on the clerk’s website says to check back Dec. 1.
https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/march-20-2018-candidates
- Soccermom - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:23 am:
Scott Kennedy remains awesome.
- Anonymous - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:34 am:
“So the Pritzker team couldn’t get any signatures in nearly 10 percent of Illinois counties?”
Jealous much?
- Anon III - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:40 am:
So let me be sure I understand this: Pritzker spent money collecting 35,000 signatures when the maximum the Board of elections will count is 10,000?
This guy wants to manage the State? He’ll fit right in.
- Arsenal - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:56 am:
==So let me be sure I understand this: Pritzker spent money collecting 35,000 signatures when the maximum the Board of elections will count is 10,000?==
Yes, those 15,000 extra voter contacts are completely wasted, aren’t they?
- Rich Miller - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:57 am:
===those 15,000 extra voter contacts===
25,000. And yes, they are valuable.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:59 am:
===And yes, they are valuable.===
See “Fair Maps” petition drive.
Those names, they made for a heck of a list, without fair maps…
- South Loop Sam - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 11:59 am:
The down ballot races are much more exciting than the governors race which is locked in at 42% JB, 33% Biss, 18% Kennedy and 7% among the other candidates. I do not see anything shifting those numbers.
The AG race will be interesting to watch the inside baseball and see who can put together enough money to run TV statewide.
The 8th Senate and 4th State Rep races are bound to jump the shark and get really nasty.
Berrios will hold on with the cook county Democratic Party behind him. And do not forget Congressman Lipinski has a hard charging primary challenge from the left.
Should be a fun primary season to watch with lots of fireworks.
- West Wing - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
Kennedy from all 102 counties. Impressive.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
===The down ballot races are much more exciting than the governors race which is locked in at 42% JB, 33% Biss, 18% Kennedy and 7% among the other candidates. I do not see anything shifting those numbers===
You must not follow campaigns close.
Ask Rutherford, for example, about how numbers fluctuate.
Nothing is locked in but 1) being on the ballot 2) name available for lotto drawing
- Arsenal - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
==25,000.==
Look, I’m a Gunners fan, I can’t be expected to count properly.
- TopHatMonocle - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:12 pm:
Lots of interesting races for Democratic party state central committee of all things. Don Harmon vs Danny Davis, Robin Kelly vs Carrie Austin, and Chuy filing in the 4th district which Tony Munoz holds currently.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
Jason Plummer filed for 54th Senate. That should be fun.
- Red fish blue fish - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:45 pm:
===The down ballot races are much more exciting than the governors race which is locked in at 42% JB, 33% Biss, 18% Kennedy and 7% among the other candidates.==
Did I miss something? Which poll produced these numbers?
OW, can you help clarify this?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:49 pm:
===Did I miss something? Which poll produced these numbers? … can you help clarify this?===
Considering I didn’t “make up” these numbers or poll rankings, I, too, questioned not only that these are the numbers or that they shan’t move was… “interesting”
- South Loop Sam - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:55 pm:
Ok maybe locked in was a strong choice of words but short of an earthquake event, which I do not see happening in the governors race, I bet a bottle of malort it 42% JB, 33% Biss and 18% Kennedy.
JB has already hit his ceiling, Kennedy has flatlined and Biss is consolidating his progressive bernicrat base, which is a plurality of the Democratic primary voters, but is not enough to overcome JB’s money.
- DarkHorse - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 12:56 pm:
I’m curious for OW’s take on the Dem AG primary - who do you see as the “top three” right now?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:00 pm:
===Ok maybe locked in was a strong choice of words but short of an earthquake event, which I do not see happening in the governors race, I bet a bottle of malort it 42% JB, 33% Biss and 18% Kennedy===
Some might say a shot, let alone a bottle of Malort is the stuff of earthquakes.
Here’s what I know…
I don’t know how Kennedy or Biss will find a sweet spot, given what is going on, “today”, but the one thing I do know is that things get tighter before one breaks away from the pack and how Pritzker finds a stride will determine if he can pull away and by how much.
Funny thing about earthquakes too, sometimes it’s the aftershocks of a more milder earthquake that causes the most devastation, but the earthquake on its own.
Either way, we may just share that shot of Malort and laugh how wrong I am.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:03 pm:
===Dem AG primary - who do you see as the “top three” right now?===
Give me till 3pm today.
I’d like to see who can and does file on the first day… It’ll help me gauge these three I’m “thinking”
- PatchAdams - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:09 pm:
5 dem Ag candidates filed today. All except Mariotti are legit. Ruiz didn’t file yet. He rounds out the top 5. Fairley is looking more and more like an also-ran
- South Loop Sam - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:14 pm:
I am curious OW how you would handicap the AG race which will be like watching a horse race. I think Sen. Raoul consolidates his African American base and has the money to communicate statewide to take it home.
As for the governor’s race I am just using the latest We Ask America to handicap. JB is at his ceiling 39% after spending 21 million dollars maxing out TV, mail, digital and running a robust field program. Clearly he is hurting Kennedy the most who dropped nearly 30% to 15% from the last poll. Even though Biss is at 6% he charges hard at the end when he starts to communicate bringing home the progressive primary voters and winning most of the undecideds.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:37 pm:
- South Loop Sam -
I need until 3pm…
I’m waiting on seeing if someone files late today, (called out myself, lol)
- PatchAdams - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
OW- why in the world would anyone file after 8 am on the first Monday if they are in a competitive primary?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
===why in the world would anyone file after 8 am on the first Monday if they are in a competitive primary?===
Maybe that’s why I’m waiting until 3
Why would someone do that?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 1:53 pm:
I shoulda waited, - PatchAdams -
As Rich Miller wrote in his filling update Post…
===That doesn’t mean all those candidates have enough valid signatures, it just means that they filed their petitions this morning.
Democrats Jesse Ruiz, Sharon Fairley and Aaron Goldstein did not file today. Not a good reflection on them, but they have until December 4th to get their signatures to the Board of Elections.===
I’m just curious what 3pm brings.
- Pot calling kettle - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
==I’m just curious what 3pm brings.==
In a crowded Primary, if you don’t file at 8:00 am the first day, you might as well wait and file at the end of the day on the last day. Why file late on the first day?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 2:52 pm:
- Pot calling kettle -
Maybe I’m waiting to hear how many each candidate filed with?
Maybe not.
There might be many a reason I’m waiting, or not too…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
If I whittling down to three, which is reasonable given the number that have filed or shall be filing, I have it this way…
In no particular order…
Kwame Raoul, Pat Quinn, Jesse Ruiz
Raoul should be able to consolidate a ground game that with a field as big as this, enough organizations carry enough for Raoul to keep him and his name viable, especially on Election Day itself. The early/absentee voting should be another place where Raoul could get a leg up on the big field.
Pat Quinn is probably liked enough to get 28% of the Dem vote in a crowded field with the statewide name recognition, good and also the bad. With the bad name ID, there isn’t a logical “one stop” for anti-Quinn voters, so, the larger field helps there too.
Ruiz, welp, Ruiz intrigues me enough with the Crew of money people that have committed here, and with a crowded field, can a media campaign move enough numbers that the possibility of a lacking ground game be overcome. Not filing today at 8 is a negative unless they are trying a different filing strategy in hopes that the name Ruiz will be a trigger where a ground game or field operation would step in.
Those are the three that will have my attention, but…
Rottering is the sneaky “watch” depending how efficient she can be with monies and how much more monies can be gotten.
The others are the “field” in gaming parlance.
- DarkHorse - Monday, Nov 27, 17 @ 3:19 pm:
Thanks for the rankings, OW. I see it similarly, think Ruiz can win it if he raises enough money for TV. I’m actually surprised that Raoul has raised so little money, his chances may be overrated. I also think the marco environment could help a strong woman candidate like Rottering who can clearly raise money, she’s an outside shot to win I think.