* One of Congressman Dan Lipinski’s lesser-known Democratic primary rivals, Rush Darwish, is already in the boxes with two mailers. Here’s the front page of one…
Here’s the back page of the other…
Click the pics for the full mailers. No other candidate in that race has sent out any mailers as far as I can tell. Marie Newman is considered the frontrunner of the challengers, but we’ll see I suppose. Charles Hughes is also in the race.
According to the FEC, Darwish reported $318,113 cash on hand in his most recent filing.
And according to the Darwish campaign, he’s going to use some of that money to go up on cable TV tomorrow “and will be up through the rest of the cycle.” I suppose we can only wait and see how big the buy is.
* Text message this morning from an Illinois Republican Party operative…
Wanted to pass along that the ISP director who is now assisting in investigation [of the McClain email] is also a recipient of McClain campaign contributions.
Leader Brady trusts the professionals at the Illinois State Police to conduct this investigation in a thorough manner.
* The Question: Should the state police director recuse himself from this probe? Make sure to explain your answer, please.
*** UPDATE *** From ISP Director Brendan Kelly…
Hey Rich,
The donation in question has been donated to the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.
I have no personal or professional relationship with Michael McClain and until I read the news I didn’t know who he was.
As a State’s Attorney for eight years, I enforced the law and prosecuted both Democrat and Republican public officials alike- actually more Democrats- and did so because that’s what my oath required.
The professional investigators of the Illinois State Police will pursue violations of the public trust without regard to party or status.
As Director its my job to fight to make sure they have whatever they need to do their job, and that’s exactly what the outstanding men and women of the Illinois State Police will do.
I’m told he asked the general counsel’s office about this and was told that there’s not enough connection to McClain to reach the threshold for a recusal.
A top cabinet official in Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration tendered his resignation this weekend.
The departure of state Agriculture Secretary John Sullivan is apparent fallout from last week’s WBEZ report about a former lobbyist’s email that defended a state worker facing disciplinary accusations for having stayed silent about “the rape in Champaign.”
More to come.
…Adding… All-staff email from Jeremy Flynn, Chief of Staff…
Effective yesterday, Director Sullivan resigned his position leading the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Effective immediately, I will be serving as Acting Director for the Department.
The accomplishments over the last year are many and I know we will continue the mission of the Department. I appreciate everything you do to serve Illinois’ number one industry.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From the Pritzker administration…
Governor Pritzker sought and accepted Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan’s resignation this weekend. Director Sullivan had a long and productive public service career as a State Senator, and the Governor is grateful for his willingness to serve in the administration. Director Sullivan put together an outstanding team at the Department of Agriculture, and as a result, the Department’s work thrived.
However, the Governor holds all state employees to the highest ethical standards, and the Governor requested the Director’s resignation because he is disturbed that then-Senator Sullivan became aware of the existence of the July 31, 2012 email contemporaneously, and did not handle it appropriately, including not alerting the inspector general or other authorities.
The Governor’s general counsel has shared all of the information she learned from Director Sullivan with the Office of the Executive Inspector General and offered to share this information with all law enforcement agencies looking into this situation. The administration will continue to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Sullivan is from the Quincy area and represented Mike McClain’s hometown for years.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From former Director Sullivan…
This past weekend, Governor Pritzker’s General Counsel notified me that an August 2012 email from Mike McClain to Governor Quinn’s staff referenced my name as state senator and McClain’s advocacy on behalf of my constituent, Forrest Ashby.
That information led me to conduct a review of my own personal emails from that same period of time. My search discovered a forwarded copy of McClain’s July 31, 2012 email reported by WBEZ. I shared this information with Governor Pritzker’s General Counsel.
The summer of 2012 was a stressful time for me. I was in the middle of a state senate reelection campaign, as well as preparing for and undergoing cancer surgery in Baltimore, MD. I was already well aware of McClain’s efforts to keep me informed of his advocacy on behalf of Ashby, and l simply did not read the entire forwarded email.
Had I read the email thoroughly, my reaction would have been disgust and I would have immediately notified proper authorities. Nevertheless, the email was in my inbox and not reading the entire email led to my failure to immediately respond as I would have.
Bottom Line, I accept responsibility for what was truly an unintentional oversight and the subsequent inaction.
In light of these circumstances, Governor Pritzker asked for and I submitted my resignation as Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture effective immediately.
It has been an honor to serve Illinois and the agriculture industry. I cannot say enough about the outstanding and dedicated employees at the Illinois Department of Agriculture and all they accomplished this last year.
…Adding… ILGOP…
Chairman Tim Schneider released the following statement in response to the revelation that Director of the Department of Agriculture, and former state senator, John Sullivan resigned because he knew about Mike McClain’s “rape in Champaign” email at the time and did nothing:
“If a random state legislator like John Sullivan knew about McClain’s email at the time, surely there were others who knew about it and also ‘kept their mouths shut.’ It defies belief that John Sullivan knew of the email and its contents, but Speaker Mike Madigan, a close confidant of the email’s author, knew nothing.
I get what they’re saying, but Sullivan was no “random” legislator. He was McClain’s Senator.
Just now: Senator Kim Lightford tells me Senator Elgie Sims is dropping his bid for Senate President and will endorse her to lead the chamber. The development delivers a boost to Lightford’s chances, but doesn’t clinch it for her. She or Senator Don Harmon needs 30 votes to win. pic.twitter.com/zsjfKzOHoP
* We talked last week about vertically integrated cannabis companies with growing centers and retail outlets. A spokesperson for one such vertically integrated company claimed it had no product shortage problems at all while other retailers which didn’t also own growing centers were reporting shortages.
HCI Alternatives in Springfield will suspend recreational cannabis sales for the day on Monday.
The dispensary at 628 E. Adams St. will remain open regular business hours Monday (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) to serve medical cannabis patients.
It based its decision on the need to replenish recreational use inventory and allow staff to recharge.
HCI’s Collinsville dispensary is also suspending recreational sales Monday. Both dispensaries are expected to resume recreational use sales on Tuesday.
* The state has taken notice. From an email sent Friday by Bret Bender, the deputy director of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Cannabis Control Section…
Dear Licensees,
The Department has become aware that some adult use dispensaries have inventory from a single cultivator center entity in excess of the 40% limit mandated by the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (“Act”). 410 ILCS 705/15-70(p)(5). The Department is currently investigating the scope and extent of these potential violations. In addition, it has been reported that many dispensaries are experiencing a shortage of cannabis products, including products for medical cannabis patients. The Department takes seriously the availability of product for medical patients and dispensaries are required by law to prioritize providing products to medical cannabis patients.
Dispensaries in violation of the 40% limit must immediately remedy the problem and come into full compliance with the Act. In addition, the Department expects dispensaries to immediately take affirmative steps to avoid future violations of this requirement.
Any dispensary that had or currently has inventory exceeding the 40% limit is in violation of the Act and may face potential non-disciplinary or disciplinary action by the Department. Prompt remediation of this violation will be considered a mitigating factor regarding any discipline the Department may impose for these violations. Future or continued violations will be viewed by the Department as avoidable and intentional, and dealt with accordingly.
I do not like vertical integration in that industry. This was wholly predictable, even with state limits.
* This idea was promoted by some Republican legislators last year, but is now being taken up by the majority Democrats. From a press release…
Legislators who resign their seats in the General Assembly before the end of their term no longer would be paid for days they haven’t worked under a proposal by Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza.
Mendoza’s plan was prompted by recent cases involving State Sen. Martin Sandoval and State Rep. Luis Arroyo – each of whom are under federal investigation – who resigned their seats on the first day of the month but still received paychecks for the entire month. The practice is currently allowed under state law.
“It’s Jan. 13 – nearly two weeks since Marty Sandoval resigned his seat under federal investigation. Despite resigning on the first day of this month, my office must still pay him for the entire month. That’s ridiculous,” Mendoza said. “I can think of no other enterprise that pays an ex-employee for work they never performed. Each of these lawmakers left under a cloud but stayed just long enough – the first of the month – to collect an ‘exit bonus’ from state taxpayers for a month’s pay for no work.”
Under the proposal, lawmakers who resign before completing their entire term in office would be compensated on a prorated basis – meaning they would be paid based on the number of days they work in the Legislature. The same rule would apply to lawmakers appointed to complete the term of a vacancy.
In addition, legislators would be paid twice a month, just like all other state employees and constitutional officers. Currently, legislators are paid once a month. The Illinois Office of Comptroller issues paychecks to lawmakers, state employees and constitutional officers.
In some cases, taxpayers have been on the hook for two lawmaker salaries for the same position. Not only did the outgoing lawmaker get a check for a full month’s salary, their replacement did as well – even if the replacement began at the end of the month.
The proposal, Senate Bill 2456, is sponsored by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin).
“In any other job, a person would not be compensated for an entire month if they only worked one day,” Castro said. “This is a glaring loophole that has been exploited far too many times at the taxpayers’ expense, and I look forward to working with Comptroller Mendoza to close it once and for all.”
Sometimes, the full-month’s pay can be used to help ease someone out of office, but I do get the point. Your thoughts?
* Speaking of which, from the Office of Executive Inspector General…
A recently released OEIG report about Governors State University (GSU) details a course of mismanagement that resulted in payments totaling over $1.5 million to 33 at-will employees after they had been terminated without cause.
The OEIG investigation uncovered that GSU had a long-standing practice of paying at-will employees after they were terminated. The amount of payment was based on the employees’ start date and length of service without any regard to the individual circumstances surrounding the termination. These employees continued to be paid by GSU without completing any work for GSU (or only minimal work) even when they obtained other non-State employment. Furthermore, many of these employees were instructed to continue to submit timesheets after they left GSU, thus falsely indicating that they were working a full-time schedule for GSU.
GSU did not have any policies regarding how these types of terminations and payments should be handled or evaluated, or by whom. GSU also did not provide any clear direction to administrators about instructions to be given to terminated employees on future employment or the submission of timesheets. The OEIG concluded that, as the head of the university, GSU President Elaine Maimon provided little or no guidance on these issues, nor did she effectively delegate her management role to other individuals.
In response to the report, the GSU Board of Trustees stated that it was preparing new timekeeping and termination pay policies to address the issues raised in the OEIG report. The Board also stated that it was forming an executive search committee to begin the process of selecting the next GSU President by June 2020, due to the upcoming expiration of President Maimon’s contract.
Mike Bloomberg and [Cook County state’s attorney candidate] Bill Conway are grabbing headlines lately for fueling their own campaigns — the former New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate has dropped $200 million, while Conway’s billionaire father has given his son $4.85 million. There are other self-funders in Illinois, too, spending a combined $7.58 million so far this election cycle.
Documents filed with the state Board of Elections show Appellate Court Justice Shelly Harris just last week donated $1.4 million to his campaign for state Supreme Court justice, bringing his war chest to nearly $2 million. And attorney Daniel Epstein has donated $300,000 to his own run for the state Supreme Court.
Jacob Meister, an attorney running for Cook County clerk of the Circuit Court, has given himself $100,000 for the primary race. Like many self-funders, he’s distinguished himself as an outsider. […]
Self-funders have a critical advantage in any race. They don’t have to work a day job and then “bust their butts” at night trying to fundraise, Ken Snyder, principal and co-founder of SnyderPickerill Media Group told Playbook, whose firm has managed campaigns across the country. “Lots of mistakes or gaffes a candidate makes can be attributed to fatigue.”
Of course, self-funding doesn’t guarantee victory, either. Just ask Jim Oberweis, the state senator now running for a congressional seat. In the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary, he spent nearly $3.3 million of his own money only to lose to Judy Baar Topinka (who lost to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich). Self-funders are known to make rookie campaign mistakes in spending. […]
Judicial races tend to see more self-funders than most campaigns. That’s because they aren’t allowed to personally solicit donations — though friends can on their behalf. And many see self-funding as an investment of sorts. […]
Though Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his predecessor, Republican Bruce Rauner, found success in self-funding, the odds of those candidates winning aren’t great. That’s because self-funders tend to be inexperienced in politics. Or they rub voters the wrong way (People might think they’re trying to buy an election).
All good points. Until Rauner came along, self-funders just didn’t click at the state level for one reason or the other.
* Speaking of money, check out this video by Illinois Supreme Court candidate Daniel Epstein about the need for conflict of interest rules and procedures at the appellate level and above…
* Democratic state’s attorney challenger Bill Conway gets another $2.35 million from his wealthy father, records show
* In this race, nobody passes the purity test: But one other aspect of this is worth noting. That’s where Conway is getting his money: from his father, William Conway, and other executives at Carlyle Group, a Washington investment firm known for parlaying political contacts—George H.W. Bush was on its payroll for a while, as was former U.S. Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci—into shrewd investments in the right defense contractors when wartime rolls around. They’ve donated roughly $5 million so far to the younger Conway’s campaign.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is “still learning” what Rahm Emanuel already knew about legislative lobbying, but she’ll get what she needs during the spring session to avoid a massive property tax increase, retiring Senate President John Cullerton predicted Friday. […]
“The language with the casino is agreed to by many negotiators in the House, the Senate and the governor’s office. It’s just that people in gaming — they always want to add other things. It’s the things that were not in there that were causing people to not commit to vote,” Cullerton told the Chicago Sun-Times.
“That’s something that can easily be worked out once people realize that the Chicago casino is gonna fund the capital bill. The people downstate who get all the money for the roads. They always want to vote against Chicago. But this deal is what provides the money to pay for the roads. That’s why it’s inevitable that this will pass.” […]
“What you have to do in Springfield with Chicago issues is…be under the radar. You can’t have press conferences and brag about how you got more money for Chicago, even though you were entitled to it,” he said.
As for the looming, $1 billion spike in pension payments, Cullerton urged Lightfoot to follow his lead and use the “consideration model” to hammer out cost-of-living concessions with the largest of four city employee pension funds.
The interview was broken up into two parts. The other part, about Speaker Madigan, is here.
Chicago-area labor leader William E. Dugan, an Illinois political heavyweight who doubled the size of one of the state’s most influential unions over a two-decade tenure, died Saturday at age 86.
About 10,000 workers were represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 when “Wild Bill” Dugan took the helm of the Countryside-based organization in 1986, according to the union’s general counsel, Dale Pierson.
By the time he stepped down in controversy in 2008 — after weathering several economic recessions amid a downward national trend in union membership — Local 150 boasted more than 23,000 members across numerous construction industries.
“Bill helped lead us through so many ups and downs in the financial markets amid labor law erosion. That growth was incredible,” said Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “He built one of the most sophisticated teams of union organizers we’d ever seen. He was fierce, caring and he had everyone’s back.”
The man was a legend and had an enormous impact on Illinois politics. But there was this..
Dugan retired from Local 150 in 2008, after the Chicago Sun-Times disclosed that authorities were investigating whether he illegally used union resources for personal gain. Federal agents raided Dugan’s Maryland buffalo farm, and he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating federal labor law by demanding and accepting custom-made livestock feeders from a company that employed the union local’s workers.
* Local 150…
Memorial services will be conducted on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, at the Local 150 Union Hall in Countryside, Illinois, 6200 Joliet Road. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m.; visitation will be held through 4:30 p.m. Memorial service will take place from 4:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.; visitation to resume until 10:00 p.m.
* ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez is on a mission to turn around his company’s scarred image in the wake of the federal investigation. He makes some good points, but are these facts enough? Maybe, but we still don’t know what the feds have found…
Whether the standard is affordability, reliability or use of clean energy, ComEd is a top performer, the envy of other utilities, even those in the Exelon family, Dominguez said. Since 2012, the utility has improved reliability by 70%, according to Dominguez, an unprecedented improvement for an industry accustomed to merely incremental changes.
He gives credit for that to ComEd employees. “Nothing prepares you for being in this chair when the workforce is going out and the weather is negative 50 degrees or when it’s super hot and seeing the day-to-day dedication of the people we have here,” he said.
Dominguez said the scandal, which has included two federal subpoenas for Exelon documents and a U.S. securities probe of its lobbying activities, shouldn’t detract from the company’s achievements. […]
Staying silent must be hard on him. At 57, Dominguez has a background that seems especially apt for ComEd’s situation. He’s a former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. And he moved through the ranks of Exelon in general counsel and government relations roles. […]
If ComEd were a state, its electricity cost as a percent of median household income would be lower than anywhere but Utah, according to the utility. At 1.4%, the rate compares to a U.S. average of 2.3%.
* Related…
* The ICC should pull the plug on this ComEd power play: “Consumers paid public utility rates to ComEd and (downstate utility) Ameren reflecting the higher federal tax rate, and now that the federal tax rate has lowered, fairness dictates that consumers should get that money back,” Raoul said in a statement. “Allowing an unreasonable refund period of close to 40 years nearly guarantees many customers will never get their fair share of the refunds.”
State investigators are looking into whether an explosive email that refers to keeping quiet about a “rape in Champaign” could be tied to an inmate who got out of prison early and then sexually abused a young girl, sources familiar with the probe told the Tribune. […]
On Saturday, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told the Tribune that officials are looking into whether McClain’s “rape in Champaign” reference could involve the early release of prisoners under Quinn, who came under fire for the practice in 2010.
The source said investigators are looking at the case of Scott Wayne Thompson, who is being held at a state facility for sex crime offenders in downstate Rushville. Thompson received early release from prison and then was charged with and convicted of sex abuse, records show.
At the time, Ashby worked at Rushville as a hospital manager, according to McClain’s email to state officials. That meant Ashby potentially was in position to know about Thompson being admitted to the facility for the sex crime.
* I called around and it does seem plausible. From a senior administration official who has reviewed the Department of Corrections records…
Scott W. Thompson was released early from a 2.5 year sentence for violating a sex offender registry requirement. (State law allows him a day of credit for each day served.)
For that sentence, Thompson was admitted to Big Muddy on March 17, 2009.
In addition to the 50 percent sentence requirement, on May 29, 2009 - which was 60 days into his sentence - he was given 180 days of good time credit.
He was paroled on Nov 20, 2009 and immediately violated parole at the door because he didn’t meet the terms of mandatory supervised release. He was discharged on May 20, 2010.
On Aug. 1, 2010 he was indicted in Champaign County on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13.
During 2011, Thompson was also transferred in and out of the Western Illinois Correctional Center.
He was paroled out in June 2012.
He is presently listed on the state’s sex offender registry as a sexually violent person who is in DHS custody. (In other words, Rushville)
The Quinn administration was hugely paranoid about its Meritorious Good Time Push program, but Thompson wasn’t in that accelerated program, which explains why the Rauner campaign never found him. Even so, a released prisoner who sexually assaulted a young girl would be bad for Quinn, considering the previous publicity over MGT Push.
Some people may have jumped to the conclusion that the “rape in Champaign” was about somebody close to Quinn. Most, I think, were just horrified that McClain would weaponize a rape (and ghost payrolling) for patronage purposes.
To my mind, at least, you can’t argue that this somehow exonerates McClain. He did what he did. And the Quinn administration officials he contacted need to answer why the discipline hearing for McClain’s guy was postponed the day after McClain sent that email.
“He has kept his mouth shut on Jones’ ghost workers, the rape in Champaign and other items. He is loyal to the Administration.”
That’s from an email sent by House Speaker Michael Madigan’s consigliere and ultimate Statehouse insider, Mike McClain, to Gov. Pat Quinn’s chief legislative liaison, Gary Hannig, and Quinn’s former chief of staff, Jerry Stermer, at 2:04 pm on July 31, 2012.
The message came to light after WBEZ reporters Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney filed Freedom of Information Act requests for all emails between McClain and gubernatorial chiefs of staff during the last ten years.
McClain was trying to save the job of fellow Quincy resident and state employee Forrest Ashby, who was facing disciplinary action the following day by the state’s Department of Corrections.
To my eyes, it sure looks like McClain was weaponizing the cover-up of alleged multiple felonies involving ghost-payrolling and rape to protect his guy.
And this is very, very important to keep in mind: McClain had to believe that Hannig and/or Stermer knew about those allegedly covered-up crimes and understood that the exposure of those crimes would severely damage Gov. Quinn’s administration, or his pitch couldn’t possibly work.
Neither Hannig nor Stermer replied to McClain’s email, but Ashby’s disciplinary meeting was postponed and McClain sent a follow-up email on August 1st: “I do not know what happened but I know nothing happens accidentally.”
He then thanked both men.
I have so many questions:
1) Who is the rapist and how would the possibility of his exposure, um, “encourage” the Quinn administration to help McClain’s guy?
2) What’s this “Jones’ ghost workers” thing about?
3) What kind of a person weaponizes a rape cover-up for patronage?
4) What kind of a person puts that sort of thing into a FOIA-able email?
5) Did the Quinn administration put its finger on the scale after McClain’s implied threats?
6) If McClain would go that far over the top with the governor’s chief of staff and chief legislative liaison, what did he write in his internal ComEd emails that have all been subpoenaed by the feds?
The answer to that last question, according to sources within ComEd, is “a lot.” The man overshared. Hold on to your shorts.
This blockbuster WBEZ story has rocked the House Democratic world like nothing else that has come before, and for good reason. McClain’s obvious penchant for saying things he shouldn’t via email (the “magic” lobbyist list, the “magic” spreadsheet of contribution bundlers, funneling money to the brother of Speaker Madigan’s alderman after he was accused of sexual harassment and fired, etc., etc.) might bring down the entire empire.
Madigan’s press secretary wouldn’t comment on the record, but House Majority Leader Greg Harris told me: “The reference to a rape coverup is shocking. It is good that the governor’s office has referred this to the appropriate authorities for further action.”
Gov. Pritzker, whose campaign hired Ashby to do faith-based outreach at McClain’s request, forwarded the case to the state office of executive inspector general.
”This email is horrific and troubling,” said Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago. “Since when should someone be rewarded for covering up a rape? Women deserve respect not cover-ups. The Champaign County state’s attorney and people with the proper authority should open up an investigation and start handing out subpoenas to get to the bottom of this.”
After some initial hesitation, the Champaign County state’s attorney (a Democrat) has agreed to investigate and claimed Friday that she was working with the Illinois attorney general, the state police and the U.S. attorney in her area.
I would add, we also need to know if those “Jones’ ghost workers” are still on the state payroll and who put them there and who this “Jones” is. I have my suspicions, but that’s all.
McClain was Madigan’s top guy for decades. He acted in Madigan’s name the entire time. Madigan has denied knowledge of anything in that 2012 McClain email. But it just seems unlikely to me that his top advisor apparently had significant dirt on the Quinn administration and he was kept totally in the dark.
Proving otherwise, however, could be very difficult if not impossible.
When George Ryan was elected governor, I said his friends would damage him much more than his enemies. That eventually happened to Ryan and it’s clear to anyone with eyes that the same thing is happening to Madigan.
Edgar Gonzalez, Jr., a young community activist, organizer and constituent services staffer for Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, was appointed to the 21st District State Representative seat Friday evening at a meeting of the Democratic Legislative Committee of the 21st Legislative District. The seat was previously held by former State Rep. Celina Villaneuva, who withdrew from the race in order to pursue Sen. Martin Sandoval’s abruptly vacated 11th District State Senate seat, and was appointed to that position Tuesday night.
“I’m so honored to have the opportunity to build on Sen. Villanueva’s legacy of fighting for progressive values. I wish her luck and look forward to following in the progressive path she has charted in the House of Representatives,” said Gonzalez. “Like Sen. Villanueva, I am committed to advocating for working families and immigrant families like my own, and I will bring that approach to my work every day in Springfield representing the communities of the 21st State Representative District.”
Gonzalez is the only candidate that will appear on the March 17, 2020 Democratic primary election ballot for the position, filing nearly 1000 petition signatures with the Illinois State Board of Elections last December on short notice.
Gonzalez was born and raised in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side and attended Chicago Public Schools, including John Spry Community School and Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy, both in Little Village, as well as Whitney Young Magnet High School. Gonzalez, a recent Harvard University graduate, is a vice president of the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization. Gonzalez is a member of Congressman Garcia’s in-district constituent services staff, focusing on the areas of immigration, social security, veterans’ affairs, criminal justice and education. Gonzalez is the son of immigrants from Monterrey, Mexico. His father is an operating engineer and a member of IUOE Local 399 and his mother is a former member of SEIU Local 73.
At 23, Gonzalez will be the youngest Latino and youngest Democrat ever elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, and he is the youngest appointee.
“My appointment as a young Latino is a historic first for state of Illinois, and I believe that now, more than ever, we need young, engaged voices to be represented in Springfield,” said Gonzalez. “Every day, our legislature is making critical decisions that impact my generation–from immigration policy to education policy to criminal justice reform. I’ll be a committed, progressive voice for young people and for all working families.”
