* I have routine appointments, errands to run and other stuff to do this afternoon and tomorrow. Keep an eye on the live coverage post starting at 3 o’clock today because I think you’ll see some news media interviews with Gov. JB Pritzker pop up. That’s on my own to-do list tomorrow, among other things.
Anyway, use this as an open thread or to discuss any news the governor might make. Be nice to each other. Thanks.
A buddy of mine at ISP says this is a “home-grown Illinois Ford Interceptor.” It’s apparently a retro design for the ISP’s 100th anniversary. The cruiser is pictured above, he said, “Outside the Blues Brothers movie set.” In other words, Joliet’s old prison.
Anyway, as a personal favor to me, please click here, scroll down and vote for Illinois at the bottom of the page. They ask me to do this every year and I politely decline because some of the other states have much cooler entries and I’m more of a Mopar guy. But the pitch was so good this year that I couldn’t say no.
A supporter of pro-life, term limits, the Second Amendment and someone who vows to support the men and women in blue “unconditionally” wants to represent the area in Springfield. […]
[Eli] Nicolosi is challenging incumbent state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Cherry Valley [in the Republican primary]. […]
“After redistricting, a new map is now in effect and career politicians have been on pins and needles about how it is going to affect their district,” Nicolosi said. “Well, I’m here to tell you the 35th District should never be anyone’s district at all. It’s the people’s district.
“That’s why I believe in term limits. … real honest to God term limits that are law, not just recommendations that you can ignore in time.”
A one-year term in the Illinois Senate is six years. After his speech, Nicolosi said two terms in the Senate is needed to accomplish goals, but he also said, “Anything more than 10 years, you are pushing it. And what I can tell you is 30 years is too long.”
Um, Illinois Senate terms are staggered at 4, 4 and 2 years. Two terms, therefore, could be as many as eight years or as few as two. Perhaps a little research was in order?
* But Sen. Syverson has indeed been around almost 30 years, and here’s his texted response to me on the issue…
Well, If I was gone in 10 years we would not have a Hard Rock [casino] in Rockford. And we could come up with a number of other examples of major things done in part due to my seniority. As you know, when you’re new, so much is staff driven. It takes years to build the relationships to understand how the system works. Especially when it comes to constituent work to understand and know all the agencies.
When I get to the point where I believe I cannot be effective for my constituents I’ll be the first to go.
Plus look how much I’m saving the state. I’m working for nothing every year. I maxed out at 20 years. If I quit today my pension would be more than what my salary is, so I’m actually working for nothing 🤷🏼♂️
When Sen. Tammy Duckworth had a miscarriage, she was worried it was her fault.
At the time, she was in the middle of a demanding Senate campaign while also serving in the House as a representative from Illinois. “Did I do something wrong?” she remembers thinking. “Was it because I’m working too hard?”
Her doctor assured her that wasn’t the case — after all, miscarriages are extremely common, happening in 10 to 20 percent of all known pregnancies, and the majority are caused by genetic abnormalities in the fetus. But that didn’t necessarily assuage what Duckworth was feeling.
“On the one hand, you’re suffering through this grief,” she told Vox. “And on the other hand, your health care providers are trying to help you deal with it by telling you it’s really not a big deal.” […]
Duckworth’s experience of miscarriage — the self-blame, the confusion, and the need to bounce right back without taking time to grieve — is all too common. […]
Now Duckworth and Pressley are introducing a similar bill in the US. The Support Through Loss Act would require employers to provide at least three days of paid leave in the event of a miscarriage, an unsuccessful IVF or other fertility procedure, a failed adoption or surrogacy, or another medical diagnosis or event that impacts pregnancy or fertility.
The bill would help people like a teacher Pressley spoke with, who left school for a doctor’s appointment, found out she was miscarrying, and had to go back and work the rest of the day. The bill is about meeting people going through pregnancy loss with “care, compassion, and support, and paid leave should be a part of that,” Pressley said. People going through this experience “should not have to worry about whether or not they will still have job security.”
* Li Zhou at Vox…
This month, Illinois became the first state in the country to require the inclusion of Asian American history in public school curriculums. While the actual impact of this law will depend a lot on implementation, its passage alone sends a significant message: that Asian American history is American history and is integral to understanding the country’s past and present.
For years, Asian American history has been virtually nonexistent in textbooks or cordoned off to a narrow section at best. Much of the framing has also sought to paint the US as a savior for Asian immigrants, glossing over people’s agency and the government’s role in imperialism and exclusion. […]
Grace Pai, the executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago, the advocacy group that first proposed the legislation, notes that its overwhelming passage — it was approved by the state House 108 to 10 — is a testament to the work of local organizers who’ve helped write the law and lobbied lawmakers on it over the past year. The victory comes as conservatives mount a national attack on critical race theory, or what is really education that scrutinizes systemic racism and highlights the importance of lessons that examine the country’s history of discriminatory policies.
By ensuring that more Asian American experiences are included in classroom lessons, the hope is that laws like this will build more understanding among students and combat damaging stereotypes that have persisted for decades.
“TEAACH is fundamentally at its core about building empathy,” Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, a lead sponsor of the bill alongside state Sen. Ram Villivalam, emphasized in a press interview. “Empathy comes from understanding, and we cannot expect to do better unless we know better. And when Asian Americans are missing from our classrooms, what fills that void are harmful stereotypes.”
* This Illinois Opportunity Project piece reads like WIND Radio’s version of the pandemic. Unsurprising since it’s basically the same people…
But just like any other crisis, politicians like Gov. Pritzker got drunk with power. During this time of economic turmoil and uncertainty, Gov. Pritzker passed an unbalanced, record-spending budget. He continued to campaign and spent $56 million funding his Tax Hike Amendment that would’ve cost the typical family of four $3,500 and would’ve raised taxes on over 110,000 small businesses. This is all while 35% of Illinois small businesses had to permanently shut down. In addition to the threat of more tax hikes, the Chicago Tribune released an investigative report that found Chicago businesses suffered $165 million in damages after the looting and rioting that summer.
Some of the other egregious highlights and missteps throughout the year included the devastating deaths of 36 veterans at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home. The veterans’ home workers were using faulty sanitizers and weren’t following proper health and safety protocols all while Pritzker’s political appointee who was in charge of keeping our veterans safe was missing in action.
Gov. Pritzker also spent millions in state money on faulty PPE and gave out much sought after business interruption grants to defunct businesses.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security has been an epic failure and left desperate Illinoisans on hold for hours, waiting for benefits for weeks, exposing their private information, and ranking worst in the nation for reporting unemployment fraud to the federal Department of Labor. The Department has also failed to reopen any of their offices to the public.
To add to the madness, while businesses were forced to shut down again and kids still weren’t back in the classroom in most areas, Gov. Pritzker was dancing in the streets celebrating Joe Biden’s victory. It was hypocritical and cruel.
Whew. Some of that is just nonsense, but there’s enough truth in there to dirty Pritzker up. Just keep that in mind as we go forward.
* The Question: In your opinion, what are Gov. Pritzker’s main reelection vulnerabilities? Make sure to explain.
Tuesday, Jul 20, 2021 - Posted by Advertising Department
[The following is a paid advertisement.]
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Just a day after a new weed law took effect, paving the way for the state to issue 185 new retail licenses through lotteries, a lawsuit was filed to stop the already-delayed process.
A Michigan company run by a former Chicago-based entrepreneur wants a federal judge to stop the lotteries from issuing the licenses, claiming the state’s original rules and new ones are unfair.
Sozo Illinois, which applied for dispensary licenses, sued in federal court here, claiming a provision in the application that gives Illinois residents five bonus points unfairly discriminates against the company and violates state and federal laws guaranteeing due process and equal protection. The company also said it’s being unfairly excluded from one of three lotteries that will be used to distribute licenses, taking aim at a legislative fix to one of the most controversial provisions of the licensing process. […]
The process to issue the first 75 licenses for new marijuana shops has been under fire since it resulted in a tie between 21 applicants who achieved perfect scores, some of which appeared to have tenuous connections to communities the law was designed to help. The Legislature decided that applicants who didn’t win the first 75 licenses would be eligible for two lotteries for 110 more licenses to be distributed this year. Applicants such as Sozo, which achieved social-equity status through employment, were excluded from the second of the two lotteries.
Achieving social equity status through hiring was sharply criticized for being ripe for potential abuse. Those folks could be fired on day one, critics said.
Illinois is averaging almost 200% more new COVID-19 cases a day than just two weeks ago.
New figures released Monday by the Illinois Department of Public Health show the state is averaging 811 new cases a day during the past week, compared to a seven-day rolling average of 285 new daily cases for the week ending July 5 — a 185% increase during that time.
Illinois’ seven-day new case rolling average hasn’t been above 800 since May 31.
That’s still a far cry from this past winter’s infection surge, when the state was averaging more than 12,000 new cases a day.
Monday’s figures from IDPH also show hospitalizations continue to rise throughout the state, with hospitals now treating 537 COVID-19 patients, 107 of whom are in intensive care. Two weeks ago, hospitals were treating 380 COVID-19 patients. That translates to a 41% increase since then.
With the Delta variant causing a surge in cases among the unvaccinated, health leaders at the local and state level continue their push to get Illinoisans vaccinated.
As covid cases rise, cities and counties across the country are bringing back mask mandates. For example, in Los Angeles, where the county is seeing more than a thousand cases a day, masks are once again required indoors regardless of one’s vaccination status.
Roughly 15% of the population of Alexander County is fully vaccinated, far lower than the near 50% statewide, according to Illinois Department of Public Health statistics. […]
As the nation battles a surge in COVID cases in predominantly unvaccinated parts of the country, some public health experts worry about sections of Illinois with particularly low vaccination rates, which are at risk for outbreaks and pose a challenge to herd immunity.
While Alexander County’s vaccination numbers are strikingly low, other counties in southern and western swaths of the Illinois also fall well below the state average.
In Fayette, Hamilton, Henderson, Pope and Pulaski counties, fewer than a quarter of people are fully vaccinated. In about two dozen counties statewide, less than a third of all residents have been immunized.
"As for the minuscule chance that I, as a vaccinated person, could die of covid? That’s because the unvaccinated are choosing to keep the virus alive." https://t.co/gzKrNkPrmy
On Monday, our Capitol Bureau team reached out to the governor’s office to see if the state had any plans to implement any of the mitigations that were used earlier during the pandemic.
Citing the availability of the vaccine in Illinois, the governor’s office said that isn’t happening at this time.
Here’s the full response from Governor Pritzker’s Press Secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh:
“Currently there is no plan to implement any additional mitigations now that there is an abundance of vaccine available and accessible across Illinois, we encourage all Illinoisans ages 12+ to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The COVID-19 vaccines are a proven and effective measure of protection against a deadly virus that has taken the lives of thousands of Illinoisans.”
The state’s higher education agencies released updated COVID-19 guidance Monday encouraging all public and private higher education institutions in Illinois to issue mandatory vaccine policies.
“Vaccination against COVID-19 is now widely available, and all persons over the age of 12 are eligible,” the guidance document reads. “Vaccination is the leading prevention strategy against COVID-19 and all public and private universities are strongly encouraged to require vaccination (with appropriate exemptions) to protect campus populations and slow COVID-19 transmission in surrounding communities.”
Some schools, including Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Illinois System, Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University, among others, have already announced they will require vaccinations for in-person learning.
From my interview with Dr. Fauci… he says if the US had this amount of disinformation during the battle against polio, polio would likely still be around today. Watch… pic.twitter.com/U6aX3b3F9d
Newly redrawn Illinois Supreme Court districts mean there’s an open seat in the northern and far western suburbs that’s expected to be fought over next year in a high-dollar battle key to determining which party controls the judicial branch.
Four county judges and a North Shore mayor already say they’re in or considering a run for the new 2nd District job, and more candidates could emerge in the coming months.
The would-be justices will have to win support from voters in Lake, Kane, McHenry, Kendall and DeKalb counties. First up is the primary election in late June 2022, with the Democrat and Republican victors then squaring off in the November general election.
The seat is one of two spots up for grabs on a court where Democrats hold a 4-3 edge, and the campaigns will unfold after both sides shattered Illinois spending records on a judicial contest in fall 2020. Illinois Republicans and their business allies scored a big win when voters rejected retention for then-Justice Tom Kilbride of Rock Island in the 3rd District, who was backed by trial lawyers and labor unions. The district has been tweaked to make it more Democrat-friendly, but for Republicans, the 2022 contests may represent the party’s best shot at regaining a toehold in state government.
“This could end up being one of the most interesting and consequential races on the ballot,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “If you’ve got an interest in maintaining some relevance politically, the court might be the way to go.” […]
Just how Democratic the new 2nd District is depends on the election used to measure it. Democrat Joe Biden scored 55.9% to 42.1% for then-President Donald Trump in those five counties last year. In 2018, Democrat Pritzker bested then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner by just 2 percentage points. Both Pritzker and Biden took all but McHenry County. In 2014, Rauner bested then-Gov. Pat Quinn by 23 percentage points in those five counties.
Mayor Tom McNamara has decided against running for Congress to succeed U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline.
McNamara was inundated with calls from across the country urging him to run for Bustos’ Congressional seat after she announced that she would not seek a sixth term. But although tempted by the idea he might have a wider impact in Congress, McNamara ultimately decided he can make a bigger difference staying mayor of Rockford.
McNamara announced Monday he will not run for Congress in 2022.
“We have work left to do, and I want to be here, beside you, as we implement more positive change in our community,” McNamara said in a written statement.
Keep an eye on state Sen. Steve Stadelman. Also worth watching is Nikki Budzinski, who is moving back to Illinois from DC after a stint as chief of staff at the Office of Management & Budget. She’s from Peoria and she’s known to be thinking about a congressional bid.
* And in the same current congressional district that may be completely obliterated when the new boundaries are drawn…
With Q2 federal fundraising numbers released nationwide for all campaigns, Republican candidate Esther Joy King stands as the top raising challenger campaign in all of Illinois.
In addition, she is one of only four targeted GOP challenger campaigns nationally that raised more than $400,000. On July 8, her campaign announced it had raised more than $425,000 in the second fundraising quarter that ended June 30.
According to data from Rob Pyers, research director for California Target Book, King was the top raising challenger campaign in the state as of July 16.
A conservative U.S. House candidate from northeast Illinois is trumpeting support he’s received on Twitter from an Arizona congressman who’s drawn controversy for ties to white nationalists and comments about the 2020 election and the Capitol riot, among other subjects.
Jack Lombardi, a Manhattan Republican who has billed himself as the “most conservative candidate” running for the 16th District seat now held by Republican Adam Kinzinger, was the subject of a tweet Friday by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar.
“Just had a great chat with @JackLombardi and if you live in Illinois check this man out,” tweeted Gosar, a six-term Republican.
Lombardi retweeted the comment, adding “Thank you for your time. Great things to come!”
About 13,000 part-time Illinois National Guard soldiers and airmen, as well as more than 1,000 full-time civilian employees, could lose two months’ pay if Congress fails to act by August 1, the state’s adjutant general said Monday.
The potential cuts and furloughs are related to more than $521 million in unreimbursed costs incurred by National Guard forces in Illinois and across the country for security Guard troops provided after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Illinois’ share of the unprecedented shortfall is $31 million, according to Adjutant General Richard Neely, commander of the Illinois Army and Air National Guard.
C’mon, already.
*** UPDATE *** Gov. Pritzker…
Governor JB Pritzker today called on Congress to repay the debt owed to the National Guard for providing security to the U.S. Capitol following the January 6th riots. The governor urged the U.S. Senate to immediately take up legislation that would both make the National Guard whole for the D.C. mission and provide funding for critical safety and security enhancements at the U.S. Capitol.
Following the January 6th attack on the Capitol, thousands of guard members from across the nation, including hundreds of men and women from Illinois, responded to the federal government’s call for assistance. These brave soldiers provided critical security support for the country in a time of dire need. With expenses from the D.C. mission still outstanding, the National Guard is facing devastating prospects if this funding is not immediately repaid, including a reduction in exercises, weekend training, and potential furloughs. This places a significant financial burden on individual members of the guard, putting their monthly drill checks and insurance payments in jeopardy.
“Even as the events of January 6th were still unfolding, heroes from across the nation fearlessly mobilized in defense of their country, and every day that our debts to them go unpaid is an insult to their service,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Congress needs to act with urgency to not only protect the integrity of our National Guard but to do everything possible to prevent another January 6th from ever happening again. Here in Illinois, our Illinois National Guard soldiers and airmen have sacrificed so much over the last 18 months, leaving their homes and families, civilian jobs and universities, dropping their plans and putting their lives on hold – all to respond to the needs of our state and nation. This is about readiness and about taking care of our soldiers and airmen, but even more so, it’s about honor. I urge Congress to act quickly on behalf of the safety, security, and dignity of all Americans.”
Over 25,000 Guard troops answered the call to protect the Capitol following the January 6th riots. Thousands remained in Washington, D.C. until the end of May to provide support to local law enforcement and ensure the safety of the nation’s capital city.
While Pritzker’s decision was widely expected, particularly after he put $35 million of his own money into his campaign account in March, the governor had been silent publicly about his reelection plans — an effort to show he was more focused on the pandemic and governance than politics.
Now, with less than a year until the state’s newly moved June 28 primary, the wealthy heir to the Hyatt fortune believes the state is far enough along in dealing with COVID-19 to issue his first reelection campaign message.
Pritzker’s campaign video takes a swipe at former President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of the pandemic, with an announcer saying, “In Washington, science took a back seat to politics. But in Illinois, we knew the stakes were too high.”
The reference to Trump, whom Pritzker frequently criticized through the worst days of the pandemic, also was a subtle shot at the three announced Republican candidates for governor — Burr Ridge businessman Gary Rabine, state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo.
Earlier this month, one other Democrat came forward to announce her bid for Illinois governor. Beverly Miles, an activist from Chicago’s West Side, said she intended to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in next year’s June 28th primary. She came in fourth place in a bid to unseat Chicago Alderman Jason Ervin in 2019’s city elections. […]
One of the few challengers to Pritzker who has shown a willingness to spend that kind of money in recent years is billionaire Citadel CEO and chairman Ken Griffin. Griffin largely funded the effort to ultimately defeat one of Pritzker’s biggest 2018 election platforms of changing the state constitution to allow for a graduated state income tax from its current flat income tax structure.
Griffin has not financially supported any Republican candidate so far, and he hasn’t indicated he would run for the position himself.
Campaign finance records show he’s already spending heavily on that re-election effort. In the last quarter alone, the governor has spent more than $950,000 on media buys, $600,000 on legal services, and more than $100,000 on research consultants.
Pritzker’s campaign is likely to emphasize his legislative accomplishments since taking office in 2018, which include a six-year, $45 billion infrastructure package as well as bills that legalized the sale of marijuana and will hike the state’s minimum hourly wage to $15 in 2025.
In addition, Pritzker is poised to tout the state’s improving financial condition by spotlighting the end of the bill backlog and improved debt ratings by Wall Street firms.
Three Republicans have already announced they will run for the GOP nomination for governor in June: state Sen. Darren Bailey, of Xenia; former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, of Waterloo; and suburban businessman Gary Rabine.
All three have been levying a steady stream of criticism against Pritzker for not only the stay-at-home order, but also for the state’s handling of a tsunami of unemployment claims and the outbreak of COVID-19 at the state-run Lasalle veterans home that killed 36 people.
After Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his reelection campaign Monday, state political leaders have expressed mixed reactions.
Not to much surprise, the reactions have been split thus far primarily down party lines, with Republicans naming reasons they feel Pritzker failed during his term as governor and Democrats voicing support for the re-election.
To the surprise of no one: Pritzker announces he is running for reelection, toiting his response to the pandemic. Back in the spring he had pumped $35 million into his campaign war chest. On June 3rd he told me he 1st had to talk to his family before deciding @ABC7Chicagohttps://t.co/Rx6Mb95VUn
Illinois Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope announced her resignation last week and will leave office by Dec. 15. She cited several reasons, including her thwarted attempt to issue subpoenas without any checks or balances. “True ethics reform,” she said of the legislature, “is not a priority.”
Ms. Pope was certainly right about some things. For instance, state law currently allows inspector generals to open an investigation based on allegations, including in the news media. But that was disallowed under a new bill — passed by the General Assembly in May and transmitted to the governor on June 30 — unless the allegation is submitted as a formal complaint.
In the past, ethics bills have been tightly controlled by the House speaker and Senate president. That wasn’t so much the case this year, however. Rank and file members of the Democratic supermajority had significantly more input on this bill.
Legislators as a class are generally a skittish lot. And they fully realize that “innocent until investigated” is the standard by which officeholders are judged by voters, reporters and pundits. That could be why they even balked at Pope’s request to publish investigative reports which actually vindicate legislators. The mere existence of the investigation itself would have to be defended. It could be far more trouble than it’s worth. Better to just bury the whole thing.
The new ethics bill also bars the LIG from investigating anything that isn’t a violation of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act or other laws “related to the member’s or employee’s public duties.” Violations of House and Senate rules are also off limits.
“As a result of this,” Pope wrote in her resignation letter, “the LIG will not be able to investigate conduct unbecoming a legislator that results from things such as posting revenge porn on social media, failure to pay income taxes on non-legislative income, and other conduct that I and the public think the LIG should be able to investigate.”
But the two House Democratic members of the Legislative Ethics Commission, Reps. Kelly Burke and Maurice West, said that law enforcement was the “proper and just avenue for criminal activity outside the purview of official duties.” Indeed, former Sen. Terry Link was busted by the feds for his income tax problem and former Rep. Nick Sauer was indicted on twelve felony counts for violating the state’s non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images law.
Since legislators under indictment sometimes refuse to resign, what Pope apparently wanted to do was open separate investigations into whether they had violated the state’s very broad and ill-defined “conduct unbecoming a legislator” law. If found in violation, the respective chambers could then vote to expel the member. In reality, though, it’s unlikely that anybody in such a position would ever cooperate with such an investigation, as last year’s ComEd-related “conduct unbecoming” probe of Speaker Michael Madigan clearly showed.
We can go through the nuances of Pope’s resignation until the cows come home, but it doesn’t really matter. Literally nobody outside the General Assembly will care, and for good reason.
The hard truth is that every former LIG but one dating back to Tom Homer, the state’s first Legislative Inspector General, has publicly chafed at the restrictions they were put under.
It’s beyond clear that the General Assembly either needs to find a new Inspector General who understands and accepts the position’s limited role, or, better yet, the legislature needs to change the law so that no self-respecting reformer will be embarrassed to admit what they do for a living. Maybe they could find some spot in the middle.
Either way, the current setup clearly ain’t working and it’s up to the legislature to fix it.
Some of the reforms in the new ethics bill are good. Banning Monday night pre-session fund-raisers was long overdue.
Forcing lobbying entities to disclose their “consultants” is also a much-needed reform. We currently have no idea who’s making money off of advising lobbyists how and whom to lobby. It’s downright shady and it has to end.
Those were my top two priorities for an ethics bill based on my years of observing this process, so I’m kinda/sorta fine with the result.
But that’s just me. The General Assembly has got to stop blithely bumbling its way into this sort of criticism.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is usually a glass half full guy, has said the bill on his desk does some good things, but he’d like to see more. He’s indicated that he’ll sign it. But he may want to think about vetoing this thing. Aside from the politics of it, he can make a reasonable case.
We’ve been through a lot, and I’ve been so proud to see Illinoisans come together during the toughest of times. I'm excited to fight for the state I love with @JulianaforLG, and there’s no limit to what we can do going forward. pic.twitter.com/r5UXILlrb3
Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced he and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton will run for re-election to a second term in 2022, releasing a video that highlights the strength of the state’s response to the COVID pandemic and JB’s commitment to the people of Illinois.
“I can’t tell you what pride it gives me as Governor of the state to see the people of Illinois standing up for one another. We saw the fundamental goodness of the people of Illinois exists in Southern Illinois as it does in Central Illinois as it does in Northern Illinois,” Governor JB Pritzker says in the video. “Part of why I’m running for re-election is because I watched the heroes across our state step up and do the right thing. We had so much to accomplish and we were able to do that — together. I’m very proud of all of the people of the state of Illinois and we have so much more we can do together.”
“It has been my honor to work alongside Governor JB Pritzker these last few years to move Illinois in the right direction and lift up working families. From increasing the minimum wage, making historic investments in infrastructure and creating jobs, to expanding access to health care and bringing fiscal stability back to state government, we’ve made real progress for the people of Illinois,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “I don’t think any of us could have predicted the challenges the last year brought for all of us, but through it all I’m proud of what a strong leader JB has been in these tough times, and I can’t wait to continue our partnership.”
The video features Illinoisans from across the state praising Governor JB Pritzker’s strong leadership in tough times:
“From the beginning Governor Pritzker was very present and transparent about his process and following facts and following science,” says Corey Brooks, a physician assistant and member of the National Guard from Belleville.
“I feel like the Governor was a partner with nurses and doctors and the whole medical community,” says Jenica Krushall, a registered nurse from Springfield.
“He’s compassionate, he really cares about Illinois, and he’s brave. He did a lot of things he probably didn’t need to do but he took care of us,” says Rose McNaughton from Staunton.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a big town or a small town, Governor Pritzker guided us with leadership that got us to this point,” says Mayor John Bearrows of Rochelle.
“JB totally understood the plight of small businesses,” says Emily Paul, small business owner in Staunton. “I really don’t think we would have made it without the support of the Governor, in fact I know we wouldn’t have.”
“He trusted the science. He did what was necessary to keep us safe,“ says Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin of Matteson.
“This was a time when we had to get it right, and Governor Pritzker did it for us,” says Polly Poskin of Springfield.
Governor JB Pritzker is announcing his re-election on the heels of a successful legislative session in which the Governor signed into law a balanced budget that made responsible investments in the future of Illinois. In the last month alone Illinois has received two credit upgrades, was ranked the top state for infrastructure and jumped 15 spots in America’s top states to do business. See more of Governor Pritzker’s leadership and accomplishments in his first term as Governor at www.jbpritzker.com.
…Adding… Another campaign video featuring LG Stratton…
…Adding… DGA…
Today, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker announced his re-election campaign for governor of Illinois.
Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Noam Lee released the following statement:
“When COVID struck Illinois, Gov. Pritzker demonstrated national leadership, acting swiftly to protect the health of Illinoisans and standing up to the deadly lies of Donald Trump. As the state emerges from the pandemic, Gov. Pritzker is putting Illinois back on firm fiscal footing, leading to credit rating upgrades and an improving business environment.
“Gov. Pritzker has proven to be a strong and effective governor for the people of Illinois. Under his leadership, Illinois has increased the minimum wage, enshrined reproductive rights into law, made college more affordable, increased access to early childhood education, and legalized and decriminalized the use of cannabis. The Pritzker administration has restored funding for mental health and social services and expanded health care coverage to 129,000 more Illinoisans. And the governor has strong plans for the future of Illinois with his infrastructure plan to improve roads and bridges over the next six years while creating and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs — the largest infrastructure program in state history.
“As governor, Gov. Pritzker has worked hard to put Illinois’ government back on the side of working families. Gov. Pritzker has delivered on his promises for the people of Illinois, and we look forward to helping re-elect him next year.”
…Adding… Possible GOP opponent…
Here's a snapshot of the @JBPritzker record: ❌ Pushing tax hikes ❌ Embracing corruption ❌ Executive incompetence ❌ Failing our veterans ❌ Abandoning police J.B. Pritzker is just another lying, failed politician. https://t.co/6He0GliwfI
The Democratic Party of Illinois today announced its support for Gov. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Stratton for re-election in 2022. The following is a statement from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, supporting Gov. Pritzker’s re-election:
“Governor Pritzker has shown outstanding leadership during one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history and proven he is the right leader for the State of Illinois. It is because of Gov. Pritzker’s courage, compassion and guidance that we are emerging from a global pandemic safely and stronger than we were before it began. When others ignored science and condemned sound judgement, Gov. Pritzker forged ahead with the tough choices our families, workers and businesses needed. Gov. Pritzker made the hard decisions that put Illinois back on solid financial footing after years of dysfunction. Gov. Pritzker is the leader we need to continue making progress in Illinois, and Illinois Democrats are excited to re-elect him Governor of our great state.”
* ILGOP…
Governor JB Pritzker released a COVID-themed video today announcing his re-election campaign for a second term. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response:
“During a global pandemic that required steady leadership, Governor Pritzker failed our most vulnerable in their time of need. When our children missed an entire year of in-person education, Pritzker was silent while political teachers unions forced children to stay home even when the science and CDC said they should be back in school. When thousands of Illinoisans were laid off from work, they went weeks without help from Pritzker’s incompetent state unemployment agency. And when our nation’s elderly heroes needed protection from the virus in our state facilities, the tragic mistakes of the Pritzker administration led to the death of 36 veterans at Lasalle Veterans Home.
Governor Pritzker’s record on helping Illinois through the pandemic is a failure. I look forward to talking about that and his radical policy agenda out of step with Illinoisans in the upcoming election.”
* Schimpf…
Paul Schimpf, Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois, issued the following statement in response to Governor JB Pritzker’s re-election announcement:
“Governor Pritzker’s reelection announcement today means the voters of Illinois will face a stark choice about the future of our state in 2022. Under the Pritzker Leadership Deficit, he has failed to stand up to corruption, failed to protect our veterans and families, and failed to help overtaxed Illinoisans. In three years, JB Pritzker has demonstrated he has neither the vision nor the leadership skills to unite our state. Simply put, Illinoisans deserve better–they deserve a leader with commonsense who will renew our state.”
— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) July 19, 2021
…Adding… Rabine…
Gary Rabine, a candidate for Governor, is issuing the following statement on JB Pritzker’s announcement that he is running for re-election.
“The last two and a half years have been a disaster for Illinois on JB Pritzker’s watch. Governor Pritzker has raised taxes, increased spending, and signed into law some of the most radical, far-left legislation in the nation. When Pritzker didn’t get his income tax increase, he raised taxes and regulations at a record pace to dominate the highest taxed citizens in America. All this isn’t enough as Pritzker threatens to pursue higher income tax again if elected to a second term.
JB Pritzker doesn’t mention in his announcement his leadership in outmigration or that Illinois has the worst credit rating of all 50 states, even with the billions in federal bailouts.
Under Pritzker, our state has become one of the most violent in America with 385 homicides and 1,897 shootings midway through 2021. A great leader would not sleep until this tragic environment was changed.
The people of Illinois cannot afford four more years of JB Pritzker. I am confident, that in 2022, we will reject him and his radical agenda that is driving our state into unacceptable insolvency and violence.”
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