* Rachel Hinton…
Vowing to “ensure access to justice for all, the mayor of Highland Park launched her bid for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court on Friday, setting the stage for what could be a hotly contested race to represent a newly redrawn district on the state’s top court.
Making her third run for higher office in five years, Nancy Rotering, a Democrat in her third term as mayor of the North Shore suburb, joins Democratic and Republican judges in Lake County who are also vying for the seat formerly held by Justice Robert Thomas. […]
Kicking off her run for the state’s top court, Rotering announced a slew of endorsements, including Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, the mayors of Deerfield, Buffalo Grove and Fox Lake as well as Democratic state Representatives Bob Morgan of Deerfield, Dan Didech of Buffalo Grove, Sam Yingling of Grayslake and Joyce Mason of Gurnee.
Elizabeth Rochford, an associate judge in Lake County, is also running as a Democrat for the Supreme Court seat, which now covers Lake, McHenry, Kane, DeKalb and Kendall counties.
Daniel Shanes, a Lake County judge, plans to run as a Republican for the Second District seat in next year’s June 28 primary.
* Press release from Gary Rabine…
In response to the tragic death of a police officer Saturday night in Chicago and the severe wounding of another officer, Gary Rabine, a candidate for Governor, is calling on Gov. Pritzker to stop ignoring the wave of violent crime in the City of Chicago.
“How many police officers and innocent civilians have to die before Gov. Pritzker takes what is happening in the City of Chicago seriously?” Rabine said. “Where are you Governor? Show us you are not partnered with Kim Fox! A great leader doesn’t sleep as tragedies like this in our state continue because of terrible policies and terrible leadership. JB needs to wake up and hold Kim Fox accountable for violating her professional code of ethics daily when she refuses to enforce the Illinois law she agreed to under oath.”
Rabine said the Governor could put pressure on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to address the rise in violent crime. He could withhold various state funds to the City to force the mayor to solve the problems. He could call a Special Session of the General Assembly to deal with the violence and, as a last resort, he could deploy the National Guard.
“There are ways the Governor could step up and protect the lives of innocent people and the lives of police officers, but instead he has chosen to ignore what is happening in Chicago,” Rabine said. “Chicago’s best – our police officer – show their passion and their bravery as they serve us every single day. A great governor would respond by serving our police and our communities by using his executive powers to retract the bad policies that have handcuffed our police and take bold action to protect the citizens of this state. Unfortunately, we do not ave a great governor. We have a weak, self-serving leader whose policies are benefitting politically connected insiders at the expense of the people.”
Rabine is asking Illinois residents to pray for this heroic young woman’s 2-month-old baby now without a mother, the other officer fighting for his life, and their families.
“My prayers are also for the many innocent families who have lost loved ones in one of the most violent summers in Chicago history,” Rabine said. “I am also praying for our governor, to find the strength to get his hands dirty and the courage to retract bad policy and protect the people in every community of our state.”
I asked what Rabine would have the General Assembly do in a special session…
The point here is to make this issue a priority and use the bully pulpit that is the Governor’s office to bring about meaningful changes.
Um, OK, but if you bring the GA back into special session, you gotta give them something to do.
Also, as I’ve already told you, Officer French had no child. Rabine bought into yet another right-wing online myth.
* Speaking of which, these folks claim Rabine signed an affidavit demanding an audit of Illinois’ 2020 vote…
More on these kooky “affidavits of maladministration” here. I know of one state Senator who has received one.
…Adding… Rabine’s Facebook post is even wackier…
A great governor will show his passion and bravery to serve our police and our communities by using his executive powers to retract the bad policies that have handcuffed our police. Retract his signature on these horrific bills and FIRE Kim Foxx!
Retract his signature? Fire an elected state’s attorney? Does he have even the slightest clue what a governor does?
* News-Gazette…
Few people can say their spouse encouraged them to go into politics.
But when David Palmer, a local former pro basketballer turned youth-development coach turned financial adviser, couldn’t stop chatting at weekly Illini football tailgates, his wife, Chelsea, took notice.
“You’re not the mayor,” she told him. “You know you can just walk out and leave, right?”
Then November 2020 came around, and politics dominated their conversations. Election buzz lit a fire under the couple, and Chelsea chimed in again:
“We talk about this so often, we’re going to have to get off the couch and do something about it,” she said.
Nine months later, Palmer is booting up his campaign for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, in hopes to unseat five-term U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville.
He has a great story, but nobody has a good handle on what the new districts will look like. We’re losing a seat, so the new map will be drastically different, particularly Downstate.
- Ron Burgundy - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 11:30 am:
Those “affidavits” are goofy. They are really just demands, as the person isn’t swearing to any facts or providing any relevant information. The judgment of anyone willing to sign such nonsense should be seriously questioned.
- Occam - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 11:31 am:
“vying for the seat formerly held by Justice Robert Thomas. […]
Kicking off her run for the state’s top court…”
Nice football seque.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 11:34 am:
given politics, most Democrats will think this Rotering run is just fine. but this is not only her third run for higher office, it is a run for the highest judicial post in the State. seems unseemly in a way.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 11:43 am:
It is so hard to take Rabine seriously.
===He could withhold various state funds to the City to force the mayor to solve the problems.===
So, essentially defund the police?
===Kim Fox===
Odd that his team can’t spell in the press release but gets her name right on Facebook.
- Norseman - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 11:45 am:
Rabine should demand that JB investigate why the Cubs got swept in last weekend’s series. Many people are saying that the White Sox cheated. Others are saying that the Ricketts family has tanked the team to make it easier for sale. Cubbieland demands immediate action.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:04 pm:
Rabine and Bailey are the front-runners right now in for an increasingly smaller state Republican party…and Rabine has the money and is the only one campaigning near the population centers. He’s also better at chasing wedge issues than Bailey, who is stuck riding his single-issue COVID spiral.
I’m terrified of this man being the nominee in what is traditionally a year for blow-back against Democratic incumbents. Is any other Republican going to step up and say that either of these two shouldn’t be leading the ticket?
- NIU Grad - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:05 pm:
I know there’s buzz about Demmer running for SecState, but is anyone going to take his “reasonable moderate” message seriously when this is what is happening at the top of the ticket?
- Nagidam - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:07 pm:
The dems running for SOS want to “Protect our Elections” and perennially every dem House candidate wants to “Protect Social Security”. Maybe we can give Rabine a little latitude on wanting to “Fire Kim Foxx”. I get he is an easy mark but what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
- John Parker - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
Those affidavits are beyond goofy, they’re near sovereign citizen crazy. “The Affidavit is a Contract, and if you shall ignore this Affidavit by not responding by the following terms, you agree to pay $1,000 per day if you shall fail to immediately make provisions for
an audit.” That’s not how any of this works! Does that mean I can send Rabine an affidavit that says if he fails to meet my demand that he drop out of the race, he has to pay me $1000 per day? Hmmmmm . . . .
- JoanP - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:12 pm:
= Does he have even the slightest clue what a governor does? =
Clearly not.
As for that “affidavit”, it reminds me of the incoherent motions that some of my clients would want me to file, usually referencing the “Sovereign Citizens” or the “Moorish Science Temple”. Unfortunately, these folks can cause real trouble.
- DuPage Moderate - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
“Also, as I’ve already told you, Officer French had no child. Rabine bought into yet another right-wing online myth.”
May want to test out the whole google machine. Nearly half of the first page hits sport articles from all sorts of political leaning publications discussing said two-month old.
But yeah, everything is right-wing misinformation.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:32 pm:
===Nearly half of the first page hits sport articles from all sorts of political leaning publications===
Not mine. I don’t know what search terms you used, but my Google search returned stories from local news sites that did not include her status as a parent.
But then Google prompted a new search query that was officer french maternity and none of those hits were local media. Most were twitter feeds and one was the reliably wacko Daily Mail.
Not everything right wing is disinformation, but it seems to get closer to everything with each passing day. Why is that?
- under the bus - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:37 pm:
Why would anyone support Nancy Rotering, who runs for any open office over a current Judge with proven track record? Nancy, should you try for local judicial office first? Senseless, waste of time and dollars when we have to win against a Republican in the general. Just saying
- Colin O'Scopy - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 12:40 pm:
Gary Who? More like “Gary, Huh”?
- Nagidam - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 1:19 pm:
Tribune article online today about fallen officer. They interviewed the officers brother. No mention of an infant and the brother goes into great detail about the family.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-2-officers-shot-west-englewood-20210808-ynzwgfvclzg4lgmlbsffv5peci-story.html
- allknowingmasterofraccoodom - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 1:36 pm:
Rotering is the Dem version of Oberweiss.
She should just stop. She is not even a good mayor.
- John Lopez - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 1:52 pm:
The Sun-Times article on 2nd District, Illinois Supreme Court left off two Kane County circuit judges also seeking Democratic nomination:
Rene’ Cruz of North Aurora
John Noverini of Carpentersville
- Fly like an eagle - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 2:04 pm:
Pritzker signed SB 2294 which increases mental health funding and substance abuse treatment, both which should reduce crime.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 2:05 pm:
Two important things about Davis;
No one really knows what Davis is running for…
… no one really knows what a district Davis would run in will look like.
Davis may have to get past… Mary Miller… might have to get past LaHood… might skip all of it, run statewide… I do know Davis is political office shopping for his best chance… that’s about it.
- Sue - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 2:43 pm:
Could anyone please tell us what possible qualifications Rotering has to think she might be remotely qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. She might be a fine public servant but is this a joke?
- John Lopez - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 3:09 pm:
=== Could anyone please tell us what possible qualifications Rotering has to think she might be remotely qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. ===
Let’s see, Mayor Rotering earned her Bachelors from Stanford, MBA from Kellogg-Northwestern, and J.D. from U of Chicago Law School.
30 years as attorney, but no bench experience.
One of her primary opponents, Judge John Noverini, won election as a Circuit Judge in 2008, without bench experience or criminal law experience, so not unprecedented.
- Highland Park resident - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 4:42 pm:
How about looking at the condition of Highland Park under the “leadership” of Ms. Rotering. She has book smarts and wealth but show me the results of her tenure as Mayor of Highland Park.
- G'Kar - Monday, Aug 9, 21 @ 7:14 pm:
I hope the affidavit used in Illinois at least had the correct state./s
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