* House Speaker Chris Welch busted the campaign contribution caps yesterday with a $100,001 contribution to his personal campaign fund. He is now the third legislative leader to break the state’s contribution caps. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin has not yet done so, but he has in the past. From Welch campaign spokesperson Alexandra Sims…
This is another step by Speaker Welch to protect Democratic House members, as well as potential Democratic candidates, in the upcoming primary and general elections.
The caps are also off in the governor’s race, among others. [Sheesh! Another SoS mistake. I have a smooth spot on my brain about that office today.]
* Candidates are emerging to replace retiring DuPage County Board Chair Dan Cronin…
Greg Hart, a sitting board member from Hinsdale, will run for his party’s nomination for the chairman’s position in 2022.
On the Democratic ticket, Liz Chaplin, once the party’s sole county board member, is vying to take the seat held by Republicans for generations. First elected in 2012, Chaplin took the helm of the finance committee after Democrats won control of the board in 2020 for the first time since the Great Depression.
State Rep. Deb Conroy, a Villa Park Democrat, said she’s also considering a run for the county’s top seat. Her fifth term expires next year.
“I will decide where I can best serve DuPage County in the coming weeks,” Conroy said Thursday.
She represents the one-time seat of former Illinois House speaker and conservative stalwart Lee Daniels, another sign that the traditionally ruby red DuPage has skewed more Democratic.
The last paragraph just blows me away. That part of the world used to be at the very epicenter of Republican politics in this state.
* The second white man with union leadership credentials has said he’s running for the vacant 72nd House District…
Democrat Jeff Deppe has announced his candidacy for state Representative, Illinois House District 72.
Current state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, is running for 36th District state Senate.
Deppe’s roots run deep in Rock Island County, and he already wears many hats in the Democratic Party: He is vice president of the Rock Island County Democratic Party and is a Rock Island County board member, representing District 9. He was appointed to the county board in 2015 and elected in 2016, currently serving as chairman of the county governance, health and administration committee.
Deppe is employed as the secretary and treasurer of Laborers Local 309 (LiUNA) and was elected Illinois vice president of the Quad-City Federation of Labor in May. He sits on the boards of directors for Arrowhead Youth and Family Services and the Bi-State Regional Commission.
Thurgood Brooks, a young Black activist who narrowly lost the Rock Island mayor’s race this year is also considering a bid.
* Not sure if I totally agree with this yet, but we will certainly find out if Davis gets into the race…
A Freeburg, Illinois native and newcomer to state politics is making a splash with a lot of cash.
Venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan announced he would run for the Republican nomination for Illinois governor. Sullivan joins three other nominees hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker.
Even though some of his competitors have an advantage with their political experience, Sullivan may use his connections and capital to light his way towards the nomination, according to John Jackson of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. […]
Jackson feels the frontrunner is U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL 13th Dist.) who hasn’t announced his candidacy yet.
” I think [Davis] has… [the] political experience and party connections that would make him the automatic frontrunner if he were to announce,” Jackson said.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Gary Rabine press release…
The Job Creators Network (JCN) is preparing a lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate on companies with 100 or more employees, a move Gary Rabine, a JCN Board member, endorses.
Rabine is issuing the following statement on the JCN lawsuit against the Biden Administration.
“Biden’s Administration, the Administration that Pritzker & AOC support is off their rockers! Their main goal seems to be kill jobs, kill freedom, and tax more!
As one of the founding board members of Job Creators Network, I endorse this lawsuit against Biden. We have been a strong voice against terrible regulations that kill jobs but this mandate by Biden might be the most aggressive, freedom crushing bill that we have ever seen. If we allow this, what freedom will we give up next?
Our businesses at the Rabine Group have amazing people who are like family to us, and some will choose not to take this vaccine for their own personal reasons. Some of these invaluable people will choose to leave the small businesses they call home to work for a smaller company that doesn’t fall under the mandate. Some of them will move to a state that fights for their freedom against a tyrannical federal government. How many more Illinoisans can we afford to chase out?
As Governor, I will fight for the freedom of my teammates and all employees in our state. I will fight against a Biden and Pritzker tyrannical government to maintain a state of Illinois that will honor freedom and create abundant opportunity.
I endorse Job Creators Network 100% and I call on all freedom loving business leaders to join me in protecting the freedom of employees and small business.”
That’s quite… something. I’m not sure which Republican candidate would get crushed worst in a general election at the moment.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Heh…
- The Captain - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:36 am:
I don’t believe the caps have been blown in the SOS race.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:41 am:
Regarding Davis, awful lot of courtin” on a guy that hasn’t put his chips in the pot yet.
Say what you will about the other four, at least they’re not playing the coquette.
- Voting2022 - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:41 am:
Davis would’ve easily been front runner in 2010 or 2014 even. Not too sure about today’s GOP, Voted to certify the election… talks about bipartisanship in a party where voting against dear leader will cost your political career…
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:43 am:
Davis may seemingly be the front runner, but with his continued congressional and political support, on the record, for Trump, including voting against impeachment for inciting an insurrection… if that’s the front runner, that’s not running out front of the Trump cult by having one of Illinois’ biggest Trump enabler on the ticket.
The Sullivan rollout is like a wagon… designed to have four wheels… and that lil wagon has three… and those three wheels… they ain’t round… but square… that kinda bad… whew.
- City Zen - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:48 am:
“This is another step by Speaker Welch to protect Democratic House members”
Welcome to the neighborhood. We’re from the North Ward Democrats Protective Cooperative. You may have noticed, not to denigrate anyone, but this is a transitional neighborhood. I mean, demographically speaking, you still have a lot of Republican types. We Democrats have found you really should have some round-the-clock security here. Your weekly dues to us will give you all the supplemental safety net you’ll ever need.
- Arsenal - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:48 am:
I think Davis would still be the front-runner, but he might have a serious neither-fish-nor-fowl problem now. He’s certainly no moderate, but I don’t think he can out-Trump Bailey and Rabine. But can he get the “less Trumpy” lane to himself with Sullivan in the race now?
It depends on how for real Sullivan is. Obviously the money says “For real enough”, but the stumbles on his bio should make us think twice.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:55 am:
Let’s be clear about Davis, from the words of Aaron DeGroot;
=== “His decision on what he would run for is kind of, dependent on redistricting and the timetable for that,” said Davis spokesman Aaron DeGroot. “So, I guess it’s just kind of a wait and see at this point.”===
Davis is afraid of whom he might be facing for congress in the primary… be it LaHood… be it Mary Miller.
Davis is scared, and statewide is the fall back…
“…“His decision on what he would run for is kind of, dependent on redistricting and the timetable for that,” said Davis spokesman Aaron DeGroot. …”
Statewide is a fallback, where Davis doesn’t have to fear losing.
DeGroot is telling me so.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:57 am:
If you ain’t all up in the annointed and glorious one from Mar A Whatever, you ain’t winning nothing south of I-70.
- fs - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 10:58 am:
== A Freeburg, Illinois native ==
Huh? I thought he was from Petersburg? Not exactly neighboring towns.
- Leap Day William - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:03 am:
== If you ain’t all up in the annointed and glorious one from Mar A Whatever, you ain’t winning nothing south of I-70. ==
More like not winning anything south of I-72, or even I-74. Lotta Trump 2024 and Pritzker Sucks signs littering the rural landscape around these parts, sadly.
- Pundent - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:07 am:
You need a Larry Hogan to beat JB Pritzker. The ILGOP doesn’t seem to have many Larry Hogan types these days. And none of the candidates mentioned come close to Larry Hogan.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:24 am:
Davis may have a hard-to-impossible time getting a majority in a GOP gubernatorial primary, but a plurality is certainly possible. Depends on how many others are running and who they are.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:54 am:
==Davis is afraid of whom he might be facing for congress in the primary… be it LaHood… be it Mary Miller.==
Don’t forget Bost.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 11:59 am:
===Bost===
Keeping LaHood busy with a primary or forcing Mary Miller to take on Davis is seemingly most impactful.
Bost is the least likely of the four with a need to worry.
- DuPage Dave - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:06 pm:
==She represents the one-time seat of former Illinois House speaker and conservative stalwart Lee Daniels, another sign that the traditionally ruby red DuPage has skewed more Democratic.==
I’m happy to have Deb Conroy as my state rep. I lived through 30+ years of Republicans in charge of everything in DuPage County and am glad to see them replaced.
- Primate - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:08 pm:
“Frontrunner”/”Freeburg”? I expect more from the institute. Davis, along with his handlers, are like a quail in the bush. They don’t know when to fly and in what direction. Their paths are pretty clear. The oppo dump is just waiting for his decision.
- Thomas Paine - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:19 pm:
=== Statewide is a fallback, where Davis doesn’t have to fear losing. ===
First off OW, responding to another post and another thread, I want to extend my condolences to you for your loss of family and friends to COVID.
To the Post:
Davis is trying to negotiate with Democrats to draw him a safe seat, but we already know that isn’t happening because Budzinski has already announced.
It was a foolish ploy.
People who “wait and see” rarely win contested races, especially primaries.
Ron DeSantis is doing what Ron DeSantis does because he has 83% job apporval among Florida Republicans right now, and I’ll bet the national numbers are pretty similar.
DeSantis thinks he can march right into the Convention by being the most extreme when it comes to COVID, and so does Greg Abbott, and i have not seen anything yet to convince me they are wrong.
In Illinois, that leads me to believe that Darren Bailey is the guy to beat if you wanna be the GOP nominee. He will have no problem tapping into Trump’s base and his donors here in Illinois, heck he might as well double down and ask Ives to be his runningmate.
- Commisar Gritty - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:28 pm:
I refer to myself as an idiot with some frequency. @Rich I hope the “smooth spot on my brain about ____” isn’t part of your copyrighted material because I am 100% stealing that. Well done
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 12:42 pm:
Thank you, - Thomas Paine -,
The sad reality is my story is not in any way unique, that hurts as much as anything that so many are lost.
Very kind of you, thank you.
To the update,
Rabine pandering to win a primary in that fashion while ignoring polling will lead to electoral disaster if he becomes the nominee.
Pritzker waits, watches, and smiles at these campaigns feeding a vocal political minority
- Pundent - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:00 pm:
=Their main goal seems to be kill jobs, kill freedom, and tax more=
As opposed to the simpler goal of just killing.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:10 pm:
== A Freeburg, Illinois native ==
==Huh? I thought he was from Petersburg? Not exactly neighboring towns.==
The story is from WSIL, which is a Quincy Media (soon to be Gray) station. Gray doesn’t currently exist in the Springfield TV market so I could actually understand their messup. (Although before Gray bought out Quincy, I was actually hoping that Quincy would buy out the owners of WAND Decatur and make that station a Quincy station. Giving Quincy a downstate NBC affiliate monopoly).
- Club J - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:22 pm:
If Darren Bailey who everyone is so afraid of built his family farm from the ground up. Does that mean he didn’t take advantage of any government subsidy money along the way? Or are those subsidy dollars just pieces of ground he used to build his family farm?
I’m more confused than scared. Maybe people are scared of the misinformation he’s spreading?
- Pundent - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:36 pm:
So the DGA is both terrified of Darren Bailey and would love him to be the nominee? Can someone explain that logic too me?
- PublicServant - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:41 pm:
=== I think [Davis] has… [the] political experience and party connections that would make him the automatic frontrunner if he were to announce ===
Automatic Republican frontrunner, probably. Finishing a distant second to J.B., definitely.
- Frank talks - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 1:59 pm:
All the GOP candidates doubling down against vaccine mandate is foolish. It may get them out of a primary. Polling is over 50%, how do you make a central piece of your campaign something that over 50% don’t agree with your position?
The general literally starts the day after primary voting, You have no time to pivot the narrative during say a normal cycle, where you’d have a couple months to pull back or change statements before summer campaign season hits.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 2:41 pm:
“So the DGA is both terrified of Darren Bailey and would love him to be the nominee? Can someone explain that logic too me?”
They would love him to be the nominee because he makes a complete fool of himself at every turn. But they are also terrified of him because of his pro-virus, pro-death, anti-responsibility Covid philosophy.
- Nanis - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 4:16 pm:
Bailey is about as much as a contender as sam McCann.. at least Sam was approachable, nice and reasonable - minus the fed case.. eekk
Candidate Bailey is about as exciting as Sue Scherer’s legislative agenda.
In the words of the Rock..”Slow your roll jabroni”
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Sep 17, 21 @ 4:23 pm:
==Bailey is about as much as a contender as sam McCann.. at least Sam was approachable, nice and reasonable - minus the fed case.. ==
Or as much of a contender as either Scott Lee Cohen or Kash Jackson, both minus their poor treatment of women.