35 Comments - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:14 am: Please don’t endorse Alexi. That’s all. - OneMan - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:18 am: Secretary White, I have every faith that you will do what you think is best. - Ares - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:20 am: Thank you for your capable, competent service to Illinois, in an era which has had (and still has) anything but capable, competent leadership. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:21 am: ===… told slatemakers that the incumbent would issue his endorsement in the race next month.=== “Make it count” Alexi is running circles around everyone, “don’t make no waves, don’t back no losers”… Unless it’s going to matter to catapult Alexi for good, or take Alexi down (I guess it can still happen?), Secretary White make it count. - Leslie K - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:24 am: I will second both Ducky and OneMan. I have my personal choice, of course (Valencia), but I really want him to just make the endorsement he believes in. - Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:31 am: I’m sorry he’s leaving office and I hope he enjoys retirement. I also hope whoever his successor is understands those are huge shoes to fill. - Wow - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:38 am: Can I get former Sen DeLeo’s special X plate? - Captain Obvious - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:38 am: Well Jessie, I think your endorsement will say as much or more about you than the endorsee, so I look forward to hearing your choice, which I am sure will be a wise one. - City remap - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:45 am: Remember the pledge Jessie, to support all endorsed candidates. But if you want to support anyone other than Alexi, well ok then. - The Swede - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:45 am: I think he endorses Valencia, the first Latina to run for the SOS. I also believe his endorsement matters. Alexi is wrapping up all the endorsements. A Jesse White endorsement would energize her Campaign, enhance her fundraising, and could make or break her Candidacy. It would put her in the Game. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:47 am: ===Remember the pledge Jessie, to support all endorsed candidates.=== First, his name is Jesse. Try to show some respect. Second, he’s no longer a committeeperson and that pledge only applied to slated local candidates. - Here we go - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:48 am: The hype about Alexi’s consultants being super charged political pros is ridiculous hype. The story is how Valencia’s campaign is underperforming and living in some sort of political bubble where too many of her advisers are convincing her she’s running a good campaign. They’re making a hard-working Alexi look even better. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:49 am: === Valencia, the first Latina to run for the SOS. I also believe his endorsement matters.=== Daylight is burning and burning faster because of the lackluster campaigns that are not Alexi. If one gets White’s endorsement and it’s not Alexi, it has to count, it has to propel that candidate and overtake Alexi. The camps have given Alexi far too much of a head start, or I think the others are terribly overwhelmed and seem out of their league… currently. - ;) - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 9:52 am: We are sure going to miss you and your team. God bless, and enjoy yourself. Oh, and please no Alexi. - Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:00 am: Secretary White has a great legacy. An endorsement in the primary will reflect on that legacy and he does not need to make an endorsement in the primary. Regardless of how well he is wrapping up endorsements from the state’s entrenched interests tend to benefit from the current state of the political establishment, Alexi still hasn’t explained what exactly he’s been up to for the last decade when he has had plenty of opportunities to be meaningfully involved in the community or partisan politics. - Stones - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:03 am: Mr. White, when I was a young House Page back in the 70’s we were introduced. I recall being told that you were once in the Cubs minor league system. You showed me kindness with a little conversation and then followed up by buying me an ice cream. I’m sure you don’t recall but I never forgot that. All the best to you and thank you from a long time fan of yours. - Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:07 am: ===Daylight is burning and burning faster=== There’s also a shelf life to the palatability of Labor and other progressive organizations throwing their lot behind incredibly wealthy people and it can be difficult to distance oneself from how that wealth was acquired. Labor endorsements have an overwhelming tendency to be top down affairs in this state and I am not so sure that whatever these folks are seeing in fair weather candidate Alex Giannoulias is a shared impression from their rank and file. Where’s he been? I think we all know the only reason we’re talking about him is money, and where that money came from isn’t a polite dinner topic. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:27 am: === Labor endorsements have an overwhelming tendency to be top down affairs in this state and I am not so sure that whatever these folks are seeing in fair weather candidate Alex Giannoulias is a shared impression from their rank and file.=== It’s about cutting off financial support and access more than anything in labor endorsements. As long as Alexi is endorsed, those labor groups won’t be donating cash or in-kind to anyone else. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:34 am: ==Labor endorsements have an overwhelming tendency to be top down affairs in this state and I am not so sure that whatever these folks are seeing in fair weather candidate Alex Giannoulias is a shared impression from their rank and file.== Maybe, maybe not, but union leadership has a way better mechanism to communicate to membership than basically any politician does, so it’s still a big deal. - walker - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 10:41 am: Jesse White is the best example of what we need for this key role. Comparing the contending candidates’ skills, ethics, and visions, versus Jesse White’s, is all the guidance we will need. - Annonin' - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 11:03 am: Can we suggest someone get a list of what ‘Lexi has been up to since losing to Kirk (say that again real slow…losing to CommandoKirk) If the trail is anything like his run up to gov service it will be a doozey. - Victory - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 11:48 am: Alexi and Hannah have done a great job. Then, again, he really is the best candidate. No offense to the others. Next year, will be costly enough. I do not see a path for anyone else. They should do the democratic party a favor and drop out. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 11:50 am: =Jesse White is the best example of what we need for this key role.= Ditto and amen. Like @Stones, I once met Jesse White and will remember the man and his decency for all of my days. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 11:55 am: === Then, again, he really is the best candidate. No offense to the others.=== Comparatively to the field, sure, but as a candidate? Absent for years, nothing said during Rauner, during Trump, no real clarity to his banking “issues”, I mean, Mark Kirk beat him and Alexi was one who was watching someone like Arne Duncan play basketball with President Obama thinking “why not me”… well… The vulnerable Dem seats are Treasurer with a candidate who would like to discuss taxing retirement income and Alexi as a nominee who last was on the scene years and years ago. A tad better perspective please. Alexi is running circles around the field, but this field thinks this is like running for a ward committeeman spot. - NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 12:23 pm: ==Can we suggest someone get a list of what ‘Lexi has been up to since losing to Kirk== Lemme guess. Making lots and lots of money? - NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 12:24 pm: ==Can we suggest someone get a list of what ‘Lexi has been up to since losing to Kirk== Alexi also broke party ranks and endorsed Tom Cross for Treasurer against Frerichs in 2014. https://capitolfax.com/2014/10/02/frerichs-addresses-giannoulias-endorsement-of-cross/ - Amalia - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 12:39 pm: the best candidate? really? someone who has the questionable banking matter in his background and the disloyalty to party? I get the same vibe from Alexi that I got from Blago before things went really bad….superficial, seemingly smart, too comfortable despite questionable associates. - JP Altgeld - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 4:20 pm: @OW Enough with the tired digs at Frerichs on the retirement income point. It doesn’t make him vulnerable. He has no primary opponent. Is a Republican really going to try to make hay of that issue and then alienate a slew of people that think such a thing is a good idea? Get serious. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 4:27 pm: === Enough=== He said it. Mike Frerichs stands tall to discuss taxing retirement income. Mike Frerichs hurt the Fair Tax, decided to speak about his take… … if I were a senior citizen, how can I trust Mike Frerichs, he wants to discuss taxing retirement income. Maybe next time don’t say “stuff” I’d probably agree with you but after canceling a press conference because Frerichs knew it had the probability of being a fiasco, I think that probably says more about Frerichs than about me. ===He has no primary opponent=== He must be grateful, and the way you are presenting it, you might be grateful too, lol === Is a Republican really going to try to make hay of that issue and then alienate a slew of people that think such a thing is a good idea? Get serious.=== So you and Mike Frerichs think taxing retirement income is… popular? Than why the worry about me reminding? LOL It’s the third rail, Frerichs wants to discuss it, you seem to think taxing retirement income is something to consider, why just run on it? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 4:45 pm: Let’s revisit this, lol Tribune… === Democratic State Treasurer Michael Frerichs abruptly canceled a Tuesday news conference to rebut comments he made in June about taxing retirement income, an issue now being used by opponents fighting a proposed graduated-rate income tax amendment. Ten minutes before he planned to speak at the downtown James R. Thompson Center, a Frerichs aide told reporters the event had been canceled. Asked for a reason, the aide offered none. […] Before Frerichs called off his news conference, the lead group opposing the proposed amendment, the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike, issued a statement contending the state treasurer had “admitted taxing retirement income is on the table.” “No amount of backtracking can change the fact this is the worst possible time to raise taxes, and we simply can’t trust Springfield politicians,” said Lissa Druss, spokesperson for the coalition.=== Mike Frerichs is dangerous to seniors worried about their retirements Frerichs couldn’t even have a presser to help. Yeah, he’s vulnerable, but only to the right kind of candidate, but vulnerable all the same. Alexi and Frerichs could be drags on the ticket, if the right candidates emerge. - JP Altgeld - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 5:14 pm: @OW I suspect that if Frerichs was that bad, he would have a primary opponent. He doesn’t. I do hope he stays in office for a while just because I do applaud the vigor with which you post about his retirement income line within 4 seconds of any mention of him. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 5:26 pm: === I suspect that if Frerichs was that bad, he would have a primary opponent. He doesn’t.=== Only bad candidates get primaried? That’s an odd take. Isn’t it a rarity that a sitting statewide official is primaried? I mean, you’re not even addressing that Frerichs couldn’t even have a presser to clarify, lol ===I do hope he stays in office for a while just because I do applaud the vigor with which you post about his retirement income line within 4 seconds of any mention of him.=== As I applaud the vigor Frerichs canceled the presser so he wouldn’t Rutherford himself with a Friday Fiasco. If Frerichs is so bent on taxing retirement income he should run on it and not hide from press conferences he calls and cancels. - Curious State Employee - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 6:51 pm: If the Dems hang onto SOS next year, anyone know if Benigno & Co stay on with the new administration? Or if they retire or step aside alongside Jesse? - bad goya vitch - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 7:44 pm: Jesse White is NO Jim Clyburn. His endorsement will probably be an example of “follow the party” rather than lead. At this point I don’t think anyone can make Anna or Pat happen. - Justin - Thursday, Dec 16, 21 @ 5:49 am: I would strongly hope that Jesse White endorses Anna Valencia. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.