* Sun-Times…

State Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, is jumping into the crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., announcing her bid Friday with a powerhouse group of backers, including Rev. Michael Pfleger.

Collins, a state senator since 2003, is one of 17 Democrats registered with the Federal Election Commission for the 1st Congressional District seat Rush will be vacating next year after 15 terms. The window to file petitions to run in the June Illinois primary opens on Monday and closes on March 14.

In the past weeks, Collins, an assistant majority leader, had been weighing running for another Senate term or making a bid for Congress.

She told the Sun-Times she decided on the House race because, “I feel there is only so much you can do on the state level, and for the issues that I have been campaigning, working, advocating for over the last 20 years — whether it was the proliferation of guns in our community, as well as how do we close the wealth gap between Black, Brown and white communities, those are issues I have to take on to the federal level.

* Shia made a good point today…

An interesting name in the indictment of Michel Madigan is Victor Reyes, an attorney hired by ComEd with a nod from Madigan. He’s also the attorney representing the Coalition Map, which is supported by the Latino Caucus and others who want to increase the number of Latinos on the City Council. On the other side of the map debate is Michael Kasper, the former legislative attorney for Madigan (who is not mentioned in the indictment). For months, Coalition Map supporters have grumbled about Kasper being part of the process. Now, you could say, they’re even.

For example, I posted this press release on indictment day…

The following is a statement from The People’s Coalition Map on the indictment of Michael Madigan and its implications for Chicago’s redistricting referendum:

“Today’s federal indictment of Michael Madigan is a clear reminder that the days of his iron grip on our state and on this city are over. That’s why it’s appalling that the City and the Rules Committee continue to support a faulty map, drawn in a backroom deal by Madigan’s top lawyer, Mike Kasper.”

Glass houses, stones, etc.

* Back to Politico…

Former state Rep. Jeanne Ives, the most powerful Illinois Republican who doesn’t hold an elected office, announced yesterday she’s backing Darren Bailey in his run for governor.

Um.

* More on the Ives story…

Bailey is also hoping for the endorsement of another notable Republican who’s out of public office: Donald Trump.

The Illinois Republican said he spoke to the former president in December. “I was with him for several hours and I asked for his endorsement. I’m still waiting,” Bailey told Playbook. “He doesn’t like to lose. He knows Illinois is a tough state, and he’s still exploring that option.”

Bailey was at a Trump book publishing event. He got an autograph.

* Sun-Times…

Ives, who ran against former Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary in 2018, only mentioned one of Bailey’s four GOP rivals by name in her remarks at the news conference at an American Legion post in northwest suburban Palatine.

“Republican voters need to be warned. The same people who ran Rauner’s campaign backed by a billion-dollar checkbook are now running the Irvin-Bourne race backed by the same billion-dollar checkbook,” she said.

As we’ve already discussed, Gov. Rauner’s top campaign consultant in that Ives primary is now being paid by Bailey’s campaign.

Back to the Sun-Times…

“The truth is Richard Irvin and Avery Bourne just may be both Madigan and Pritzker’s favorite Republicans,” Ives said. “The Irvin-Bourne campaign cannot be trusted.” […]

“It’s surprising she would endorse someone who raised property taxes 81 percent, voted for Obama and picked a Never Trumper as his running mate,” said Eleni Demertzis, an Irvin-Bourne campaign spokeswoman, referring to votes Bailey took as a local school board member and a 2008 Democratic Primary vote his campaign said he took to stop Hillary Clinton.

Remember how Rauner’s campaign used the “Madigan’s favorite legislator” attack against Ives in the 2018 primary? Well, the same consultant is now trying to use the line against Irvin. Clever. And I don’t know about Madigan, but I’m thinking that Pritzker would much rather run against Bailey, despite this DGA press release…

“Extremist Darren Bailey is barreling his way towards frontrunner status and is more than willing to take down Richard Irvin and anyone else in the Illinois GOP primary field who stands in his way,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “As the Republican candidates battle for support from party insiders and conservative megadonors, they’ll be too busy echoing out-of-touch talking points to deliver real solutions for Illinois families.”

* Richard Irvin was on WGN Radio with Lisa Dent and Steve Bertrand yesterday…

Q: You mentioned JB Pritzker being in the pocket of Madigan and the $10 million. But obviously, Ken Griffin, the richest man in the state of Illinois, is supporting your campaign and has already contributed 20 million and there are people saying that he’s going to contribute more. How do you differentiate one person being in the pocket of somebody when people might say you’re in the pocket of this rich guy in Illinois?

A: Well, first of all, let’s be clear, there is no comparison. Mike Madigan participated in a criminal enterprise. And he got money from JB Pritzker, $10 million, to continue that criminal enterprise. So there is no comparison. As far as Ken Griffin is concerned, you know, he’s, I think everybody will agree that he’s done great things for the state of Illinois, just his businesses, business assets, and, and everything he’s done for the community, his philanthropic support for the state of Illinois. But he is one vote, he’s one person. I didn’t bind to his vision. He bought into and believes in my vision. And that’s why he’s supporting me. And that’s why I’ll be getting support from a lot of folks that will be contributing to the campaign throughout the state of Illinois.

* Background is here if you need it. From Aaron DeGroot at the Rodney Davis campaign…

Hey Rich.

TGIF. Saw that you posted Mary Miller’s bizarre State of the Union tweet yesterday. In the context of that, wanted to flag something for you:

On August 2, 2019, Chris and Mary Miller invited Gov. Pritzker to visit and tour their farm. Here’s a screenshot of an email from Chris Miller to the Governor’s Office.

If you decide to use in a post, here’s a quote from me:

“Very fitting that the Millers would invite Pritzker to their farm, which is incorporated in Delaware, a state considered to be a domestic tax shelter. Perhaps the Millers were going to exchange tax-avoidance strategies with our billionaire governor, who is an expert on that topic himself.”

Have a great weekend!

Aaron