* Wait. The Illinois First Alliance is having its inaugural second fundraiser in Naples, Florida?…
Come to think of it, lots of Illinois folks will be down in that region right about then. I know some prominent retirees who are not far from there at this very moment. I won’t be around, but only because of session, although I generally tend to avoid Naples.
* The rest of the email…
Good evening! First Virginia… then San Francisco’s school board…then Michael Madigan gets indicted. Folks, we can actually turn Illinois Red. So much more is possible in a wave - 2022 is our moment. Any winning team works together well.
They work as a team, think as a team, check their egos, and operate with a strategic plan to achieve a goal. For years, Chicago Democrats levered their base strategically to rule Illinois. The Madigan-Pritzker Enterprise playbook is to offer more and more spending and sweet deals to government workers while stirring racial and identity politics to hold their coalition together. The result is a state that no longer helps ordinary people: exploding crime, prosecutors that don’t prosecute, schools that don’t teach, perpetual corruption and ever higher taxes.
This is Democrat Illinois. Democrats are the cause of, and Republicans are the solution to, what ails Illinois. For years, Republicans have operated in clusters - creating silos of information and setting up multiple different political groups and events competing for donors’ time and voters’ attention. Too often, the results were losing campaigns, wasted resources, and mixed messaging.
No more.
We recognize if we are to flip seats at every level from blue to red, if we are to make better use of our resources, tools, and tactics, then we must operate as a team. For the first time in the history of our state, the Illinois Senate Republicans, Illinois House Republicans, and the Illinois Republican Party are truly uniting to win.
Under a joint agreement called Illinois First Alliance, we are coming together to raise resources, coordinate on information and strategies, and frankly, work together as a team to flip as many seats as possible from Democrat Blue to Republican Red. This way, we ensure we are better stewards of the resources donors invest and operate as a well-run team to achieve our goal of saving Illinois. For this reason, we invite you to a special event. Together with the Illinois Senate Republicans, Illinois House Republicans, the Illinois Republican Party, please join the leadership of Team Illinois at 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the home of Muneer Satter [redacted] in Naples, FL for a kickoff event for this effort with special guests, Senate Leader Dan McConchie, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy, and others. Ticket price is $300 per person with sponsorships available at $3000. We are asking host committee members to contribute $3,000. Campaign sponsors are $10,000 and $30,000.
Sincerely,
Richard Porter
Combining House and Senate GOP forces with the ILGOP is an interesting concept, I suppose, but they can already do that through the state party. We’ll see if it gets any buy-in.
Richard Porter is the state’s National Republican Committeeman. He’s also a Richard Irvin backer. Just a wild guess here, but maybe they will get some dough from a certain someone.
If nothing else, the legislative leaders and some other swells have an excuse to go to Naples in March. The fundraiser is just a couple of miles from the Ritz-Carlton and a mile from the swanky Club Pelican Bay golf course.
By the way, a search of the Board of Elections turned up no results yet for Illinois First Alliance.
* Politico…
According to a polling memo shared with Playbook, the race to fill the Illinois Supreme court seat in the new 2nd District remains a toss-up. The poll, conducted by Brian Stryker’s Impact Research for candidate Elizabeth Rochford, shows a virtual tie. If the election were held today, Rochford would get 12 percent of the vote, to Rene Cruz’s 11 percent, Nancy Rotering’s 10 percent, and 67 percent undecided. All of the candidates are within the margin of error.
The polling memo says Rochford passes her competitors when respondents learn that she’s a Lake County Circuit Court judge and Rotering is mayor of Highland Park: Rochford gets 40 percent to Rotering’s 19 percent. Cruz, a Kane County Circuit Court judge, likely isn’t included in the polling memo because he’s trailing in fundraising. The point being, candidates need money and messaging to get their names before voters for the June 28 primary.
You’d think that Mayor Rotering, who has run for various offices, would be starting off with a much higher base name ID. The poll is here.
* Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan recently completed a 15-day, 52-county “statewide truck tour” and posted a video. Trouble is, there is no Tuscola County in Illinois…
Oops.
There’s a Tuscola County in Michigan on Saginaw Bay. Maybe somebody in the campaign has a summer home there.
* Press release…
[Yesterday], Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) filed approximately 14 times the required amount of petition signatures required by the Illinois State Board of Elections to officially confirm her candidacy for U.S. Representative of Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. This is the largest number of signatures ever submitted by the Lauren Underwood for Congress campaign totalling 5,645 petition signatures collected from every county in the newly-drawn IL-14. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood issued the following statement in response:
Same district, other party…
Jim Marter has the most signatures, the best name recognition, the most endorsements and the strongest grassroots team behind him in this Primary. … Marter submitted his signature package in Springfield early in the morning on Monday and said he was humbled by the 40+ volunteers who circulated them for him, securing over 1,200 signatures from all seven counties within the district.
Another GOP primary candidate in that district named Mike Koolidge…
[Yesterday] morning I was down in Springfield and submitted nearly 1,200 petition signatures, from residents in all 7 counties in the 14th District, to be on the ballot to serve as your next member of Congress!
* Press release…
Today, the National Association of Letter Carriers, announced their endorsement of Nikki Budzinski in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District. The NALC represents thousands of city letter carriers across Illinois.
The NALC’s endorsement is the latest in a broad coalition of support that Budzinski is building, including U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, the Illinois AFL-CIO, EMILY’s List, State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Rep. “Chuy” García, Rep. Sean Casten, Rep. Cheri Bustos, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Mike Quigley, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Bill Foster, Madison County, St. Clair County, and Sangamon County Democrats, State Senator Christopher Belt, Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, House Democratic Caucus Chair LaToya Greenwood, State Representative Katie Stuart, UFCW Local 881, Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), The United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), SEIU State Council, United Steelworkers (USW), IBEW Locals 51, 146, 193, 309, 601 and 649, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation Workers’ Union, Heat and Frost Insulators, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois (AFFI), Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Local 8, Leage of Conservation Voters, J Street, Elect Democratic Women, Pastor T. Ray McJunkins, County Chairs Bill Houlihan (Sangamon), and Pam Monetti (Macoupin).
Nikki Budzinski made the following statement: “The U.S. Postal Service is an institution and the men and women who make it run are public servants that frequently are unsung heroes. I am committed to working with the NALC to make sure the U.S. Postal Service has a bright future. I look forward to advocating for the NALC’s members in Congress.”
Tony Bultinck, President of the Illinois Association of Letter Carriers, made the following statement: “Our members need an advocate on the federal level that will fight for us and make sure the United States Postal Service has a bright future in America. Nikki’s years of experience in the labor movement mean that we can work with her, support her, and trust that she will always have our members’ backs. We are eager to work with her.”
Always be kind to your letter carriers, especially if you have a lot of direct mailers to send.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:23 pm:
Every time Sullivan does something that makes me think I should take him seriously- like put out an actual crime plan- he does two things that make me say, no, I was right to consider him a clown.
- Blue Dog - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:28 pm:
seems like everyone I know is in Florida right now.
- Steve Rogers - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:29 pm:
Sigh.
Tuscola County is a junior league mistake from a junior league candidate.
Or maybe Douglas County, since it’s named after Stephen Douglas, is now like Voldemort and can only be “he who shall not be named” /s
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:31 pm:
Is there a Tuscola County in California?
I kid, I *kid*…
The grifting to Sullivan is almost getting to equal proportions to the idea of helping him is all but lost.
Sullivan is clueless to his “home” state, is California funded and steals valor to top it off.
It *is* interesting that Sullivan isn’t bringing in more cash since that first splash… not even crypto?
- vern - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:41 pm:
First, If I ran Illinois First, the first thing I’d do is hold our first fundraiser in Illinois, you can bet your first-born on that.
Besides, it’s hot in Florida, and you don’t want your guests getting firsty.
- Been There - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:43 pm:
==== the legislative leaders and some other swells have an excuse to go to Naples in March. ====
Pretty sure Durkin’s has his own fundraiser that night in Chicago.
- Bruce( no not him) - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:46 pm:
Tuscola County
That’s a plank in his platform.
Change the county name to match the county seat in each county. It will make it easier to know where you are. /s
- Club J - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:49 pm:
I’ve got plans for the 18th even though Naples is only 50 miles from me. I doubt I’d fit in. I’m sure it’s going to be a grand time.
- Lefty Lefty - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:50 pm:
Please please I hope Lauren Underwood pulls this off. She is so good at her job.
- TradedUpForMitch - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:53 pm:
Tuscola County is a meaningless euphemistic catchall for everything not Crook County and everywhere real ‘mericans live
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:56 pm:
Isn’t Tuscola County just west of Lincoln County?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:58 pm:
=== Isn’t Tuscola County just west of Lincoln County?===
I think you’re right, maybe southwest, past that creaky wooden bridge and the the lil stream, past the “Old Oak” that Lincoln County celebrates every fall… it’s like *right there*… but only the locals know that route.
- ChicagoBars - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
“Folks, we can actually turn Illinois Red”
Lol. Somebody send whatever youthful idealist wrote this to actually pass petitions and get a GOP candidate on the ballots in the northside of Chicago districts. Can’t win seats you don’t compete for especially in affluent districts where a socially moderate anti-crime candidate message would likely play.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:00 pm:
==we are coming together to raise resources, coordinate on information and strategies, and frankly, work together as a team==
…after being ‘under-taxed’ while living there and now starving Illinois of our income by becoming Florida residents (on paper).
Fixed it for them.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:07 pm:
Is there Muddy Tuscola River water in their veins…maybe?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:08 pm:
===Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan recently completed a 15-day, 52-county “statewide truck tour” and posted a video. Trouble is, there is no Tuscola County in Illinois…===
Why aren’t your petitions done?
- Nuke The Whales - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:10 pm:
If you’re going to say bombastic things, make those Democratic trackers buy a plane ticket.
- TheInvisibileMan - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:15 pm:
” a search of the Board of Elections turned up no results yet for Illinois First Alliance.”
Try spelling it with the original German spelling.
- Raising Kane - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:17 pm:
Maybe Sullivan should hire actual Illinois residents….just a thought.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:22 pm:
=== Maybe Sullivan should hire actual Illinois residents….just a thought.===
At least allow the grifting the opportunity to stay in Illinois… I may email them this… I mean, after they get the signatures thingy all figured out…
- JoanP - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:22 pm:
Shouldn’t they be meeting at Mar-a-Lago?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:26 pm:
===Trouble is, there is no Tuscola County in Illinois…===
That’s OK. There is no Jesse Sullivan campaign in Illinois either, apparently.
- fs - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:36 pm:
Ahhh, the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscola County. Just a few miles from the Lincoln County line, and a World away from the State of Chicago
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:37 pm:
Admittedly Mr. Sullivan does have a few miscues from time to time, but his hard working approach to a life of service and his tireless campaigning will probably overcome a few missteps along the campaign trail.
The important fact is that he has visited 52 counties in Illinois (ok and perhaps one in Michigan).
Thinking we need that kind of energy and willingness to listen to outsiders as opposed to insider Madigan types in Springfield.
Personally I like to see younger people having fun, showing a desire to improve the state and standing tall to the games we all see being played in Springfield.
Sullivan represents change.
In terms of money, people he met in life that were successful believe in him. While he doesn’t have an inherited trust fund fortune, he has shown he can raise money from innovators and change agent leaders.
Young people make mistakes. Looking at all the charitable things he has done, his family life and his platform, he seems to have a good heart and wants things to get better for his state.
Before anyone writes him off, I think we should see what the first group of polls show.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:40 pm:
== Sullivan represents change ==
Plenty of change going on right now.
Gonna need to be more specific.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:41 pm:
=== Admittedly Mr. Sullivan does have a few miscues from time to time===
Miscues? The man had no running mate, chose an actress, still hasn’t filed petitions, and hasn’t cleared up his valor claims…
Sullivan wishes he had only miscues.
The Tuscola miscue is forgivable, Sullivan *is* a Californian
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:42 pm:
===Before anyone writes him off, I think we should see what the first group of polls show.===
If he doesn’t file his petitions by Friday, he won’t be included in any polls. To OW’s point earlier, he can visit half the state, but he can’t get enough signatures in his petitions?
His campaign is still theoretical at the moment.
- left of what - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:45 pm:
===- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:37 pm:===
Jesse, is that you?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:46 pm:
===The important fact is that he has visited 52 counties in Illinois (ok and perhaps one in Michigan).
Thinking we need that kind of energy and willingness to listen to outsiders as opposed to insider Madigan types in Springfield.===
The man visited 52 counties and still doesn’t have signatures done.
You call that energy, I call that wasted energy of a guy paying grifters as Sullivan is seemingly about crypto things.
It’s not great, if anything, what you described is a person unable to stay on an important task.
===Sullivan represents change.===
No he doesn’t. He barely represents his own history well. What change? His policies can’t get 60/71 or 30/36 as he is pushing them, let alone his policies being viable to an end.
===While he doesn’t have an inherited trust fund fortune, he has shown he can raise money from innovators and change agent leaders.===
*Californians*
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:52 pm:
Sullivan’s commercial is quite the visit to the counties in Illinois. Obviously, he skipped Cook County in Chicago. Oops.
- Just Another Anon - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:06 pm:
@Rudy’s Teeth:
He didn’t want to get carjacked…
- John Lopez - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:08 pm:
=== First, If I ran Illinois First, the first thing I’d do is hold our…fundraiser in Illinois, you can bet your first-born on that.
Besides, it’s hot in Florida, and you don’t want your guests getting firsty. ===
There’s a Trump Rally the next day in Ft. Lauderdale, which is why I’m guessing the timing of Illinois First event set for week from Friday.
Just a short drive down Alligator Alley from Naples to Ft. Lauderdale.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:09 pm:
Admit folks are making solid points on some of Mr. Sullivan’s “miscues”.
Still thinking he will bring more younger and first time volunteers into politics than Team Bailey, Team KG or Team Pritzker. That is important.
We need new faces in politics.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:10 pm:
=The important fact is that he has visited 52 counties in Illinois=
If he wins all 52 of those counties with 100% of the vote he will still lose the election by 40 or more points. The vast majority of the population lives in metro Chicago (I do not). And they are real people too. Real Illinoisans, as genuine as the goodly country folk of Clay and other rural counties.
And I do not want to hear a word about faith, as in religious, when it comes to government. That is a problem not a benefit Jesse.
So there is that.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:15 pm:
===“miscues”===
The man hasn’t even turned in his petitions…
It’s a “campaign in theory” as - 47th Ward - pointed out.
===Still thinking he will bring more younger and first time volunteers into politics than Team Bailey, Team KG or Team Pritzker. That is important.===
That is based on a want, not a reality… if that were true these “young” folks would’ve been out getting signatures already.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:23 pm:
Right about the petitions, but a bit of shoe leather can turn that around.
Bailey had over 18,000 signature. Sullivan should try to too that- - and that is going to be hard to do.
- Belden Ave. - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:24 pm:
So I saw Jesse Sullivan last Monday morning about 845am parking his pickup truck on Clark Street just north of Division. I told him his votes are all downstate and he should go back there, but respected the fact he was running and was actually in the City of Chicago.
Disappointed he didn’t use footage of the City
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:27 pm:
=== Right about the petitions, but…===
It’s a fundamental. You literally can’t run without filing petitions.
That’s important. Visiting 52 counties and still not able to file petitions is a campaign lacking any viability to the honesty of being… real.
- H-W - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:32 pm:
=They work as a team, think as a team, check their egos, and operate with a strategic plan to achieve a goal. =
That made me laugh. So what, Republicans shouldn’t work as a team? Isn’t that what this fundraising is all about? Building a team?
Too funny.
- H-W - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:38 pm:
With regard to the new, Tuscola County, I bet the people of Arcola are ready to start a new version of “the Cola Wars.”
- vern - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:39 pm:
=== There’s a Trump Rally the next day in Ft. Lauderdale, which is why I’m guessing the timing of Illinois First event set for week from Friday. ===
There might be some dissonance if you call your group “Illinois First” but plan to follow Trump around the country like he’s Phish. He’s not coming here any time soon, he’s still sore from the lesson he learned at UIC.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 4:54 pm:
It’s absolute wishcasting to say that young voters and vols are gonna go with a pro-life venture capitalist promising to bring Trumpism to IL over the guy who legalized their pot. Just pure hopium, pumped right into the lungs.
- jackmac - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 5:41 pm:
There actually is the TOWN of Tuscola, Ill. It’s the county seat of Douglas County located in east-central Illinois and has about 4,300 residents.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 6:08 pm:
===The Tuscola miscue is forgivable, Sullivan *is* a Californian===
Well, two things CA and IL have in common. Neither has a Tuscola County, or a Lincoln County either.
- Lt Guv - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 6:15 pm:
All these folks should follow Rauner & the Orange One’s lead and vote in Floriduh as well.
- allknowingmasterofraccoondom - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 6:25 pm:
Rich, have you ever met and spoke with Nancy Rotering? If you had you would know…..
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 6:54 pm:
===- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 3:37 pm:===
I have read this comment three times and remain convinced that it is satirical or trolling.
- Lake Villa Township - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 7:09 pm:
Don’t Florida my Illinois! /s
Also in one of his Facebook posts Devore mentions “sullivan county” Illinois I assume he meant Moultrie where Sullivan is the county seat.
- Siriously - Tuesday, Mar 8, 22 @ 10:54 pm:
In Sullivan’s partial defense, there is a Tuscola IL just not the county. But really, he is so unimpressive not sure why I bothered to look that up.
I don’t mind that you published Rochford’s push poll, I can’t wait to see what her numbers drop to in Rotering’s poll where they test the negatives against her. Sure she’s a judge, but did you know X Y Z . . . those numbers are not real strong for her. I would not bragging about that Judge Rochford.
- Shytown - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 12:58 am:
== published Rochford’s push poll ==
push poll? the Qs read like pretty straightforward. There’s no excuse for 22% name id after all that money spent over the years spent on multiple campaigns. Rumor has it Rotering’s got some negatives as well which is in part why labor ran away from her. Time will tell I guess.
- Back to the Future - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 8:32 am:
Candy
Appreciate your comment.
Admit I had to look up trolling- - I have always been a bit behind the curve on all things social media.
I just happen to like the things Mr. Sullivan has done in Haiti, his community and in raising funds to help create jobs in economically disadvantaged areas in the world.
I also do like the outsider vs. insider theme he is putting into place.
As to his campaign, he does appear to be “learning on the job”. I also appreciate problems people have with some of his positions.