Campaign notebook
Monday, Mar 21, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As I write this, 13 of the 25 (!) candidates for the 1st Congressional District have had their petitions challenged. Click here for the entire list of objections.
* Breitbart…
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is endorsing Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) for reelection in Illinois’ 15th district, highlighting her devotion to securing the border and protecting both life and the Second Amendment, Breitbart News has learned.
Rep. Miller is facing off against fellow Republican Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) due to redistricting in the state, with portions of both of their districts (31 percent for Miller and 27 percent for Rodney) comprising the new 15th district. […]
“I’m proud to endorse Mary Miller for Congress in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, and I ask my fellow patriots to support her,” Cruz said in a statement, describing Miler as “the kind of fighter we need in Congress who works every day to secure our border, protect life, and protect the Second Amendment.”
Notably, Miller has also earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump who won the 15th district in 2020 with nearly 70 percent of the vote. He deemed her a “champion of our American First Agenda” […]
“Grassroots conservatives across the country follow Senator Cruz’s lead because he is an unapologetic conservative, and he is not afraid to take on the corrupt DC establishment of both parties to save America from the radical left,” Miller added.
* Taylor Avery at the Sun-Times…
They have been dubbed “The Griffin Slate,” based on the expectation that the Republicans running together for some of the state’s top offices will enjoy the financial backing of Ken Griffin, the richest person in Illinois.
But other than GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin, none of the others on the slate has reported receiving any contributions from the hedge-fund billionaire — or many large donations from anyone else in the two months they’ve been running for statewide office. […]
Milhiser is the only one who has reported receiving any individual contributions of $1,000 or more since kicking off his campaign. He reported nine donations ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 made on two days in early March, totaling $28,654.48.
Kim, in his second bid for attorney general, hasn’t reported a contribution of $1,000 or more since 2013. At the end of last year, the Deerfield attorney reported a campaign fund balance of just $41.93.
Comptroller candidate Teresi had even less than that in her campaign account, with $35.40 on hand at the end of 2021. Records show her committee has never reported receiving a contribution of $1,000.
* Politico…
Former Congressman Dan Lipinski is getting involved in the competitive 1st Congressional District race to replace Rep. Bobby Rush.
Lipinski, an anti-abortion rights Democrat who was defeated by Rep. Marie Newman in 2020 in the 3rd District Democratic primary, is backing Chris Butler, a little-known South Side pastor who is campaigning as an anti-abortion rights Democrat. It’s Lipinski’s first foray “so far” into the 2022 contests, a spokeswoman told Playbook.
“I have not endorsed anyone else this year,” Lipinski said in a statement to Playbook. He said he’s backing Butler because of his “core commitment to families and working class values. He believes there is too much bickering and division today and he wants to bring people together to improve everyone’s everyday lives.”
After his 2020 Democratic primary loss, Lipinski said he was “pilloried in millions of dollars of TV ads and mailers” because of his anti-abortion views. Now the former congressman sees Butler as “part of a new generation of leaders in the Democratic Party.” […]
Lipinski is headlining a fundraiser Thursday for Butler [who has just $18,000 cash on hand]. Also on the invite: Benjamin Watson, a former NFL player who has become an anti-abortion advocate, Catholic women’s advocate Mary FioRito, anti-abortion Democrats Kristen Day and Nic Costello, and Illinois pastor Charlie Dates.
* More…
* Would-be Cook County judge’s description of her bar association ratings ‘a little deceiving,’ says group that rated her ‘qualified’ - ShawnTe Raines-Welch, whose husband is Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch, says bar associations found her ‘qualified.’ But one prominent group rated her ‘not recommended.’
* Aurora City Council set to vote on lobbying changes
* Chicago’s ward remap fight moves closer to a ballot referendum
* As Chicago’s ward remap battle rages on, attorneys and consultants are cashing in
- Roadrager - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 1:42 pm:
==He said he’s backing Butler because of his “core commitment to families and working class values.”==
Ah yes, denying women healthcare, that classic pro-family, working-class value. Good to see Lipinski reducing himself to a bumper sticker in a Catholic church parking lot.
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 1:57 pm:
The Suntime article on judicial candite ShawnTe Raines-Welch points out the convenient relationship between $20,000 contributions from the Carpenters Union and the Operating Engineers - the heads of which were appointed to the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors by JB. Typical Illinois.
- John Lopez - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 2:13 pm:
=== As I write this, 13 of the 25 (!) candidates for the 1st Congressional District have had their petitions challenged. ===
And five of the seven 14th Congressional District candidates, including Congresswoman Lauren Underwood have had their petitions challenged.
Only Jim Marter and Jaime Milton currently have not had their petitions challenged.
Still little less than 2 hours for those two to be challenged.
- Exclamation Point - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 2:23 pm:
Good to be back.
(I thought I was banned from this blog)
- Norseman - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 2:30 pm:
Rod has been playing footsie with the GOP crazies and gets slapped by endorsements of his fruitcake opponent. No brown nosing goes unpunished in this GOP.
- Donnie Elgin - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 2:30 pm:
Did deep dive on the judicial candidate filings in Cook county, of the 25 circuit or subcircuit vacancies not one has a Republican candidate. Remap worked.
- West Sider - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 3:42 pm:
====not one has a Republican candidate. Remap worked==== Or Republican lawyers could move out of White suburbs and into neighborhoods. Try. Harder.
- Anonish - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 3:48 pm:
===Did deep dive on the judicious filings in Cook… Remap worked====
More of a shallow wade since the subcircuit remap doesn’t take effect in Cook until the 2024 elections.
Also the candidate search feature makes it really easy to find this info.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 4:46 pm:
===But other than GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin, none of the others on the slate has reported receiving any contributions from the hedge-fund billionaire — or many large donations from anyone else in the two months they’ve been running for statewide office.===
Yowzers.
There’s an AG race, so Kim will need dollars soon, who else of the other four… well, there’s an SoS race too, Brady is out there… anyone else?
My point, this exercise?
The Griffin Slate, as I look at it more and more, is the opportunity to keep some really kooky folks from ruining what Griffin hopes to gain with an Irvin win in both elections.
For me, SoS (with Alexi) and Treasurer (with Frerichs), those are real “gettable”, real possible wins… Irvin will have an uphill road, both races, and doesn’t need kooky down ballot folks making noise outside Griffin’s own wants.
For me too… the infrastructure.
If Z and Griffin decide to make this all “one stop shop” kind of thingy, where all things “Slate” will come from ONE shop; press, events, surrogates, mail, all the work-product, all under one “roof” so to speak
So the traditional idea of FIVE lil campaigns rolling, I dunno if that’s the model here and Griffin deciding to “sprinkle around the infield” of 4 other races, nah, it’ll be surgical, methodical, purposeful… and likely no 4 other Crews really running 4 lil camps…
I’ll be more interested after petition challenges are all done, then will Z gear up the other races, will Griffin fund four lil camps of “autonomous” campaigns?
That will really fascinate me, but they like care less about my thoughts.
- Stormsw7706 - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 6:09 pm:
Democrats need to hold their nose and crossover and vote in the Republican primary to support Davis. No to Cruz and no to Miller. Who knows we may even help get to select who JB crushes in November in the Governors race. Make your vote count
- Candy Dogood - Monday, Mar 21, 22 @ 7:05 pm:
The Democratic Party doesn’t need a member of Congress in the caucus that does not believe in the rights of the women serving in that caucus.
Dan Lipinski should move back to Tennessee and stay out of Illinois primary politics.