* Republican gubernatorial hopeful Jesse Sullivan at a Saturday candidates’ forum in Belleville…

Sullivan believes the election is not “just a partisan battle” between Democrats and Republicans, but a “battle around our core values, a spiritual battle.” He believes Republicans are losing because “everyone buys into this idea of the separation of church and state.” Sullivan said he believes “faith values can insert themselves into government and they’re supposed to, and God belongs at the center of our politics.”

You can negotiate the substance of bills. You cannot negotiate the substance of someone else’s religious beliefs. And which God should be at the center of our politics?

* Also from the same forum, following this logic would lead one to conclude that Sen. Darren Bailey believes that all regulatory and criminal laws are needless…

Asked about COVID-19 mandates, Bailey said he believes the role of government is to educate, inform and provide, but should leave it up to “we the people to decide how we’re going to live.”

* Let’s move on to Wikipedia…

Sanctuary city refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government’s effort to enforce immigration law.

From June of 2019…

Irvin said that Aurora joins with Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in, “prohibiting the use of our resources to aid or support ICE in its enforcement activities.”

Richard Irvin today on Tom Miller’s show…

I do not support sanctuary cities. Aurora is not a sanctuary city. And when I’m governor, Illinois will not be a sanctuary state.

Sure, Jan.

* Irvin campaign…

On Friday, as the Democratic Governors Association doubled down on a multi-million dollar campaign to stop Aurora Mayor and Republican candidate Richard Irvin from becoming the next governor of Illinois, Pritzker finally admitted to reporters that he is personally involved in the pro-Bailey, anti-Irvin DGA television ads. While Pritzker tried to walk his comment back, the DGA later defended its coordination with Pritzker, telling the media that the ads “do not qualify as an ‘independent expenditure.’”

Pritzker’s decision to go all-in to support Darren Bailey in the Republican primary highlights the clear contrast between Republican Irvin and Democrat Pritzker. Pritzker pushed the largest income tax hike in Illinois history, signed the most pro-criminal law in state history and personally supported Mike Madigan’s criminal enterprise. Irvin, a combat veteran, former criminal prosecutor and successful mayor of Illinois’ second-largest city, lowered property taxes every year he was mayor, personally put violent criminals behind bars and defeated Madigan’s criminal enterprise when he ran for mayor.

Pritzker and Bailey, of course, have one big thing in common: they love to raise taxes. In a state with highest property taxes, Bailey voted to raise property taxes 13 times. Aurora property taxes, on the other hand, went down every year Irvin was mayor – because unlike tax-and-spend Pritzker and Bailey, Irvin cut spending and delivered economic growth.

In case you missed it, the Irvin campaign launched a new ad, “Proud,” on Friday to ensure Republican voters know that Pritzker is supporting Bailey, a fellow tax hiker, fearing he will lose re-election if he faces a proven tax-cutter and crime-fighter in Irvin.

* Politico…

— Catalina Lauf has been endorsed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik’s (N.Y.) Elevate PAC, or E-PAC. Lauf is running in the Republican primary for the 11th Congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. Bill Foster.

— Former Democratic state Rep. Litesa Wallace has been endorsed by the progressive Our Revolution Illinois in her bid for the 17th Congressional District.

— Eric Sorensen has been endorsed by Equality PAC Co-Chairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) in his bid for IL-17.

— John Fritchey has been endorsed by Congressman Chuy Garcia in his bid for judge in the 8th Subcircuit. Fritchey is a former state rep who also worked with Garcia when they were both Cook County commissioners.

* Whew. This Illinois US Senate candidate is quite something…

This Friday, May 20th in the Park Ridge/ Niles area, my Fundraiser for US Senate featuring one of most important Patriots in the History of Our Republic, General Michael Flynn, will take place. pic.twitter.com/hiyA0DaPwV

— Bobby Piton, 2022 US Senate Candidate -State of IL (@UAmerica333) May 16, 2022

* AP…

Michigan’s court seats are among the top priorities for the Republican State Leadership Committee, which plans to spend more than $5 million this year on state court races, a record for the group, said spokesman Andrew Romeo.

The group’s other priorities include the races in North Carolina as well as those in Illinois and Ohio — primarily to better position Republicans in the fights over drawing state legislative and congressional boundaries.

“People used to think redistricting was a 10-year fight,” Romeo said. “Now it’s going to be a battle every election cycle because there’s critical supreme court races every election cycle that have the ability to impact redistricting.”

* This was a government press release, but there’s definitely a campaign angle to it…

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services is granting the State of Illinois with $5.4 million in funding to support and expand access to equitable and affordable family planning services for low-income populations across Illinois.

Governor JB Pritzker made the announcement on Monday, sharing that in addition to this federal grant there is also $5.8 million in state general revenue funds, meaning the Illinois Family Planning Program will provide approximately $11.2 million in funding in state Fiscal Year 2023.

The funds will be divided among 29 delegate agencies that operate 98 family planning clinics throughout the state.

With the new HHS grant the Illinois Department of Public Health will be able to support access to Title X services under the Illinois Family Planning Program that were being restricted under the previous federal administration.

Under the previous federal administration a “gag rule” was imposed to block family planning clinics from referring patients to abortion providers.

“Now that the Biden administration has reversed Trump’s gag rule, I am proud to announce we have rejoined the federal Title X program and we’re putting record funding toward our Illinois Family Planning Program,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Let this record-breaking investment remind women that the state of Illinois trusts you to make your own choices. To choose what contraceptives are right for you. To choose whether you want to be a parent or not. And we will make sure that—on top of protecting your right to choose—you get the care that you deserve.”

Governor Pritzker announced in July 2019 that the State of Illinois would forgo federal Title X funding in response to the rule imposed by the Trump Administration that banned federal funding for contraceptives for low-income people, unless grant recipients pledged not to counsel on abortion options or refer to abortion services.

“Countless vulnerable people lost a lifeline when Title X funding was lost due to the Trump administration’s gag rule, and the restoration of that funding is now more important than ever as our constitutional right to bodily autonomy is under attack,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “This $11.2 in critical funding is a step forward in ensuring people receive the reproductive care they need, and it will build on our commitment of a safe, welcoming Illinois for all.”

…Adding… DGA…

Last week, uber-conservative candidate Darren Bailey announced former Trump advisor Steve Cortes’ support of his campaign, solidifying Bailey’s stance as the most conservative, extreme candidate in this race.

On Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Cortes said: “State Senator Darren Bailey is the man whom I’m supporting … He’s an America-first stalwart and fighter. He was a Trump delegate in 2020 — so Darren Bailey should prevail in this primary.”

That’s coming from a guy who calls himself an “American nationalist,” who was sacked from Newsmax after refusing to follow their vaccination policy, and who loudly voiced his disappointment that Trump wasn’t fascist enough as president.

The far-rights of the far-right think Bailey is the true conservative for Illinois. And Bailey’s embracing it wholeheartedly as he angles for Trump’s endorsement after meeting with the former president in Mar-a-Lago last month.

“This endorsement from one of Trump’s cronies further confirms what we already knew to be true: Darren Bailey is the uber-conservative extremist candidate in this race,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “With a potential endorsement from Trump himself looming and new polling showing the matchup between Bailey and Richard Irvin closer than ever, the GOP primary is a total toss-up. But one thing is crystal clear: neither of these top contenders has Illinoisans’ best interests at heart.”

…Adding… IEA…

Today, U. S. Congressman Sean Casten announced that the Illinois Education Association (IEA) has endorsed him for re-election. IEA, one of the largest unions in Illinois with more than 135,000 educators across the state, is full-heartedly supporting Rep. Casten in the Democratic primary for Illinois’s 6th Congressional District. As a tireless advocate for teachers and students, Sean is proud of his 100% pro-public education voting record and honored to have IEA’s support.

* Another endorsement…

Nabeela Syed, the frontrunner in the Democratic Primary to take on incumbent Republican State Representative Chris Bos of Lake Zurich, continues to add support over her opponent in the June 28 Democratic Primary Election.

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL4) made the following statement when releasing his endorsement: “While the Illinois General Assembly is one of the more diverse state legislatures across the country, there is still more work to be done. By adding Nabeela Syed to the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives, we can further our need for more voices from different backgrounds but also add a champion for welcoming and inclusive policies. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be a fierce advocate for northwest suburban families and stand up for all of her constituents.”