* The other JW’s petitions are getting the once-over…

Dear Friend,

Alexi Giannoulias, Democratic candidate for Illinois Secretary of State, needs our help. A Libertarian candidate has filed to run against Alexi, and his legal name is Jesse White, the same as the popular current Democratic Secretary of State. Voter confusion about who this candidate is could drain enough votes from Alexi to allow his Republican opponent to win the race. We can’t let that happen!

Alexi needs help reviewing the petition signatures for this new “Jesse White” to ensure that his name will not appear on the November ballot (if we can determine that he doesn’t have enough valid signatures). Can you help us?

No experience necessary. Volunteers will receive all necessary training from Alexi’s campaign. Please fill out this form (https://secure.ngpvan.com/0Ra_ontcrUqY24L7PjG_FQ2) and sign up for a shift or two.

9:00 am - 6:00 pm — Friday, July 15th, Saturday, July 16th, Sunday, July 17th
IBEW Hall
2722 S. Martin Luther King Dr.
Chicago IL 60616

Laptops required - Sign up here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/0Ra_ontcrUqY24L7PjG_FQ2. Questions? Contact: Anna Clausen at xxxx@xxxxx.com.

Lauren Beth Gash
Tenth Dems Founder

* From a reader: “It has been requested by some political colleagues that I send this meme to you—and so, that is exactly what I’m doing”…

* ABC7…

It is his Saturday trip to Florida to be the keynote speaker for that state’s Democratic Party fundraiser, with tickets ranging between $300 and $1,000 each, that has sparked criticism from his GOP rival.

“I’ve got a message to Governor Pritzker: Get back home. Let’s work on surging police support in Chicago, and let’s slash your gas tax and stop campaigning for president,” said State Senator Darren Bailey, (R) Candidate for Governor.

“Florida is in dire need of a pro-choice, Democratic governor, and Governor Pritzker is proud to support the Florida Democratic Party in their efforts to flip the state blue,” said Natalie Edelstein, JB for Governor Communications Director, in defense of Pritzker’s trip.

“He is a go-to potential candidate in the Democratic Party right now. People want to hear from him, people want to see him [and] they see him as a new voice. He’s also trying to position himself to be perceived that way,” said ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington. “He’s trying to send a strong message that he’s ready to be perceived as a national player.”

* WBEZ…

On the stump, Pritzker has noted all of the things about himself that he says aren’t exactly the archetypal Democratic candidate — his Ukrainian-American heritage, his Jewish faith, his billionaire businessman status. He’s even made light of his weight.

“If you were running something through the computer, it wouldn’t spit out a portly, Jewish billionaire,” Axelrod said. “That’s not sort of the prototype from central casting of a president.”

But these are unusual times, Axelrod mused.

“I think that people are looking for a sort of muscularity and pushing back on Trumpism and on some of the agenda of the right. And he has set himself up,” Axelrod said. “I’m surprised about the number of people who I’ve heard from just recently in response to the Highland Park shootings and his response to the [National Rifle Association] and so on. And I heard a lot of cheering from the crowd from activist Democrats because they would like to see that in a president.”

* DGA…

Last week, New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu slammed GOP gubernatorial candidates –– including Illinois’ Darren Bailey –– for championing the Big Lie and continuing to peddle conspiracies about the 2020 presidential election results.

When asked if he thought it was “disqualifying” for GOP gubernatorial hopefuls to push Trump’s disproven claims that the 2020 election was stolen as a result of widespread voter fraud, Sununu said: “If they were on the ballot in my state, I would disqualify them.”

And disqualify them he should.

Here in Illinois, Darren Bailey has a long record of pushing the Big Lie. He trafficked in ultra-MAGA voter fraud conspiracy theories following the 2020 election, encouraging his followers to “continue to pray for our president and this election process,” adding “all this fraudulent activity is absolutely disgusting. It’s wrong — it’s, in my opinion, almost the highest form of treason in our country, so we pray that that will be dealt with. We pray that the truth will be uncovered.” That’s in addition to constant posts claiming voter fraud and celebrating Trump’s false claims of victory.

Besides spreading the Big Lie far and wide, Bailey was quick to attack those who dared push back. After US Representative Adam Kinzinger called for Trump’s impeachment following the violent Jan 6th insurrection, Bailey encouraged the Illinois Republican party to “call on Congressman Kinzinger to stand down, or outright condemn his latest personal and political attack on President Trump and the tens of millions of Americans who support the President.”

“Even Darren Bailey’s fellow Republicans know his far-right, extremist views are wholly out-of-touch with voters here in Illinois and across the country. That’s why Illinoisans will disqualify Bailey at the ballot box this November and ensure he can’t hold the state’s highest office,” said DGA Illinois Press Secretary Yael Sheinfeld.

Some of Bailey’s posts…

I stand with President Trump and the process! It’s there for a purpose. I will prayerfully await the journey and accept the outcome. There has been entirely too much fraudulent activity.

— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) November 7, 2020

TRUMP…..4 more years!
It’s coming……#voterfraudistreason

— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) November 12, 2020

I encourage the @ILGOP to call on Congressman Kinzinger to stand down, or outright condemn his latest personal and political attack on President Trump and the tens of millions of Americans who support the President.

— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) January 13, 2021

* Press release…

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood announced today that her reelection campaign has raised more than $1,000,000 during the second fundraising quarter of 2022 continuing a trend of dominance over her opponent. Thanks to the grassroots support fueling her campaign, Underwood enters the third quarter with more than $2.8 million cash on hand, and has raised more than $5.2 million this cycle, signaling her strength in the race. U.S. Representative Underwood, a registered nurse and public health expert, has made access to high-quality, affordable health care and lowering costs for families her top priority in Congress.

“The general election is on, the stakes could not be higher and our campaign is stronger than ever thanks to the unwavering support of Team Underwood,” said Rep. Underwood. “We have a vision for the future of our community where hard working Illinoisans have high-quality and affordable health care, our children are free from the terror of mass shootings, women have full authority over their health care decisions, there are more good paying union jobs rebuilding our infrastructure, and billionaires and corporations finally pay their fair share of taxes. That’s a vision worth fighting for and I’m honored to have the support of my community to bring it to life.”

In the June 28th primary, Congresswoman Underwood earned nearly three times more votes than her GOP opponent beating him in all seven counties including his home Kendall County, and in Will County, the largest in the district, she outperformed the entire Republican field combined.