* A quick roundup to start your day…

* Final gubernatorial debate: What do Pritzker, Bailey need to say to gain support?: For Bailey to complete a path to victory, Redfield said the downstate farmer will need to attract more middle-of-the-road and undecided voters. […] For Pritzker to avoid joining Walker, Redfield recommends the governor stay the course — selling his accomplishments in a tenure amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Redfield said the governor’s touting of his record, including such policies as the Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan, seem to resonate with the voters within his base and perhaps moderates as well.

* Illinois treasurer’s race: What candidates have to say about taxes, college savings and merging the office: One of [Demmer‘s] main lines of attack on Frerichs is over remarks the treasurer made in 2020, when he said voter approval of a graduated income tax on the ballot that November could open the door to conversations about whether the wealthiest retirees should have some of their retirement income taxed. The comment was seized upon by Republicans, even as Frerichs went on to repeatedly insist he opposed any state tax on retirement income.

* State senate race becomes fierce battleground: A central Illinois state senate race has become a fierce battleground as republicans hope to flip the 48th District. The race between Democratic candidate Doris Turner and Republican candidate Sandy Hamilton is now one of the ugliest races this election cycle. “It’s a high stakes, you’ve got a lot of money that people can spend. In addition to doing the positive ads- this is who I am this, this is what I’m trying to do- you’re trying to define your opponent,” Kent Redfield, a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, told WAND News.

* Illinois Democrats deploy campaign cash to defend downstate turf against Republican challengers: Republican candidates angling to oust downstate Democrats face a number of strategic disadvantages down the stretch, but still hope national political winds from a Biden backlash can sweep them to power in the statehouse. “The way our economy is right now, people are ready for a change,” Republican Jennifer Korte said at a Republican campaign event in Edwardsville.

* Illinois voters to weigh in on Workers’ Rights Amendment to codify collective bargaining rights: It’s a key issue for unions, which are pouring millions of dollars into the campaign to win support for the amendment, including TV ads. But business groups - including the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and others - are fighting against it, saying it would be bad for business and encouraging companies to locate elsewhere.

* Chicago-area congressional Democratic candidates lead in fundraising, new FEC reports show: With giant campaign cash advantages — and new districts with voters who don’t know them — Casten, Krishnamoorthi, Schneider, Foster and Underwood have been running television ads in the expensive Chicago broadcast market.

More later.