Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Garcia to run TV ad quoting Vallas calling himself a Republican and saying “Fundamentally, I oppose abortion”
Announcer: It’s happening across the country. Republicans pushing to ban all abortions. Here in Chicago, we have to protect our rights. But Paul Vallas won’t. Because Vallas is a Republican.
Vallas: I’m more of a Republican than a Democrat. Fundamentally, I oppose abortion.
Announcer: Chicago deserves someone they can count on. Chuy Garcia will keep fighting to expand access to reproductive health care because women’s rights should be protected, not taken away. We can trust Chuy Garcia to protect our rights.
Trying to get out in front with that “I’m actually a Democrat, trust me” ad may prove ineffective once the tiny detail of Vallas’ recorded words surfaces. And then Brandon Johnson can come in with Vallas’ record running schools.
Lori had the money and campaign infrastructure for this attack, but was holding it until the runoff. Risky for the city, because it increases the odds of a Mayor Vallas.
- James the Intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:33 pm:
Now do the same abortion talking about how Mr Public Safety didn’t care enough about the workers to fund the pensions for 17 of 22 years. No, Vallas was not there for the whole time, but he was for the formative beginning years.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:35 pm:
A+. The Mayor’s campaign really missed out on finding this clip first. “Paul Vallas didn’t tweet about Dobbs” was pretty lame. Do your research.
Chuy will continue to have to outrun his Madigan connections.
Lori should not have danced in the streets last week.
It’s getting very interesting.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:44 pm:
Saying that you’re opposed to abortion is different than saying that you don’t think someone should have a legal right to one. The position of Mayor also has nothing to do with it. Crime, on the other hand, is something that the Mayor can actually have a direct impact on. I guess we’ll see how the voters feel about it.
== The Mayor’s campaign really missed out on finding this clip first.==
I think they’re plenty comfortable with Chuy running the ad.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:52 pm:
===You forgetting zoning?===
That’s a pretty big stretch to make. The implication being that Vallas’ personal opposition to abortion would lend him to block zoning on an abortion clinic?
He’s had a free ride so far and has climbed to the top of the polls because of it. Now he’ll have to show he can take a punch.
Don’t know if this will cost him much of his base vote, but it will make it a heck of a lot harder to expand. For instance, my sense has been white women on the North Side were moving his way (just a gut feeling, haven’t seen crosstabs.) This should end that.
thank you for posting about this. much of the media is missing the full Vallas. for example, the AWAKE incident involved not just Vallas cancelling an appearance, but the event was advertised with a flyer with his name and photo on it.how does he not know who they are, anti LGBT activists.
recent resolution in the Chicago City Council… Call for condemnation on legislative efforts to diminish women’s reproductive rights granted under Roe v. Wade Our local governments have zoning power, and power of influence.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
===The position of Mayor also has nothing to do with it===
The average voter does not note this type of nuance. They will assume an anti-abortion person will figure out a way to throw a wrench in the works.
Let’s see how much money Garcia puts behind this ad. That Garcia, not Lightfoot, is putting this out tells me that they can both read a poll.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:24 pm:
Great ad, which could help any of the frontrunners or those near the top of the polls, like Lightfoot. Vallas is running “white fright” type ads on crime, about which Lightfoot may have recently complained (saw a video clip), so he seems like he fits his own partisan description in the ad.
I can’t wait until the details of the Vallas tv appearance come out because I’m spitting angry about what he said. Big Dipper has it correct, it indicates an attitude towards women and their agency. Can you imagine Chicago with an anti choice mayor? that would be terrible for our state.
With such a huge field of candidates and a lack of social conservatives, does this actually make Vallas a more attractive candidate for some? Maybe if he could get Wilson out of the race. I don’t think he has much of a chance at winning a runoff. But he could certainly get there.
=With such a huge field of candidates and a lack of social conservatives, does this actually make Vallas a more attractive candidate for some?=
Seems like a fairly narrow band of voters. The issue would certainly seem to hurt more than it helps and it could be enough to keep him out of the run-off. But up until this point Garcia has run an incredibly lackluster campaign so we’ll see.
I am 1000% pro choice and this ad can sting, but voters are looking for something different in a mayoral candidate than what they’re looking for in a governor or a member of Congress, or even the state legislature. Not sure this will work or have the impact that it could in one of these other policy making positions, but something in the polling must’ve told them this can make a dent in Vallas’ support. I’m guessing that he is also going after vallas on abortion to stop money flowing in from liberal Democrats who have a lot to give and are disappointed in Lightfoot’s leadership but don’t align ideologically with Chuy or johnson.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:30 pm:
So pro-choice Vallas voters are going to abandon Vallas for the near-DSA candidate? Maybe if Garcia had got on tv earlier with better anti-crime ads than the ones he is running.
==So pro-choice Vallas voters are going to abandon Vallas for the near-DSA candidate?==
They have plenty of other choices. After November, I don’t think we should pooh-pooh the power of choice as an electoral issue.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:48 pm:
I think there are a lot of undecideds out there looking for an alternative to the Mayor. I think a lot of undecideds in February 2019 broke for Lightfoot as what they thought was the least bad in a basket of flawed options. This is effective in making these undecideds think twice about Vallas.
Everyone who has paid attention knows that Vallas has been sucking up to FoxNews, John Kass and even losers like Berkowitz for years. We’ve known this was coming, but assumed it would come in a general election campaign. It’s Lori’s only chance to be re-elected. Nominate Vallas and then launch the “Vallas is a Republican” assault. That it’s coming now is an indication that Chuy somehow thinks Vallas is occupying his slot in the runoff. Must be some interesting polling he’s seeing.
Oops - that first sentence should have read, “sucking up to FoxNews and even losers like John Kass and Berkowitz for years.” Sorry for the mistake.
- Nuke The Whales - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:15 pm:
==The implication being that Vallas’ personal opposition to abortion would lend him to block zoning on an abortion clinic==
Given that there is an entire Bloomberg article called “How Zoning Law Is Used Against Abortion Providers,” yes, that is a legitimate worry.
If I’m Team Vallas I don’t know that I mind Chuy using precious money to go after me instead of Lori. Vallas is headed to the second round, there’s no pulling him down out of the top 2.
is the link to the Vallas interview still up? cause one link to a part 2 does not appear to be on the FB page of Berkowitz.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:38 pm:
@arsenal - oh, pro-choice Vallas voters won’t automatically go to Lightfoot by any means, I’m just wondering how much bang for his buck he gets out of this. This race doesn’t seem like it will strictly adhere to the ideological spectrum, but to the extent it does Lightfoot seems in as good a position to pick up ex-Vallas as anyone.
- James the Intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:43 pm:
@Marquez and Anonymous, do you not believe what Paul Vallas said? that he is more of a Republican than a Democrat and that he fundamentally opposes abortion? HIS words. Not twisted.
Paul is also not a fiscal hawk. Throughout his much of his career, he has focused on making short term fiscal decisions instead making the tougher choices that are necessary to make things stable over the longer term. Just look at his decisions to just skip years of pensions payments or his plans to just empty out the TIF funds.
I’m not saying that the other candidates are more fiscally hawkish. But if that is a reason to support Paul, please note that he likes to spend money and then not tax. Kind of shocked selling off the city’s water supply didn’t come from his camp quite frankly.
- James the intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:22 pm:
A fiscal hawk would fund tge pensions. He made tge expedient choices. And those were sound financial years.
- Frumpy White Guy - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:26 pm:
I am befuddled and bodaciously bewildered at the revelation that Paul vroom vroom Vallas is antichoice. Alas prochoice voters will not being voting for Vallas.
- Boone’s is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 6:16 pm:
@ Nuke the whales, from your Bloomberg article, “These local strategies are driven by the same anti-abortion activists and politicians who are pushing increasingly strict statewide abortion bills in places like Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana.”
So tell me exactly how a Vallas administration would theoretically do that, if it even wanted to, with arguably the most liberal City Council of any major city other than Portland?
The surrogates are scrambling. 1st Ward Alderman and terminal reply guy Brendan Reilly is getting at Mary Ann Ahern, asking how anyone can call Vallas a Republican when he ran against Rod Blagojevich in the ‘02 primary.
You know, Rod Blagojevich, that other prime example of a Chicago Democrat in 2023.
==== Don’t know if this will cost him much of his base vote, =====
Actually I think it will help him with his base. Even give him something to gin up turnout with them. On the other hand this will hurt him bad if he makes the runoff. Lightfoots camp may have been better off for this to come out later. But Chuy needed something to energize his support.
- Roadrager - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:22 pm:
Trying to get out in front with that “I’m actually a Democrat, trust me” ad may prove ineffective once the tiny detail of Vallas’ recorded words surfaces. And then Brandon Johnson can come in with Vallas’ record running schools.
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:22 pm:
It’s about time.
- Northsider - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:28 pm:
Oof. That’s gonna leave a mark.
- Jerry - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:29 pm:
I’ve said it before. Why aren’t ED pills treated the same way as abortion. I wonder what Vallas would “fundamentally” oppose then?
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:32 pm:
“It’s about time.”
Lori had the money and campaign infrastructure for this attack, but was holding it until the runoff. Risky for the city, because it increases the odds of a Mayor Vallas.
- James the Intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:33 pm:
Now do the same abortion talking about how Mr Public Safety didn’t care enough about the workers to fund the pensions for 17 of 22 years. No, Vallas was not there for the whole time, but he was for the formative beginning years.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:35 pm:
A+. The Mayor’s campaign really missed out on finding this clip first. “Paul Vallas didn’t tweet about Dobbs” was pretty lame. Do your research.
- Matt - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:36 pm:
Jeff Berkowitz, making opposition researchers smile for decades.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:39 pm:
I guess Vallas’ honey moon period is over.
It’s February after all.
Chuy will continue to have to outrun his Madigan connections.
Lori should not have danced in the streets last week.
It’s getting very interesting.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:44 pm:
Saying that you’re opposed to abortion is different than saying that you don’t think someone should have a legal right to one. The position of Mayor also has nothing to do with it. Crime, on the other hand, is something that the Mayor can actually have a direct impact on. I guess we’ll see how the voters feel about it.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:45 pm:
===The position of Mayor also has nothing to do with it===
You forgetting zoning?
- Arsenal - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:52 pm:
== The Mayor’s campaign really missed out on finding this clip first.==
I think they’re plenty comfortable with Chuy running the ad.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:52 pm:
===You forgetting zoning?===
That’s a pretty big stretch to make. The implication being that Vallas’ personal opposition to abortion would lend him to block zoning on an abortion clinic?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:54 pm:
He’s had a free ride so far and has climbed to the top of the polls because of it. Now he’ll have to show he can take a punch.
Don’t know if this will cost him much of his base vote, but it will make it a heck of a lot harder to expand. For instance, my sense has been white women on the North Side were moving his way (just a gut feeling, haven’t seen crosstabs.) This should end that.
- Roman - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
Sorry, Anonymous at 1:54 is me
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:07 pm:
So in addition to all his other flaws, the “lifelong Democrat” is a liar.
- Bruce( no not him) - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:16 pm:
Well I’ma Democrat at the moment, but I can be whatever I need to be to get elected.
So what would you like me to be? /s
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:18 pm:
thank you for posting about this. much of the media is missing the full Vallas. for example, the AWAKE incident involved not just Vallas cancelling an appearance, but the event was advertised with a flyer with his name and photo on it.how does he not know who they are, anti LGBT activists.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:20 pm:
recent resolution in the Chicago City Council… Call for condemnation on legislative efforts to diminish women’s reproductive rights granted under Roe v. Wade Our local governments have zoning power, and power of influence.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
===The position of Mayor also has nothing to do with it===
The average voter does not note this type of nuance. They will assume an anti-abortion person will figure out a way to throw a wrench in the works.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:22 pm:
Let’s see how much money Garcia puts behind this ad. That Garcia, not Lightfoot, is putting this out tells me that they can both read a poll.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:24 pm:
Great ad, which could help any of the frontrunners or those near the top of the polls, like Lightfoot. Vallas is running “white fright” type ads on crime, about which Lightfoot may have recently complained (saw a video clip), so he seems like he fits his own partisan description in the ad.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:24 pm:
==They will assume an anti-abortion person will figure out a way to throw a wrench in the works.==
It also indicates their general attitude toward women and their autonomy.
- Jerry - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:27 pm:
It’s not just autonomy for women, it’s everyone.
- Walker - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:28 pm:
Over time, Vallas has said everything about almost everything. Please spare us from having to listen to his blather anymore.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:29 pm:
I can’t wait until the details of the Vallas tv appearance come out because I’m spitting angry about what he said. Big Dipper has it correct, it indicates an attitude towards women and their agency. Can you imagine Chicago with an anti choice mayor? that would be terrible for our state.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:33 pm:
With such a huge field of candidates and a lack of social conservatives, does this actually make Vallas a more attractive candidate for some? Maybe if he could get Wilson out of the race. I don’t think he has much of a chance at winning a runoff. But he could certainly get there.
- Pundent - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:41 pm:
=With such a huge field of candidates and a lack of social conservatives, does this actually make Vallas a more attractive candidate for some?=
Seems like a fairly narrow band of voters. The issue would certainly seem to hurt more than it helps and it could be enough to keep him out of the run-off. But up until this point Garcia has run an incredibly lackluster campaign so we’ll see.
- Shytown - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:44 pm:
I am 1000% pro choice and this ad can sting, but voters are looking for something different in a mayoral candidate than what they’re looking for in a governor or a member of Congress, or even the state legislature. Not sure this will work or have the impact that it could in one of these other policy making positions, but something in the polling must’ve told them this can make a dent in Vallas’ support. I’m guessing that he is also going after vallas on abortion to stop money flowing in from liberal Democrats who have a lot to give and are disappointed in Lightfoot’s leadership but don’t align ideologically with Chuy or johnson.
- Homebody - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 2:48 pm:
I’m not sure how everyone just collectively forgot about Vallas’s past statements, actions, and record. None of this is a surprise.
Chicago desperately needs ranked choice voting, as an aside.
- Ashland Adam - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:10 pm:
I found this sort of fun - and sort of disturbing:
Vallas or Bailey?
https://vallasorbailey.com/
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:30 pm:
So pro-choice Vallas voters are going to abandon Vallas for the near-DSA candidate? Maybe if Garcia had got on tv earlier with better anti-crime ads than the ones he is running.
- JoeMaddon - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:33 pm:
**The Mayor’s campaign really missed out on finding this clip first.**
Or the Mayor’s campaign wants to run against Paul Vallas in the runoff.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:34 pm:
==So pro-choice Vallas voters are going to abandon Vallas for the near-DSA candidate?==
They have plenty of other choices. After November, I don’t think we should pooh-pooh the power of choice as an electoral issue.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 3:48 pm:
I think there are a lot of undecideds out there looking for an alternative to the Mayor. I think a lot of undecideds in February 2019 broke for Lightfoot as what they thought was the least bad in a basket of flawed options. This is effective in making these undecideds think twice about Vallas.
- New Day - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:05 pm:
Everyone who has paid attention knows that Vallas has been sucking up to FoxNews, John Kass and even losers like Berkowitz for years. We’ve known this was coming, but assumed it would come in a general election campaign. It’s Lori’s only chance to be re-elected. Nominate Vallas and then launch the “Vallas is a Republican” assault. That it’s coming now is an indication that Chuy somehow thinks Vallas is occupying his slot in the runoff. Must be some interesting polling he’s seeing.
- New Day - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:08 pm:
Oops - that first sentence should have read, “sucking up to FoxNews and even losers like John Kass and Berkowitz for years.” Sorry for the mistake.
- Nuke The Whales - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:15 pm:
==The implication being that Vallas’ personal opposition to abortion would lend him to block zoning on an abortion clinic==
Given that there is an entire Bloomberg article called “How Zoning Law Is Used Against Abortion Providers,” yes, that is a legitimate worry.
- SouthsideVoter - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:18 pm:
“Out of Context” incoming!!!!!
- Stumped - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:23 pm:
If I’m Team Vallas I don’t know that I mind Chuy using precious money to go after me instead of Lori. Vallas is headed to the second round, there’s no pulling him down out of the top 2.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:27 pm:
==Everyone who has paid attention knows that Vallas has been sucking up to FoxNews, John Kass and even losers like Berkowitz for years==
He cited Wirepoints in the WLS debate, just assumed that voters don’t know who is behind it.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:33 pm:
is the link to the Vallas interview still up? cause one link to a part 2 does not appear to be on the FB page of Berkowitz.
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:38 pm:
@arsenal - oh, pro-choice Vallas voters won’t automatically go to Lightfoot by any means, I’m just wondering how much bang for his buck he gets out of this. This race doesn’t seem like it will strictly adhere to the ideological spectrum, but to the extent it does Lightfoot seems in as good a position to pick up ex-Vallas as anyone.
- James the Intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:43 pm:
Not great timing for Tunney
- low level - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:48 pm:
Mayor Lightfoot is not making the runoff. There is no constituency happy w her, not even the LGBTQ community.
- Marquez - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:51 pm:
I am a lifelong democrat North Lawndale that has lead campaigns at all levels for DEMOCRATS.
Yet, I do believe VALLAS IS A FISCAL HAWK and is what is needed for Chicago. I also believe Republicans have a better handle on money finances.
We had enough of twisting words and politics - LET’S LOOK AT THE RECORDS OF ALL THE CANDIDATES.
Big ideas is the reason we are in this place now, I would have never thought I would lament the days of DALEY.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:53 pm:
VALLAS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN…….
and none of them made that the case when they allowed him to run on the DEMOCRATIC TICKET as lieutenant governor.
PLAYING POLITICS when the safety and lives of children are on the line. GARCIA’s biggest accomplishment is his ties to HAROLD WASHINGTON 40 years ago.
- Amalia - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 4:59 pm:
@Marquez and Anonymous, do you not believe what Paul Vallas said? that he is more of a Republican than a Democrat and that he fundamentally opposes abortion? HIS words. Not twisted.
- Appears - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:08 pm:
@ Marquez
Fiscal Hawk does not mean he is fiscally smart
- Juice - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:09 pm:
Paul is also not a fiscal hawk. Throughout his much of his career, he has focused on making short term fiscal decisions instead making the tougher choices that are necessary to make things stable over the longer term. Just look at his decisions to just skip years of pensions payments or his plans to just empty out the TIF funds.
I’m not saying that the other candidates are more fiscally hawkish. But if that is a reason to support Paul, please note that he likes to spend money and then not tax. Kind of shocked selling off the city’s water supply didn’t come from his camp quite frankly.
- James the intolerant - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:22 pm:
A fiscal hawk would fund tge pensions. He made tge expedient choices. And those were sound financial years.
- Frumpy White Guy - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 5:26 pm:
I am befuddled and bodaciously bewildered at the revelation that Paul vroom vroom Vallas is antichoice. Alas prochoice voters will not being voting for Vallas.
- Boone’s is Back - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 6:16 pm:
@ Nuke the whales, from your Bloomberg article, “These local strategies are driven by the same anti-abortion activists and politicians who are pushing increasingly strict statewide abortion bills in places like Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana.”
So tell me exactly how a Vallas administration would theoretically do that, if it even wanted to, with arguably the most liberal City Council of any major city other than Portland?
- Roadrager - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 6:40 pm:
The surrogates are scrambling. 1st Ward Alderman and terminal reply guy Brendan Reilly is getting at Mary Ann Ahern, asking how anyone can call Vallas a Republican when he ran against Rod Blagojevich in the ‘02 primary.
You know, Rod Blagojevich, that other prime example of a Chicago Democrat in 2023.
- Been There - Thursday, Feb 2, 23 @ 6:54 pm:
==== Don’t know if this will cost him much of his base vote, =====
Actually I think it will help him with his base. Even give him something to gin up turnout with them. On the other hand this will hurt him bad if he makes the runoff. Lightfoots camp may have been better off for this to come out later. But Chuy needed something to energize his support.