Catching up with the congressionals
Thursday, Oct 2, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Former U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean touts fundraising haul in 8th District comeback bid. Press release…
Melissa Bean raised over half a million dollars in her first fundraising quarter as a candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District seat, bringing in an impressive Q3 haul of $540,000 in just fourteen working days – a sign that she’s raising at a faster rate than her opponents.
“We’re thrilled to see the early enthusiasm and support building behind our campaign – a reflection of Melissa’s record in Congress working hard with Democrats and President Obama to protect working families,” said Jeremy Custer, Campaign Manager, Melissa Bean for Congress. “We’re confident that our momentum will only continue to build as voters across the 8th district hear Melissa’s story – she’s a proven leader who stood with moral courage and voted for healthcare, knowing it would cost her seat. This is the type of leadership Americans are demanding right now.”
* Politico…
In IL-08: Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser in the 8th Congressional District race. “At a time when democracy is under attack, and as the need for criminal justice reform has never been more urgent, I have full and complete faith that Kevin Morrison will fight for what’s right in Congress,” Mosser said.
In IL-08: Sanjyot Dunung, a congressional candidate for Illinois’ 8th District, has been endorsed by the Hindu American PAC, an independent and non-partisan political action committee.
* Moving on to the 2nd CD. Sen. Robert Peters…
Robert Peters’ campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District announced it raised $275,000 by the September 30 quarterly fundraising deadline with more than 20,600 individual donors overall. This is in addition to the more than $450,000 Peters raised in the 2nd quarter of 2025, after launching his campaign in mid-May.
“Our campaign is fueled by grassroots donors who are craving bold leadership that will stand up to Trump and speak to the challenges our communities are facing,” said Peters. “We are building the strongest campaign in this race, and that’s because voters in the 2nd District want a representative who will not just take on the MAGA Republicans, but will also fight for affordable health care, strong public schools, and lower costs of groceries and housing.”
* Meanwhile… Crain’s…
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley has inched closer to running for mayor, but a formal decision is still a way off.
In an amendment filed today with the Illinois Board of Elections, Quigley updated the purpose of his “Friends of Mike Quigley” campaign committee “to elect Mike Quigley as mayor of the city of Chicago.”
The nine-term congressman from the North Side formed the account in August ostensibly to run for Democratic State Central Committeeman, but told Crain’s at the time he was considering a bid for the Fifth Floor in what’s expected to be a crowded field to unseat Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Through a spokesperson, Quigley declined to comment on the updated filing.
* More…
* WICS | Vows to Refuse Pay During Government Shutdown: Budzinski wrote, “Members of Congress should play by the same rules as the people they represent. Until Congress comes to a bipartisan resolution to this impasse, one that makes whole the workers I represent in Illinois’ 13th District and fully reopens the government, I firmly believe Member pay should be withheld. Washington’s dysfunction is unacceptable, and Illinoisans have had enough. Until both parties come to the table, do their job, and reopen the government, Members of Congress should not receive pay.”
* Block Club | Learn About The Candidates Running For Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Seat At Edgewater Town Hall: An Edgewater group is hosting a town hall this weekend to allow neighbors to hear from more than a dozen candidates vying to be the next representative for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. […] Thirteen of the candidates will speak at a town hall 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Episcopal Church of the Atonement, 5749 N. Kenmore Ave. You can RSVP here.
- low level - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 8:57 am:
These days, I dont know why anyone would want to be a Congressman and go to Washington, particularly as a backbench member of the minority party. You become famous yes but very difficult to accomplish anything.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 9:40 am:
Raising vast amounts of money might not be the perception that the “Wall Street” candidate wants to give off in a Dem primary.
I have not yet seen a presence from Bean anywhere in the district…
- PoliticsD - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 9:45 am:
Why in the world would anyone who raises large amounts of money and plays by the proverbial rules, ever change the rules around money in politics, once they win playing by the existing rules. What incentive would they have to ever change them.
- Telly - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 9:48 am:
== I dont know why anyone would want to be a Congressman…You become famous yes but very difficult to accomplish anything. ==
You and I think the same way. But we live in an era where success is not measured by passing bills or building bridges (literally and figuratively,) but by scoring social media likes. Being famous is everything.
- City Zen - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:06 am:
==and lower costs of groceries==
What’s Rob’s stance on the grocery tax for Chicago?
- Torco Sign - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:08 am:
–Raising vast amounts of money might not be the perception that the “Wall Street” candidate wants to give off in a Dem primary.–
If she didn’t raise money, you’d say it reflected how bad she was, right? Come on.
- low level - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:37 am:
==but by scoring social media likes. Being famous is everything.==
Yes good points, Telly. You are correct.
- clec dcn - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:39 am:
Telly that was the statement of the day or even the week and what a truth.
- ArchPundit - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:41 am:
=====but by scoring social media likes. Being famous is everything.==
Some great legislators can balance being a legislator and doing social media, but it does make it so show horses are more attracted to the job and thus, less concern about the hard work of governing. It’s why seeing the new Republican who took 54 agency meetings is so refreshing. He’s doing the work and good on him.
- Payback - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 10:58 am:
Checking out the website for the 48th Ward Neighbors for Justice: “Remember SALUTE, (size/strength, activity/action, location/direction) etc. Great to see the progs in Helen Schiller’s old domain organizing for the war against The Man. But be sure to RSVP first.
- All Aboard - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 11:07 am:
It isn’t pay that should be withheld from those who cannot agree on a budget, it is votes.
Freeze out any and all electeds that are participants in the failure to agree on their most substantial task. No exceptions.
That would change behaviors.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 11:44 am:
==Freeze out any and all electeds that are participants in the failure to agree on their most substantial task. ==
How would that work? Who is failing? Do they need to agree to anything presented? If they do not agree with a proposal, what are they supposed to do? Go along anyway?
If an elected representative feels that the proposed budget does not meet some minimum standards for their district and constituents, I think they would feel obligated to vote “No” and continue negotiating. In the current case, the Dems could approve the “clean” CR, but they did that last Spring and the President ignored what was passed, cut funding for lots of stuff that had been agreed to in the CR, and no substantial negotiation occurred. It makes sense that they would not go down the same road to nowhere again; any acceptable bill will need to include written guarantees to get the votes needed to pass.
- granville - Thursday, Oct 2, 25 @ 11:58 am:
Tribune’s Greg Pratt had some context for Quigley’s filing:
“By all accounts, Quigley is seriously thinking about it. But in 2023 cycle, he did this just so he could run a poll. Way he explained to me at time, he had to for campaign finance reasons. So could lead to something, could lead to nothing.”