* Punchbowl News…

EMILY’s List, the influential abortion-rights group, will endorse Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate bid today despite vehement objections from members of the Congressional Black Caucus who are supporting Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).

This is a big deal for a few reasons. EMILY’s List only endorses Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights. And in recent years, it typically hasn’t endorsed if two such women were running against each other in a major primary. […]

“The mission of EMILY’s List is clear — to win races with Democratic pro-choice women,” said Amanda Sherman Baity, the group’s spokesperson. “This is going to be a tough primary, and we can’t afford to sit it out if we’re going to elect another Democratic woman to the U.S. Senate at a time when the bold leadership she will provide has never been more important.” […]

News of the pending endorsement spread last week at the CBC Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, where both Stratton and Kelly were in attendance. Members of the CBC made EMILY’s List aware of their objections, according to sources familiar with those conversations. Both Stratton and Kelly are Black. […]

Another dynamic to keep in mind: The CBC is a powerful and deeply influential group within the House Democratic Caucus and the Democratic Party as a whole. And Pritzker is believed to harbor 2028 ambitions.

NBC…

A senior Black Democratic strategist who is backing Stratton highlighted that point, telling NBC News that Stratton would make a “fine representative” to follow “in the footsteps of Sen. Durbin.”

“If you look at the complexion of the Senate right now, certainly adding another female, another voice, certainly adding another woman of color can only help them expand how they think about what they do in Congress,” the strategist said. “I have noticed that the two women that are currently sitting as senators add so much depth about not just women’s issues, but about things that the American people care about.”

Asked about EMILY’s List’s decision to endorse Stratton over Kelly, the strategist said Kelly “has been a fine, fine, fine representative for her district” but added, “I’m sure that they believe that [Stratton] has the best chance statewide to win.” […]

A source familiar with the endorsement process told NBC News that Krishnamoorthi is ramping up his spending and activity and the group doesn’t want to “miss a chance to send a pro-choice, Democratic woman to the Senate.”

* In the 8th Congressional District…

Today Illinois 8th Congressional Dan Tully will call on Congress to use its power of Impeachment as a means to hold rogue ICE supervisors, agents and any other officials who misuse the public trust accountable for their actions. Tully, who served as a Judge Advocate in the rank of Major in the Army Reserve, said the power, normally reserved for the President and Cabinet officials, is available to Congress to push back against a lawless administration in every way possible.

Where: Broadview ICE Detention Facility

When: 12:00PM

* Politico…

In IL-08: Neil Khot, a Democratic candidate running for Congress in 8th District, closed the third quarter having raised $750,000, according to his campaign.

In IL-09: Bushra Amiwala, a Democrat running for Congress in the 9th District, raised more than $430,000 in the third that ended Sept. 30, according to her campaign.

Yesterday, 8th CD candidate Melissa Bean announced she had raised $540,000.

* More…

* The New Arab | Meet Bushra Amiwala, a young Muslim American woman vying for Illinois congressional seat: She is running on a platform of universal healthcare (noting health insurance as one of the largest corporate lobby groups); supporting immigration with a clear path to citizenship; promoting equality of school districts through federal funding (redirected from part of the defence budget); raising the minimum wage; and prioritising humanitarian aid over military aid.

* Journal & Topics | First Candidate To Challenge Schakowsky Persists In Crowded Field: Abughazaleh told the Journal & Topics that she wasn’t deterred by the large field, preferring to focus on the campaign. As candidates try to collect signatures to get on the ballot, she said that she is confident about her chances, and she says that she plans to hold more events and other outreach in the suburban parts of the district. […] Over the past few months, Democratic U.S. senators and representatives who tried to inspect facilities where immigrants are detained have been turned away. Abughazaleh said that, if elected, she would not be easily deterred. “I will inspect federal facilities, and I will keep coming back,” she said. “If I’m not allowed in the Broadview facility, I will be there to inspect them again.”

* Press release | Citizen Action: Citizen Action/Illinois, the state’s largest public interest coalition, is launching a statewide series of six candidate forums with its first event on Monday, October 6. The inaugural Senate Candidate Forum will take place from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Chicago State University (9501 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60628). All Democratic candidates meeting viability thresholds of either 100 individual donations or $25,000 raised have been invited to participate. Candidates attending this Senate Forum include: Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, Juliana Stratton, Kevin Ryan, Christopher Swann, Adam Delgado, and Bryan Maxwell. These forums—co-hosted by more than two dozen leading advocacy organizations—will provide Illinois voters the opportunity to hear directly from Democratic candidates about the issues that matter most to working families, including healthcare access, economic justice, environmental protections, and more. […] This forum will be livestreamed on Citizen Action/Illinois’s Facebook page, with additional events scheduled across the Chicagoland area and suburban communities through November 18. Details and RSVP information can be found here.