* Rick Heidner filed paperwork with the Illinois State Board of Elections this morning to raise money for his Republican gubernatorial campaign. Politico…
Rick Heidner, a real estate developer and founder of Gold Rush Gaming, is running for governor as a Republican. We hear he just plugged $1 million into his campaign and is gathering petition signatures. Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike is his lieutenant governor running mate.
Heidner, of Barrington Hills, joins a competitive GOP primary contest that includes former state Sen. Darren Bailey, conservative activist Ted Dabrowski and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and a few other, lesser-known folks. […]
It’s a contest rife with tension. There’s a feud brewing between the Dabrowski and Bailey camps, and GOP political consultant Jeanne Ives is at the center of the controversy.
Ives is endorsing Dabrowski — even though she backed Bailey in 2022. She’s also been accused of trying to discredit Bailey by being part of an effort to leak a confidential human resources document from Bailey’s 2022 campaign about a disagreement with then-campaign staffer Brett Corrigan, who was 17 at the time.
More background on former Bailey aide Corrigan is here. Corrigan is listed as Heidner’s campaign finance chair, by the way. Interesting twist.
I went through Heidner’s quite interesting background with subscribers this morning. He looked to be in big trouble at one point, but it all went away.
…Adding… Per a commenter, Heidner will have to answer for a boat-load of campaign contributions to Democrats over the years, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle and many, many others.
* Meanwhile, US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a call with Black Caucus leaders over the weekend about changing Illinois’ congressional district map to help the Democrats pick up an additional seat. That prompted this text message to some state legislators from Chicago Ald. Jason Ervin…
It is my understanding there is a plan under consideration to alter Congressman Districts for the 2026 cycle. If what I heard is true, we will lose the 7th Congressional District as a Black District. I’ve studied maps and voting patterns long enough to understand its impact. This happened back in 2002 with the State Redistricting, when they shifted Westside Districts to the North side, and now every last State Seat on the Westside, weighted vote is not in one of the five Black Wards on the Westside we represent. The 4th & 5th State Senate, 1st & 2nd County, 9th, 8th, and 78th State Rep Districts all have bases not on the Westside, all in the name of electing Democrats, while diluting our Representation.
The only District we truly control is the 10th Representative and only by a couple hundred votes. We must maintain control of Black representation for our community. This is one thing I truly draw a line in the sand, this is non-negotiable. Our community has been loyal to the Party but we cannot allow their desire to win at all costs impact our need for Black people to have a representative of our choice.
Ask Latoya Greenwood in East St. Louis how it worked out for her and now East St. Louis is represented by someone not from our community. Again, Black Representation is non-negotiable. We need you to VOTE NO on any matters for redistricting prior to the 2030 Census. Please call me if you have any questions or don’t fully understand what is happening. Thanks.
Ald. Jason C. Ervin, Chairman
Committee on the Budget and Government Operations
City of Chicago - 28th Ward”
The 7th is Danny Davis’ district.
The Punchbowl newsletter in DC keeps reporting on this map change like it’s gonna happen. But I just don’t see it.
* Evanston Now…
State Senate candidate Patrick Hanley of Winnetka raised over $67,000 in the third quarter of 2025, more than twice as much as his opponent, Rachel Ruttenberg of Evanston.
Hanley’s fundraising haul, according to campaign filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections, included over $57,000 in individual contributions, records show.
Hanley also raised $9,500 from PACs and transfers, including a $5,000 donation from State Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) and $2,500 from State Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).
His fundraising total now tops $182,000, records show. He spent just over $36,000, leaving him with about $124,800 in cash-on-hand heading into October.
The two are vying to replace Sen. Laura Fine, who is running for Congress.
* The Dallas Morning News…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who gave refuge to state House Democrats who left Texas to stall a GOP-driven congressional redistricting plan, is headlining the Dallas Democratic Party’s Johnson-Jordan annual fundraising event in Dallas.
The Nov. 10 event will be held at Gilley’s Dallas with ticket packages ranging from $1,000 to $50,000. The event will raise money to power the local party’s 2026 get-out-the vote effort. […]
Dallas County Democratic Party Chairman Kardal Coleman said the Illinois governor’s resistance to President Donald Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not gone unnoticed in Texas.
“He’s stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Texans and this dinner allows us to thank him, not just the Dallas County Democratic Party, but the entire state of Texas,” Coleman said.
[Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 12:37 pm:
Jason Ervin would sacrifice getting a Democratic House majority simply to save a “black” seat and staying in the minority. Apparently he doesn’t understand that you can have all the black reps you want but if you don’t control the gavel, you don’t get to decide what comes up for a vote.
His rhetoric is exhausting, and I am a lifelong center left Dem residing in the aforementioned 7th Congressional District.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 12:37 pm:
Ald. Jason Ervin – “We must maintain control of Black representation for our community.”
I’m not arguing for against an IL remap since I don’t have the data and have doubts that it can be done to ensure more Dems. I do have a question for the alderman. What does this control do for your community in a MAGA GOP controlled House of Representatives? Wouldn’t a Black Dem Speaker benefit your community?
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 12:53 pm:
==Wouldn’t a Black Dem Speaker benefit your community?==
Exactly correct. Apparently, Leader Ervin can’t think that far ahead. That’s unfortunate.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 12:57 pm:
- Wouldn’t a Black Dem Speaker benefit your community? -
Yes, because the Democrats have been hugely effective in Congress when they’ve had the majority lately.
The Illinois legislature and black caucus have accomplished far, far more for these communities and these lawmakers are right to question diluting their districts.
- Heidner Hair - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:07 pm:
Heidner contributed to Preckwinkle and Brandon Johnson. That will not be popular in a Republican statewide primary.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:08 pm:
Ald. Ervin assumes his wife is going to win that seat and wants to keep it a safe seat for her. I am going to sprain my eyes from them rolling so much reading his text. But I don’t think redistricting is a good idea, just not for any of the reasons he lists.
- low level - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:31 pm:
==The Illinois legislature and black caucus have accomplished far, far more for these communities and these lawmakers are right to question diluting their districts.==
Yes, they accomplished this as their party held the majority. Thats the part you are missing. In Congress, since they have been in the minority party, they has not been able to accomplish much.
- Remember the Alamo II - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:33 pm:
Redoing the maps just to potentially squeeze one more democratic seat out of it seems like more trouble than it is worth.
Recruit better candidates. Run better campaigns. Win more elections. Stop messing with the Election Code and the maps.
- Trinity - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:37 pm:
Jason Ervin seriously thinks his wife is gonna win? How many office has she run for since becoming City Treasurer? How many more scandals are gonna pop up? Dear Lord help us!
Ameya Pawar should have won that seat. He was a great City Council member. His leadership is dearly missed right now.
Wonder if he ever thought of running for Mayor?
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:53 pm:
“Recruit better candidates. Run better campaigns. Win more elections.”
Tell that to Republicans who are redistricting House seats. It figures, though, that certain people want two sets of rules, with Democrats losing.
“Yes, because the Democrats have been hugely effective in Congress when they’ve had the majority lately.”
They passed infrastructure, which was tough to do, and the inflation reduction act. They cut child poverty. They expanded green energy. The people who think it’s never enough helped bring about the current situation.
- Casper the Ghost Bus - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 1:56 pm:
Punchbowl’s staff does new Bears stadium pr in their spare time. /s
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 2:02 pm:
Casper, not sure you should’ve included the snark tag.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 2:17 pm:
=== Redoing the maps just to potentially squeeze one more democratic seat out of it seems like more trouble than it is worth. ===
Given the stakes, it is worth it.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Oct 21, 25 @ 2:49 pm:
Heider has more baggage than a Samsonite Store. Seenms like DJT’s kinda guy. Should be a real mudfest for the IL GOPies. Any idea who Tracy will back. TeeHee. How about Smiley LaHood — who might find himself remapped in CongressPerson Miller (no relation).