* The Sun-Times…
U.S. Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi is running a TV ad about his plans to “stop” President Donald Trump, but he has also accepted more than $90,000 in contributions from key Trump and MAGA donors.
The fundraising leader in the Senate Democratic primary race to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin has also taken in more than $120,000 in corporate PAC contributions from the same companies that are helping to fund Trump’s new $300 million White House ballroom construction, including Google, Amazon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Microsoft, T-Mobile, NextEra Energy, Union Pacific and Lockheed Martin.
Krishnamoorthi’s donors include Marc Andreessen, a Trump adviser and venture capitalist, Michael Pillsbury, Project 2025 contributor and Heritage Foundation senior adviser and Shyam Sankar, a Trump adviser who donated at least $260,000 to Republican causes this year alone.
Asked for comment, Krishnamoorthi’s campaign told the Sun-Times the donations from Trump allies represent just .2% of the more than $24 million he has raised. And a campaign spokesperson said Krishnamoorthi, a U.S. representative and a Democrat from Schaumburg, “welcomes anyone who supports” his mission.
* Capitol News Illinois…
[T]he three top Democrats vying to become the party’s nominee for U.S. senator in Illinois have released proposals detailing how they plan to make life more affordable for Americans. […]
Each candidate announced substantial proposals to address housing affordability.
[Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s] plan calls for creating tax incentives to encourage construction companies to build homes below the median price point, creating a tax penalty for hedge funds that buy single family homes in hopes of keeping them affordable, and restricting the ability of artificial intelligence to set rents and screen applicants.
Krishnamoorthi said he wants to reestablish an Obama-era refundable tax credit for qualified first-time home buyers in their first five years of ownership. He also called for opening more land for residential development by rezoning vacant commercial buildings.
[U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly] supports capping annual rent increases. She and Krishnamoorthi also generally support policies that limit a corporation’s ability to buy single family homes.
Both Stratton and Kelly say they support the concept of “Medicare for All,” which would establish a single-payer, government-run health insurance program that all Americans would have access to. Stratton’s plan also calls for Medicare to cover long-term care home services, hearing and vision, while Kelly only said it should cover dental and vision. […]
Krishnamoorthi’s plan does not indicate he supports the Medicare for All plan popular among many progressive Democrats. Instead, he calls for allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for more drugs each year and for passing legislation to regulate pharmacy benefit managers in hopes of reducing drug prices.
* Politico…
— In IL-09: State Sen. Laura Fine has raised more than $800,000 so far in the fourth quarter in her bid for the 9th Congressional District, her campaign told supporters in an email. […]
— In IL-07: State Rep. La Shawn Ford has been endorsed by fellow state Reps. Natalie Manley, Suzanne Ness, Lisa Davis and Anthony DeLuca in his bid to succeed Congressman Danny Davis, who has also endorsed him.
— In IL-07: Anthony Driver Jr. has been endorsed by Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker, and Maywood Trustees Asia Ousley, Ray Williams, Steven Smiley and Antonio Sanchez, and Clerk Tori Love-Garron.
* Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 have endorsed Mellissa Bean for the 8th Congressional District. Press release…
Today, Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 endorsed Melissa Bean in the race for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District seat.
Statement from Pat Cleary, President of Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2:
“Labor needs allies in Washington now more than ever. Melissa Bean showed up for the men and women of organized labor in Congress, and she’s ready to show up for us once again. Just like fire fighters do every single day, Melissa has demonstrated what it looks like to deliver for her district, her community, and our entire state – and we are proud to endorse her campaign for Congress.”
Statement from Melissa Bean:
“Chicago fire fighters put their lives on the line for their neighbors each and every day, but their work doesn’t stop at the frontlines. The men and women of organized labor fight day and night because they care about the wellbeing of their communities. That’s what our movement is about, and I’m honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 in the fight to improve the quality of life for families all across our communities.”
* More…
* Tribune | Illinois’ US Senate primary race shows candidates still must court shrinking downstate Democratic base: Although ballots cast outside the six-county Chicago region accounted for less than a quarter of the overall vote in the past two contested Democratic Senate primaries, in 2010 and 2016, the announcement last week that Simon was backing U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi‘s candidacy serves as a reminder that all three top-tier candidates in the March 17 primary know building credibility beyond Chicago and its increasingly Democratic suburbs is essential. Simon’s backing does, of course, carry some modest political weight. Now a law professor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, she’s the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, the man Durbin replaced in the Senate in 1997. She also remains a recognizable and well-connected figure in a region where her family name is tied to the identity and history of local Democratic politics.
* 8th CD candidate Dan Tully | Pete Hegseth’s contempt for military rules of engagement on display in the Caribbean: I served as a judge advocate, or military lawyer, for eight years in the Army Reserve, including 3 1/2 years on active duty. As a national security law attorney in Iraq, I advised commanders on the application of the rules of engagement and the law of armed conflict to the full spectrum of operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. I’ve also been involved with shaping rules of engagement requests during the planning of operations in other theaters. Even a freshly minted judge advocate out of the basic course might identify Operation Southern Spear’s strikes as violations of U.S. obligations under international law, not to mention Department of Defense policy. Hegseth’s argument that the boats are manned by drug traffickers doesn’t change the legal analysis.
* Evanston Now | Who’s endorsed whom so far in IL-09: This story has been updated to reflect Lake County Commissioner Esiah Campos having been inaccurately listed as endorsing Bushra Amiwala’s campaign. In an Oct. 6 post on social media, Amiwala shared that Campos had endorsed her. Campos told Evanston Now on Thursday that he is not endorsing Amiwala and is instead endorsing Daniel Biss.
* Daily Herald | Ninth District congressional candidate was convicted of sex crime against a juvenile, records show: A Republican running to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in the largely suburban 9th District was convicted of a sex crime against a juvenile decades ago. Paul S. Friedman, 55, of Chicago, was charged with misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct while living in Michigan in 1998, public records show. The crime occurred in Washtenaw County that year when Friedman was 27 and the victim was 13, records indicate.
- Meh - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 9:00 am:
So the guy who is the best at fundraising has received money from some people who have given to both Republicans and Democrats over the years? Totally a shocker.
- Steve - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 9:24 am:
” [U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly] supports capping annual rent increases ”
What a way to encourage less supply of rental housing. Some of these politicians really don’t understand microeconomics.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 9:27 am:
If “just call me Raja” loses, it won’t be for a lack of television presence.
- Frida’s Boss - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 9:37 am:
So my guess is it will be an ad campaign putting Raja and Trump together in hit pieces, Trumps favorite Democrat. If they could only get him on camera saying he’d work with Trump it could be a Jeanne Ives vs. Rauner ad style reboot.
- NIU Grad - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 9:43 am:
“represent just .2% of the more than $24 million he has raised”
Seeing that he seemingly has spent the bulk of his time in Congress on the phone hitting up donors, I have a feeling that we’re going to be hearing about more than just the .2% being shared here over the next few months.
- the weatherman - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 10:29 am:
the choice to be made: take the money, take the hits but have the resources to fight back and redirect. Or, don’t take the money, avoid the hits, and not have money to raise name ID. My advice is take the money every day of the week. Politics aint beanbag. Get in the game, or sit on the sidelines. This “I don’t take PAC money” approach is nonsense.
- Ideas, anyone? - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:01 am:
I agree with the weatherman. . . he’s a guy who started out without much political clout and he has managed to build that up over a relatively short period of time. Definitely using that money now with the ads.
If it’s following the law, then it’s not that interesting.
I would rather know what ideas differentiate these candidates.
- DuPage Saint - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:03 am:
I am glad to see that the Republican Party is opening up the big tent again and expanding it base. However I don’t think nominating a registered sex offender is the way to go. But then there was once this Speaker if the House so maybe they are going back to past success.
- Metro East Dem - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:08 am:
Does Julianna plan on ever raising any money or is she just waiting on the check from JB? Pretty mediocre campaign from her so far
- 9th enthusiast - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:08 am:
Wow! Fine reporting $800k this quarter is a good sign for her. Anyone who thinks that race is over is mistaken. Still choosing between her and Biss, but fairly sure I’m going to pick Fine. She’s been good for the area and gotten a lot done in Springfield.
- TKMH - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:20 am:
==Fine reporting $800k this quarter is a good sign for her. Anyone who thinks that race is over is mistaken.==
If her opponents raise more than that, it really is over for her. I like Laura a lot but the first few quarters are crucial to establishing viability as a candidate, and her performance was quite lackluster.
- Pundent - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:29 am:
The more money you raise the more likely it is that some of it will come from dubious sources and the more likely your opponents will try to make it an issue.
The criticisms always seem to come from losing campaigns and I’m not sure that the voters care anyway.
- nelly - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 11:58 am:
I disagree with Ideas, anyone — short amount of time? He’s been sitting in Congress for years stockpiling money for this race. I take more issue with the fact that he’s being deceptive about it and actively trying to take advantage of grassroots donors and fundraise off of being a quote unquote fighter who stands up to Trump and exactly the kind of people he takes money from. Voters aren’t stupid and you don’t get to pretend you’re fighting them when you’re not
- Tom - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 12:28 pm:
Raja’s team will hit Stratton back hard on Trump and, oh, a guy named Madigan. Madigan created her politically. It’s called the Stratton two-step.
- 9th enthusiast - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 12:31 pm:
=== If her opponents raise more than that, it really is over for her===
Not in the slightest. Fine has built in name ID for a significant portion of her district. She doesn’t need the same amount of money that someone like Kat does to win.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 12:56 pm:
===Not in the slightest. Fine has built in name ID===
If that was true, it would already be showing up in the polling - before people know much about what each of these folks stand for.
By your reasoning, she should have a commanding lead. And that just isn’t the case.
Not saying she can’t or won’t win, just saying resting on one’s alleged laurels is no way to win a race.
Also, state legislators without local TV outlets aren’t as well known as some believe.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 2:20 pm:
Fine said in another outlet today she has raised $800k this quarter. That money has to be used somewhere.
- AlabamaShake - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 2:31 pm:
**Fine said in another outlet today she has raised $800k this quarter. That money has to be used somewhere.**
Uh, that’s literally in the original post here.
- Keyrock - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 2:58 pm:
I haven’t seen Raja actually fighting Trump - or for much of anything else, except donations. Did I miss something?
- Suburban mom 2 - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 3:23 pm:
So Juliana is pure bc she takes no corporate PAC money for senate (though she has taken tens of thousands of dollars in corporate pac and direct corporate money as a state elected (sun times last week). And Raja is not pure because he has legal contributions from people who have also donated to republicans (sun times this week).
Sun-times has a lot to say about fundraising in this race.
Let’s hope it will have more to say about the race than just the money game.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 4:10 pm:
Krishnamoorthi is still the only one I’ve seen on tv
- Thomas Paine - Monday, Dec 8, 25 @ 4:12 pm:
=== If they could only get him on camera saying he’d work with Trump ===
There is so much footage of Raja talking about how he likes working with Republicans, it does not matter.
The add is going to ask “Who can we trust to stand up to Donald Trump?”
its gonna quote Raja saying how much he likes working with Republicans, list all of the big corporwtions he has taken money from, and name top trump donors that support him.
Honestly ten people should be showing up at every raja event and picketing his district office with signs that say “Give the Dirty Money Back”.