* Click here for some background. Juliana Stratton took a swing at fellow Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi last night…
With all due respect, Congressman, you had no issue accepting tens of thousands of dollars from the people profiting off of these raids. Accountability starts with you. You owe Illinoisans an explanation of where you donated the money and why you had to be pressured to return it. https://t.co/1o1r1C0klX
* 2nd CD candidate Willie Preston will roll out this ad on social media this week…
Transcript…
Willie Preston is a fighter who runs toward trouble. Who stands up for our community when others won’t. He’s worked as a janitor, butcher and union carpenter.
A family man with six kids, who knows struggle and how to overcome it. Now, he’s running for congress to lower costs, build hospitals and bring back trade schools.
We can trust Willie to fight for us, because he’s one of us.
Senate race: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has been endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134 in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. The backing follows support from Teamsters Joint Council 25 and brings the total number of unions supporting Krishnamoorthi to 12, according to his campaign. Local 134, representing more than 17,000 electricians across the Chicago area, is among the most influential building trades unions in Illinois.
Also in the Senate race: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is out with a policy plan focused on education, workforce development and small business growth. She pledges to protect Head Start and early childhood programs, make college affordable by capping student loan interest and expand tuition-free community college and trade training nationwide. Her blueprint is here. […]
IL-09: Bushra Amiwala has been endorsed by Skokie Trustees Lissa Levy, Jim Iverson and Gail Schechter for the March Democratic primary.
In IL-07: Anthony Driver has been endorsed by IBEW Local 134 and the LIUNA Chicago Laborers’ District Council.
* The Justice Coalition has endorsed Kat Abughazaleh in the 9th CD. Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
The endorsement is a co-endorsement with If Not Now, and the group noted it would back who it felt was the “most viable” candidate that shares the group’s values
The group discussed endorsing Bushra Amiwala but after it commissioned its poll, felt Abughazaleh was more viable pic.twitter.com/IJ18slb4qC
Seven candidates for the 7th District seat in the U.S. House took part in a forum focused on the country’s healthcare system, Dec. 9 at Oak Park’s main library on Lake Street. […]
Participating were ER physician Thomas Fisher, union leader Anthony Driver, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, current 8th District State Representative LaShawn K. Ford, attorney and former policy advisor on the National Economic Council, Reed Showalter, and community organizer Kina Collins. […]
Showalter got arguably the loudest applause of the evening when he said Congress needs to “ban corporate ownership of hospitals.” […]
There was unanimous agreement on the question of healthcare for transgender people, though with some quibbling.
“Going back to the notion of shared humanity, care for the transgender community is just healthcare,” said Fisher.
“This is a civil right,” Ford said. “It’s not our business, it’s a right.”
* More…
* Essence | Meet The 7 Black Women Running For Senate In 2026 — And Why This Year Could Make History: Longtime Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly launched a 2026 campaign, aiming to take Dick Durbins’s seat. She’s up against Juliana Stratton, the state’s lieutenant governor, who is also running in the Democratic primary. If either Kelly or Stratton win, they’d be the second Black woman to serve in the Senate from Illinois. After all, the Midwest state elected Carol Moseley Braun, the first-ever Black woman senator, in 1992.
* Evanston Roundtable | AIPAC leader reportedly hosts fundraiser for Fine’s congressional run: AIPAC has not officially endorsed Fine or any other candidates in the 9th District race, which has 21 candidates running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Fine told Jewish Insider in May that she’d spoken to AIPAC and allied lobbying group Democratic Majority for Israel prior to launching her candidacy, but her campaign later told student newspaper Loyola Phoenix in October that she was not seeking endorsements from “any Jewish organization.”
* Evanston Now | Simmons calls new transit law a ‘big win’: State senator and congressional candidate Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) called Illinois new transit law, signed Tuesday morning by Gov. JB Pritzker, a “big win” for housing, the environment and the future of the Chicago region. […] In an interview with Evanston Now last month, Simmons said he was excited about the People Over Parking Act making its way into the final bill, calling it a “game changer” for new housing development.
And yet he chose to go with a Republican resolution designed to put Democrats in a trick box and may have put himself into a primary trick box.
Usual DC games (Springfield too). But you can tell a lot by how some folks vote. And it ain’t about his support for ICE, or even, for that matter, Israel and Jewish people.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:04 am:
- No one believes Raja is pro-ICE -
Are you confused about what expressing gratitude means? Or do you think Raja is confused about it?
Raja spent too much time calling donors and not enough taking the pulse of his voters. I’m not saying this will cost him, but it’s absolutely a fair and damaging hit.
- Jack in Chatham - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:17 am:
What is glaringly unreported is how undocumented immigrants hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers who work with their backs and calloused hands to support their families.
- Torco Sign - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 10:35 am:
No one believes Raja is pro-ICE or pro-Trump. Tell us what you’ll do instead, not this nonsense.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 10:42 am:
===No one believes Raja is pro-ICE===
And yet he chose to go with a Republican resolution designed to put Democrats in a trick box and may have put himself into a primary trick box.
Usual DC games (Springfield too). But you can tell a lot by how some folks vote. And it ain’t about his support for ICE, or even, for that matter, Israel and Jewish people.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:04 am:
- No one believes Raja is pro-ICE -
Are you confused about what expressing gratitude means? Or do you think Raja is confused about it?
Raja spent too much time calling donors and not enough taking the pulse of his voters. I’m not saying this will cost him, but it’s absolutely a fair and damaging hit.
- Jack in Chatham - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:17 am:
What is glaringly unreported is how undocumented immigrants hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers who work with their backs and calloused hands to support their families.
- I-55 Fanatic - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:35 am:
Raja supported the ICE resolution to shore up his right flank. His left flank ought to tag him for it, as it is doing. Everything is fair and square.