* 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.
===This is largely a myth. There aren’t enough workers in the country to fill all the jobs, being undocumented doesn’t change the math on that.
This is correct. We cannot fill all sorts of jobs. Labor shortages limit a lot of expansion for businesses on both the trades and professionals end.
- Da big bad wolf - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 12:42 pm:
=== 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.===
You know what else is glaringly unreported? The taxes those undocumented immigrants, with their own calloused hands, pay.
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 1:45 pm:
=== What is glaringly unreported is how undocumented immigrants hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers ===
I don’t believe this to be true. Can you provide an example?
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 1:47 pm:
BTW - Nikki Budzinski, Brad Schneider and Eric Sorensen also signed onto the resolution.
Preston once again has put out a good ad. Simple, and it meets voters where they are. It’s almost Christmas, and team Raja has sailed through with mostly minor nicks, and as long as they don’t turn into a death by a thousand cuts, he advances the favorite going into 2026.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 3:08 pm:
Re Kat’s endorsement - If Not Now’s name within the Jewish community is like mud and will not play well within the suburban portion of the district.
City - well thats a whole other question.
- Totally annoyed at this point - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 3:35 pm:
This “resolution to thank ICE” was a resolution condemning an attack in BoulderColorado. The bulk of the bill condemned the attacks and 2 sentences in the bill thanked ICE for assisting in law enforcement there. I learned this from the house.gov web page of Rep Ilhan Omar of all people.
Must everything be so dumb? Does LG Stratton not have something positive to run on or even a more substantive critique of her opponents than this?
- the weatherman - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 4:04 pm:
Juliana has set the trap. she is seeking the relevance that a candidate can only get by becoming the subject of a heavy spending negative campaign ad blitz. she hasn’t been able to move the needed with her amazing credentials and intelligence, so she needs to get raja to spend some money attacking her on tv. the crazy thing is that it was probably about time for him to start doing this anyway since his approvals seem to have topped out. once your numbers stop moving up, time to start moving opponents numbers down. his positive ads ran longer than most campaigns I can remember. I would say that Juliana is in store for some fantastic negative ads that she will use to claim she is relevant. what a game.
- Yo wait hold on - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 4:14 pm:
The stuff with the Palentir money, that sucks and he shouldn’t have done that.
But the “thanking ice agents” thing was part of a resolution condemning that one attack in Boulder Colorado. It was like, two sentences saying thank you to law enforcement for stopping the attack. That’s what ICE and law enforcement is for! This argument that Raja said thank you to the gestapo kidnapping ICE we see today is crazy. I’m for neither side rn cause I’m waiting for a debate where they talk about their actual policies. I’m not impressed by the smears
===thank you to law enforcement for stopping the attack===
===2 sentences in the bill thanked ICE for assisting in law enforcement there===
Nope.
It “expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.” That’s it.
- A Gold Plated Door - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 9:08 pm:
Raja is not the only member of Congress from Illinois with a primary battle to worry about after casting a pro ICE vote. Brad Schneider supported the effort to express gratitude to ICE and is opposed in his bid for re-election by Morgan Coghill.
- 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.
- Karl - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:48 am:
==hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers==
Blame the bosses and the companies, not the workers and their families.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 11:53 am:
- how undocumented immigrants hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers -
This is largely a myth. There aren’t enough workers in the country to fill all the jobs, being undocumented doesn’t change the math on that.
- Mark Hamberlin - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 12:13 pm:
Preston video is great and he is doing a great job.
- ArchPundit - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 12:23 pm:
===This is largely a myth. There aren’t enough workers in the country to fill all the jobs, being undocumented doesn’t change the math on that.
This is correct. We cannot fill all sorts of jobs. Labor shortages limit a lot of expansion for businesses on both the trades and professionals end.
- Da big bad wolf - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 12:42 pm:
=== 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.===
You know what else is glaringly unreported? The taxes those undocumented immigrants, with their own calloused hands, pay.
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 1:45 pm:
=== What is glaringly unreported is how undocumented immigrants hurt the hours worked and wage rates received of American laborers ===
I don’t believe this to be true. Can you provide an example?
- Remember the Alamo II - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 1:47 pm:
BTW - Nikki Budzinski, Brad Schneider and Eric Sorensen also signed onto the resolution.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 1:58 pm:
===Nikki Budzinski, Brad Schneider and Eric Sorensen===
And none of them are running for US Senate, or were planning to at the time.
Nice try. Next…
- Tom - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 2:16 pm:
Preston once again has put out a good ad. Simple, and it meets voters where they are. It’s almost Christmas, and team Raja has sailed through with mostly minor nicks, and as long as they don’t turn into a death by a thousand cuts, he advances the favorite going into 2026.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 3:08 pm:
Re Kat’s endorsement - If Not Now’s name within the Jewish community is like mud and will not play well within the suburban portion of the district.
City - well thats a whole other question.
- Totally annoyed at this point - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 3:35 pm:
This “resolution to thank ICE” was a resolution condemning an attack in BoulderColorado. The bulk of the bill condemned the attacks and 2 sentences in the bill thanked ICE for assisting in law enforcement there. I learned this from the house.gov web page of Rep Ilhan Omar of all people.
Must everything be so dumb? Does LG Stratton not have something positive to run on or even a more substantive critique of her opponents than this?
- the weatherman - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 4:04 pm:
Juliana has set the trap. she is seeking the relevance that a candidate can only get by becoming the subject of a heavy spending negative campaign ad blitz. she hasn’t been able to move the needed with her amazing credentials and intelligence, so she needs to get raja to spend some money attacking her on tv. the crazy thing is that it was probably about time for him to start doing this anyway since his approvals seem to have topped out. once your numbers stop moving up, time to start moving opponents numbers down. his positive ads ran longer than most campaigns I can remember. I would say that Juliana is in store for some fantastic negative ads that she will use to claim she is relevant. what a game.
- Yo wait hold on - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 4:14 pm:
The stuff with the Palentir money, that sucks and he shouldn’t have done that.
But the “thanking ice agents” thing was part of a resolution condemning that one attack in Boulder Colorado. It was like, two sentences saying thank you to law enforcement for stopping the attack. That’s what ICE and law enforcement is for! This argument that Raja said thank you to the gestapo kidnapping ICE we see today is crazy. I’m for neither side rn cause I’m waiting for a debate where they talk about their actual policies. I’m not impressed by the smears
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 4:57 pm:
===thank you to law enforcement for stopping the attack===
===2 sentences in the bill thanked ICE for assisting in law enforcement there===
Nope.
It “expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.” That’s it.
No direct tie-in. The idea was to interject ant-immigrant rhetoric into the anti-semitism debate. https://jstreet.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-todays-starkly-different-antisemitism-resolutions/
- A Gold Plated Door - Wednesday, Dec 17, 25 @ 9:08 pm:
Raja is not the only member of Congress from Illinois with a primary battle to worry about after casting a pro ICE vote. Brad Schneider supported the effort to express gratitude to ICE and is opposed in his bid for re-election by Morgan Coghill.