Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Follow along as we gather info. We’ll also have a separate post for declared winners. As an added bonus, NBC’s Steve Kornacki is doing live coverage of Illinois starting at 7 and we’ve embedded it at the top of this feed. Also, use this as an primary night open thread. [Adding: The Hill feed ended. If you know of another one, please let us know in comments]…

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Late-afternoon precinct reports and some news updates

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What are you seeing out there at your polling place? Any issues or long lines? Let us know your approximate location. Thanks! We’ll have election coverage tonight, so stay tuned.

Click here and here for live election coverage from the Sun-Times and the New York Times.

* Chicago voter turnout as of 3 pm…

296,884 total ballots cast (includes Early Voting and previously processed Vote By Mail)

1,554,337 active registered voters in Chicago

19.10% citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:
18 -24: 11,990 ballots cast

25-34: 42,369 ballots cast

35-44: 43,198 ballots cast

45-54: 37,393 ballots cast

55-64: 50,720 ballots cast

65-74: 62,148 ballots cast

75+: 48,129 ballots cast

Ballots Cast By Gender:
Female: 166,198 ballots cast

Male: 129,898 ballots cast

Non-Binary/X: 397 ballots cast

Undeclared: 391 ballots cast

Ballots Cast Per Hour:
(as reported by e-pollbooks at this moment, will be continually updated through the day)
6:00am-7:00am: 5,120 ballots cast

7:00am-8:00am: 7,889 ballots cast

8:00am – 9:00am: 9,473 ballots cast

9:00am – 10:00am: 9,814 ballots cast

10:00am – 11:00am: 11,408 ballots cast

11:00am – 12:00pm: 13,328 ballots cast

12:00pm – 1:00pm: 13,547 ballots cast

1:00pm – 2:00pm: 13,837 ballots cast

* DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek…

As of 2:00 p.m. on Mar. 17, 2026, 115,069 voters out of 636,822 registered voters have voted in DuPage County for a turnout of 18.07% percent. 41,212 voters took advantage of in-person Early Voting. 35,966 out of 73,822 requested Vote-By-Mail ballots have been received and verified as of this afternoon. 37,891 voters have voted in-person on Election Day as of 2:00 p.m.

In 2014, the final midterm primary turnout was 19.19%.

In 2018, the final midterm primary turnout was 24.88%

In 2022, the final midterm primary turnout was 22.79%.

“Election Day voting by hour has been trending higher all day than comparable past elections. With five hours left to vote and more Vote-by-Mail ballots to be delivered, DuPage County is on pace for its highest midterm turnout in recent memory. I encourage DuPage County voters to take advantage of the opportunity to vote at any polling place throughout the county before 7:00 p.m. this evening,” said County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek.

* More…

WJBD | Today Is Election Day….So Far No Issues Have Been Reported in Marion County:

* Shaw Local | Lots of election judges, but few voters for Illinois Valley primaries: Polling places in the Illinois Valley were full on Tuesday morning – with election judges, that is. Voters, on the other hand, were pretty scarce. Primary voting kicked off before daybreak and a theme quickly emerged in La Salle County polling places. Efforts to recruit more election judges have been successful, spurred by a pay raise.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s…

The Electronic Payments Coalition is launching a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign urging the Illinois Legislature to repeal the controversial law exempting state and local taxes and tips from so-called swipe fees charged by credit card processors.

The ad campaign represents a public appeal by the banking industry following a key loss on the legal front last month. It comes a few months before the law, which was passed in a late-night session in 2024, is set to take effect.

“We did not think we could waste any more time, and it was our duty and a responsibility to educate the folks in Illinois exactly what Springfield did just a few years ago,” said Richard Hunt, executive chairman of the Electronic Payments Coalition. “They are about to become an outlier in a very complex global payment system.”

A 30-second commercial, which will begin airing across the state during the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tonight, claims the law may block consumers from using their credit or debit cards for taxes and tips. It highlights an untipped waitress, pizza delivery worker and barista saying they will be the ones paying the price from the law. The ad also says the law was “secretly tucked into the budget” by Springfield politicians.

The spot is here.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Three state lawmakers, a county treasurer seek to replace Illinois comptroller in Democratic primary: State Reps. Margaret Croke and Stephanie Kifowit, state Sen. Karina Villa, and Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim are vying to replace Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who announced last year she would not seek re-election. Mendoza has served as the state’s chief financial officer since 2016. She endorsed Kim, 45, of Mundelein, as her replacement. Croke, however, has the largest campaign war chest, according to recent state filings. She raised $1.8 million, just slightly more than Villa, who raised $1.4 million. Billionaire business executive Michael Sacks has been Croke’s largest funder, providing nearly $160,000 to her campaign.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | CHA Board Picks Head of Washington, D.C. Public Housing Agency as CEO Over Mayor’s Objections: Seven members of the board voted to appoint Pettigrew, with Commissioners Jawanza Malone and Angela Parker voting no. Commissioner Mildred Harris abstained from the vote. After Parker vehemently objected to Pettigrew’s appointment, CHA Board Chairman Matthew Brewer threatened to have her removed from the meeting. […] The board’s decision to appoint Pettigrew comes after Mayor Brandon Johnson pushed for nearly a year to name former Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) to lead the CHA, only to run into a brick wall of opposition from board members and federal officials.

* Crain’s | Chicago’s average homeowner age is climbing — and it’s not just young people who can’t afford to buy: The median age of Chicago-area homeowners in 2024 was 56.5 years old, according to a National Association of Realtors report published earlier this month. That’s up four years from 2010. It’s a bigger increase than the nation’s homeowners saw in the same period, from an average age of 54 in 2010 to 57.5 in 2024. “While the country is aging,” NAR’s report says, “homeowners are aging even faster.” Young people get into homeownership later than they used to, the report says, “while existing homeowners are staying longer.”

* Crain’s | Chicago crypto broker BlockFills files for bankruptcy after selloff: BlockFills, which counts Susquehanna Private Equity Investments and CME Ventures among its backers, is one of the first crypto firms to seek court protection since the market crash that started in early October. Cryptocurrencies have lost almost $2 trillion of combined market value since then, forcing some companies to retrench. Gemini Space Station Inc., the crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, in February announced plans to cut as much as 25% of its workforce and wind down operations in the UK, European Union and Australia. It later said three top executives had left the company.

* Block Club | Firefighter Mike Altman Dies From Injuries Suffered While Battling Rogers Park Apartment Fire: Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt identified the firefighter as Mike Altman, 32, and said he had been with the department for nearly two years. Altman was the fourth generation in his family to serve the city’s fire department, Nance-Holt said during a press conference Tuesday. His grandfather was a former commissioner of the fire department, ABC7 reported. “We are heartbroken by yet another loss of our own,” she said. “We will never forget his courage and sacrifice.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Appellate court upholds trial court keeping Lake County Board candidate off ballot: Though [Juan Beto Ruiz’] name still appears on ballots for Tuesday’s primary, votes cast for him will not count, according to Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega. […] “The responsibility for this outcome exclusively lies with my opponent, as he was solely responsible for correctly completing and submitting the required paperwork,” [incumbent Esiah Campos] said. “The courts have affirmed that he should never have appeared on the ballot.”

* Daily Southtown | Blue Island mobile home residents moving out after fighting to save park: Kuecher said the compensation is not enough, and she advocates the residents having more time to move. “For some of them, it’s just not possible to get them enough compensation,” she said. “These people have higher value and higher investment in their homes and also for those families that have children in schools that might need to relocate before the school year is over, putting considerable strain on the family.”

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park may increase fines, update noise and feral cat regulations: The proposed ordinance prohibits noise that “unreasonably disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, health or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivity” between 10 p.m and 7 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays and from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

*** Downstate ***

* The Daily Illini | Champaign County closes 15 polling locations, cites judge shortage: Fifteen polling locations across Champaign County will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, due to election judge shortages. […] The list of open polling sites can be found here, and a guide to the primary ballot can be found here. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* WGLT | McLean County could seek reimbursement from clerk’s office for budget overruns: The McLean County Board could decide to claw back more than $400,000 in budget overruns from County Clerk Kathy Michael’s office. Last week, McLean County Board Executive Committee members took County Clerk Michael to task for going over her budget last fiscal year. Board chair Elizabeth Johnston said in a WGLT interview that depending on what invoices and other documentation Michael submits in the next month, the county general fund may need to be reimbursed by Michael’s office.

* WGLT | Normal approves 2026-27 budget, pause in sales tax sharing and new street work: The town council on Monday approved an operating and capital investment budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The $233.5 million budget represents a 10% increase over last year. Kathleen Lorenz was the only “no” vote. Rory Roberge was not present. […] The budget includes a $100,000 allocation to the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, despite criticism from Mayor Chris Koos following the departure of CEO Patrick Hoban. “I continue to believe that a strong EDC is very valuable for the community, and so I’m hopeful that will contribute that full $100,000 to the EDC,” said council member Andy Byers.

* BND | How a collection case landed a Madison County judge’s name in the Epstein files: A man wearing a sandwich board protesting outside of the Edwardsville courthouse last month revived sleeping worries and anxieties Madison County Judge Andrew Carruthers had hoped to leave in the past. […] His name is in the Epstein files because he once represented Epstein on a collection matter more than a dozen years ago. […] “I was assigned to serve as local counsel for attorneys in another jurisdiction seeking to enforce a civil money judgment for their client who, at the time, was completely unknown to us, just as he was unknown to most of the country 13 years ago,” Carruthers said in a statement he provided after speaking with reporters.

* WGLT | Recent closures leaves families on a ‘Hunger Games’-style search for child care: In addition to the Cadence Academy in north Normal closing, two centers in east Bloomington, Kidsville and Bright Horizons, have also closed in recent months. Two new centers, the Farmhouse and Joshua Tree Ministries, both in Bloomington, are enrolling kids on a waitlist. […] Pacha said the only place that met her needs and had an opening far exceeded her budget. In the end, she rearranged her schedule to be able to pick up the kids at school and be with them in the afternoons.

*** National ***

* Tribune | Consumer price data: Gas prices surge, natural gas costs near all-time highs and ground beef sets new record: Notably, the February consumer price index data doesn’t factor in the latest shocks to global markets after the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and kicking off a war that has lasted more than two weeks. The biggest economic impact thus far has been on the already volatile energy sector, with oil prices skyrocketing to $100 a barrel, gasoline prices steadily climbing and natural gas expected to follow. Rising fuel costs mean shipping and transportation will be more expensive, and companies may look to pass those hikes off to customers. That could translate into higher prices on all kinds of goods and services.

* Reuters | Kalshi charged criminally in Arizona for operating illegal gambling business: The charges filed by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes marked the first time a state has pursued a criminal case against Kalshi, which has been at the center of an escalating battle over the ability of state gaming regulators to police prediction markets operators. “Kalshi may brand itself as a ‘prediction ⁠market,’ but what it’s actually doing is running an illegal gambling operation and taking bets on Arizona elections, both of which violate Arizona law,” Mayes said in a statement. New York-based Kalshi in a statement lamented that “a state can file criminal charges on paper-thin arguments.” It said its business was different from sportsbooks and casinos and “should not be overseen by a patchwork of inconsistent state laws.”

* AP | Republicans are launching a voting bill debate that could last days or even weeks: Republicans are launching an unprecedented effort on Tuesday to hold the Senate floor and talk for days about a bill that they know won’t pass — an attempt to capture public attention on legislation requiring stricter voter registration rules as President Donald Trump pressures Congress to act before November’s midterm elections. The talkathon could last a week or longer, potentially through the weekend, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune tries to navigate Trump’s insistence on the issue and Democrats’ united opposition. Trump has urged Thune to scrap the legislative filibuster, which triggers a 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate, or find another workaround to pass the bill, but Thune has repeatedly said he doesn’t have the votes to do that.

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IDOT now in federal crosshairs

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* US Department of Transportation press release…

Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Cracks Down on Illinois DOT for Mismanagement of CTA System

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is launching a Safety Management Inspection (SMI) and a Special Directive for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) — the state agency responsible for safety oversight of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) rail transit system. FTA determined that under Governor J.B. Pritzker’s failed leadership, IDOT has not properly leveraged its oversight authority and resources to protect Chicago passengers and transit workers. FTA’s actions build on Secretary Duffy’s nationwide campaign to make transit systems safer for American families.

“It shouldn’t take federal intervention for Illinois to take oversight of CTA seriously,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “I’ve made clear since my first day on the job – safety is non-negotiable. Governor Pritzker and state leaders should be embarrassed for the chaos they’ve allowed on Chicago’s subways, buses, and rail lines. While they may not care about your safety — this administration does. The Trump Administration is using use every tool available to hold IDOT accountable and ensure every American using Chicago transit feels safe.”

The Special Directive requires IDOT to take 11 actions to improve its oversight of CTA, including implementing FTA’s recommendations from an April 2025 audit of IDOT’s rail transit safety oversight function.

FTA will determine, based on the results of the inspection, whether additional enforcement actions, such as the issuance of additional Special Directives or other enforcement actions, are warranted. […]

To date, FTA has conducted several safety activities, including: (1) issuing a Special Directive to IDOT in October 2023 to address staffing and other concerns; (2) Evaluating IDOT’s response to FTA’s October 2025 report on a State Safety Oversight audit; and (3) Participating in the investigation of recent safety events at CTA.

FTA has identified repeated and persistent deficiencies in IDOT’s oversight performance, including:

• Limited onsite presence
• Weak accident investigation governance
• Ineffective corrective action plan management, and
• Minimal use of enforcement authority

Given these longstanding issues with IDOT’s oversight of CTA, FTA believes a safety investigation is necessary to determine the root causes and a way forward.

The safety investigation will assess how IDOT performs critical safety oversight functions, such as how IDOT:

• Independently identifies, evaluates, and prioritizes safety risk
• Conducts and/or critically reviews safety event investigations, ensuring their sufficiency and thoroughness
• Exercises active and informed oversight of CTA’s Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) program to ensure the safety of those working on or around CTA tracks
• Critically reviews and, where necessary, challenges CTA’s analyses and conclusions to ensure that safety risk is appropriately identified and mitigated
• Verifies the implementation and effectiveness of corrective actions; and
• Takes timely and appropriate action to intervene when CTA’s safety performance is inadequate

Additional Information on the Special Directive:

IDOT has not made sufficient progress in addressing long-term issues, including FTA’s findings from a recent audit. These deficiencies have allowed critical safety concerns to continue. FTA believes this new directive is necessary to address unsafe conditions and practices consistent with the prevention of substantial risk of death or personal injury.

In order to accelerate reforms of IDOT’s oversight of CTA, the new Special Directive will:

• Incorporate the eight findings from FTA’s safety audit of IDOT as immediately enforceable findings under this directive;
• Establish specific required actions and expedited completion timeframes for IDOT to correct these deficiencies; and
• Issue three additional findings and corresponding required actions where FTA has determined that further direction and enforcement are necessary to address ongoing safety risk at CTA.

The letter to IDOT is here.

* Tribune…

The FTA directive requires IDOT to take various actions to strengthen its oversight of the CTA, including conducting on-site safety inspections, conducting a review of the CTA’s in-house hazard assessments and developing a spending plan for federal dollars. The directive specifies that the actions be taken throughout the spring and summer.

Failure to do so, acting FTA executive director Jamie Pfister warns in the directive, could lead the feds to require IDOT to use federal funds to correct safety problems.

The FTA, which previously threatened to withhold up to $50 million in federal grant funding from the CTA over public safety and crime, also said Tuesday it “reserves the right to take additional enforcement action as necessary.”

An FTA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about whether or not that action could include withholding federal funds.

* Gov. Pritzker’s response…

As the Trump Admin fails to keep airports running and make transit safer, Sec. Duffy launched a sham investigation into our local transit.

Maybe when you care less about pajamas at the airport and more about real solutions as we do, we’ll take note.

Get back to work, Sean.

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Early afternoon precinct reports and some news updates (Updated)

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tell us about your voting experience today, or if you’ve already voted. Please remember to give us your approximate location. Thanks.

* The Sun-Times and WBEZ are pumping out live election updates. One snippet…

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who is running for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District, said he was initially unable to vote in person this morning at George Rogers Clark Elementary School in Austin.

“This has never happened to me,” he said.

Ford said when he placed his electronic ballot card in a voting machine, it said he had already voted. He had not, he said. He was given the option to vote with a provisional ballot, and he declined.

The Board of Elections eventually gave him approval to vote on a paper ballot and canceled the electronic process, he said. […]

“Imagine how many other people this could happen to and they’ll just walk away. This is an example that we have to make sure our systems are improved,” [Ford] said.

The New York Times will have live updates here.

* Chicago voter turnout as of noon…

250,364 total ballots cast (includes Early Voting and previously processed Vote By Mail)

1,554,337 active registered voters in Chicago

16.11% citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:
18 -24: 9,278 ballots cast

25-34: 34,495 ballots cast

35-44: 36,710 ballots cast

45-54: 31,448 ballots cast

55-64: 42,982 ballots cast

65-74: 53,074 ballots cast

75+: 41,534 ballots cast

Ballots Cast By Gender:
Female: 140,744 ballots cast

Male: 109,019 ballots cast

Non-Binary/X: 294 ballots cast

Undeclared: 307 ballots cast

…Adding… Tribune…

Elections officials said Chicago voter turnout reached just over 16% around noon Tuesday as voters across the city came out in the cold to cast their ballots, citing concerns around affordability and excitement over the state’s first open U.S. Senate seat in 16 years. […]

More than 250,000 total votes have been cast so far in Chicago, bolstered by early and mail voting that outperformed the midterm primaries in 2022, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Votes on Election Day so far have kept pace with day-of voting during the state’s June 28, 2022 primary, which by the end of the day saw a city voter turnout of about 23%, according to Max Bever, spokesperson for the elections board.

“We came into Election Day like a lion but looks like we might be exiting like a lamb,” Bever said. “I think we’ll likely fall somewhere in between 2018 and 2022’s turnout numbers.” In 2018, the city saw turnout just over 32%.

Bever said voting has gone relatively smoothly so far, with only minor problems reported in some precincts and no public safety incidents reported.

* Evanston Roundtable…

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss’ campaign admitted Tuesday that a 2004 relationship Biss had with a former undergraduate student of his at the University of Chicago was “ill-advised” after she posted about her experience to social media on Monday.

Megan Wachspress posted on both her Bluesky and Substack accounts that after she took an undergraduate topology course taught by Biss, he emailed her to “ask if I wanted to meet up, socially,” leading to a brief, consensual relationship between the two.

“After a few very intense evenings, he had second thoughts. It was wrong to date a student, of course, so we would have to stop making out,” Waschpress wrote. “Of course we could still hang out, and so we continued to spend time together in what to any external observer would look like dates, until gradually that stopped, too.” […]

Wachspress declined to comment on this story beyond what she wrote in her posts. When the RoundTable requested comment from the Biss campaign on this story, a spokesperson directed the RoundTable to a statement sent to The Daily Northwestern on Monday.

“In 2004, when Daniel was 26 and before he met his wife, Dr. Wachspress was a 20-year-old student in a course Daniel taught during his time as a postdoctoral instructor at the University of Chicago,” a Biss campaign spokesperson wrote to The Daily. “After the course ended, Daniel and Dr. Wachspress went on a handful of dates over the course of a few weeks. Daniel realized then, as he does now, that it was ill-advised, and he ended it.”

* New York Times…

The weekend on the eve of the election is traditionally jammed with activities around Chicago that are voter-rich targets for eager politicians. There were four parades around Chicago marking the holiday. The Irish Fellowship Club hosted an annual dinner on the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day, attended by more than 1,000 people, where a $100 raffle ticket bought a chance to win round-trip airfare for two to Ireland, courtesy of Aer Lingus.

But there are limits to how much St. Patrick’s Day merriment is permitted to seep into the voting process, a city official warned.

No longer do dozens of taverns double as polling places all around Chicago, where it was once considered acceptable to cast a ballot and sidle up to the bar for a tipple of Jameson afterward, said Max Bever, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections.

“We urge voters that once they get their civic duty done, get your ‘I Voted’ sticker, take that selfie,” he said, “and then go have that adult beverage.”

* More…

* MS Now | A major Senate primary consumed by old feuds and new money: Despite lagging in most polls, Kelly — who appeared at a fundraiser last week with congressional heavyweight Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. — has shown no interest in leaving the race before primary day. “I feel great on the ground,” Kelly told MS NOW on Sunday. “They have a lot of the money, and to me, are trying to buy the race. But I know I’m the most qualified candidate running.” Some political observers have attributed Kelly’s decision to remain in the race to lingering resentment over Pritzker’s role in ousting her as state party chair four years earlier. She has publicly rebuffed that sentiment.

* Sun-Times | Early front-runner Melissa Bean seeks to reclaim 8th Congressional District seat she lost in 2010: With a moderate platform, and preaching pragmatism over polarization, Bean says she wants to confront President Trump over his administration’s policies. Since losing the seat in 2010, a loss Bean has pinned on her vote for the Affordable Care Act, she has worked at private finance firms. Bean’s campaign has benefited from $3.4 million from groups associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The pro-Israeli group has been flooding local congressional races with cash for candidates who are most friendly to Israel.

* NY Mag | Crypto Cash Fuels Democrats’ Divide in Illinois Senate Race: Stratton’s reputation in crypto-land is made even worse by her support from Warren, who is the industry’s least favorite politician (rivaled only by Warren protégé Katie Porter, whose 2024 U.S. Senate race in California was demolished by heavy crypto-financed negative ads). Overall, the Krishnamoorthi-Stratton contest is in danger of becoming a surrogate fight between the money and influence of crypto and Pritzker.

* Politico | AIPAC makes a $22 million gamble in Illinois: Interviews with a dozen Democratic elected officials, candidates and strategists — including both supporters and critics of Israel — revealed growing concerns about AIPAC’s interventions. Strategists warn that AIPAC’s attacks on Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, created an opening for progressive social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, a Palestinian-American who is a vocal critic of Israel and appears to have late momentum in the race, over AIPAC’s preferred candidate, more moderate state Sen. Laura Fine. In the past week, the group has pulled down all of its anti-Biss messaging, but it could prove too late. “There’s been a strategy shift,” said a person directly familiar with AIPAC’s thinking, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. “Our primary goal in Illinois is to prevent potential ‘Squad’ members from being elected to Congress.”

* NYT | Illinois Primary Shows Rising Political Influence of Indian Americans: Mr. Krishnamoorthi’s campaign comes at a moment of growing influence for Indian Americans in politics and government. Six Indian Americans are in Congress — the most ever. Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, and Usha Vance, the vice president’s wife, have high profile roles in President Trump’s administration. Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York is among the most prominent Democrats in the country. And Representative Ro Khanna of California is seen as a likely Democratic candidate for president in 2028.

* The Guardian | Illinois heads to elect next senator and five congressional district candidates: Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who challenged Davis in the 2024 primary, is making another run for the seat. She is currently treasurer for the city of Chicago, an elected position, after serving in the state house. The United Democracy Project, an Aipac-affiliated group, has run ads supporting Conyears-Ervin. La Shawn Ford, a state representative who ran for Chicago mayor in 2019, has Davis’s endorsement.

* Reuters | Five US House primaries to watch in Illinois on Tuesday: River North developer Jason Friedman is the top fundraiser for Illinois’ 7th congressional district. His $2.5 million fundraising haul is more than three times as much as his nearest competitor in the Democratic primary. But Friedman’s campaign has been outspent by more than $4 million in advertising supporting Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin. United Democracy Project, a pro-Israel super PAC, has spent more than $3 million to boost Conyears-Ervin.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY — Campaign news

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Mid-morning precinct reports

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* What have you been seeing out there so far today at your polling place? Any shenanigans on St. Patrick’s Day? How are the crowds, the weather, etc.? Please let us know at least approximately where you are. Thanks!

…Adding… Tribune…

Turnout for early and mail voting in Chicago outpaced that in prior years’ midterm primaries, officials said Tuesday morning as voters began to trickle into precincts to culminate an expensive election season. […]

As of Monday night, nearly 190,000 people in the city of Chicago had already voted either by mail or through early voting, according to data from the Chicago Board of Elections.

That’s more than 72,000 votes ahead of the early vote count in the same time frame during the primary election on June 28, 2022, which saw a city voter turnout that year of around 23%.

In suburban Cook County, more than 108,000 people cast their ballots early as of Monday, exceeding early vote totals during the last two gubernatorial primaries in 2022 and 2018, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.

20 Comments

This is a Netflix true crime documentary just begging to be produced

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Unofficial Statehouse historian John Amdor pointed to this Wikipedia entry last night during our conversation about how the comptroller’s office has never been much of a political springboard. Somehow, we moved on to former state treasurers…

Donald R. Smith (November 13, 1926 – February 4, 1982) was an American politician.

Smith graduated from York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois and then joined the United States Navy in 1944 during World War II and served until 1946. He went to Loyola University Chicago and John Marshall Law School In Chicago, Illinois. He served as County Treasurer of DuPage County, Illinois and served on the DuPage County Commission. He was a Republican. From 1965 until 1977, Smith served as chief fiscal officer in the office of the Illinois Treasurer. In 1977, he was appointed Illinois Treasurer when Alan J. Dixon resigned to serve as Illinois Secretary of State. Smith served until 1979.

On February 4, 1982, Smith was found murdered in the Radisson Hotel on North Michigan Avenue. His hands were tied, towel had been stuffed into his mouth, and he had been strangled to death. On February 5, 1982, two suspects held for questioning in the death of Smith were released by the police after passing polygraph tests.

An unsolved murder mystery of a former statewide officeholder? And, wow, that’s a very unusual way to die. I’d definitely watch that true crime doc. UPI…

A police spokesman said a security guard found Smith’s body in a ninth floor room at the Radisson Hotel on North Michigan Avenue, the posh shopping and business district that runs north of the Chicago River.

Police said no one was immediately arrested in the slaying and refused to say if Smith’s room had been ransacked or if he had checked in alone. He had been at the hotel since Tuesday.

State Treasurer Jerome Cosentino, Smith’s successor, said the state’s chief fiscal officer was in town to meet with him.

‘We were supposed to meet this afternoon to work on the 1983 budget,’ Cosentino said. ‘Mr. Smith is a very punctual man. When he didn’t show up, my secretary became concerned and called the hotel.

‘We figured he might have gotten sick. The hotel checked on him and then they notified me.’

Cosentino described Smith as ‘just a good family man. I don’t think he had any enemies anyplace.’

Anyway, I thought we could use a much-needed election day diversion.

17 Comments

Trump sics his veep on Illinois

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Reuters…

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday launching a national task force led by Vice President JD Vance aimed at proving Trump’s claims that federal funds ‌intended for social-welfare programs are being stolen in some states. […]

Vance, appearing with Trump in the Oval Office, said the order would force the federal government ‌to “stop ⁠the fraud of the American taxpayer and make sure that the benefits that ought by right go to American citizens, go to American citizens, and not to fraudsters.” […]

A copy of the executive order released by the White House said members of the task force are to come up with ⁠a plan in 90 days to implement anti-fraud measures.

A White House fact sheet describing the order mentioned California, Illinois, New York, Maine and Colorado as U.S. states with “insufficient” fraud oversight.

The EO is here.

* TNND…

“The failure to ensure sufficient Federal oversight to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse has allowed irresponsible State politicians to increase Federal spending in their own States, which has contributed to inflation for health care services, housing, utilities, and groceries,” the order reads in part.

A fact sheet regarding the order states, “There is strong reason to believe similar vulnerabilities exist in California, Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado, where insufficient safeguards and weak oversight increase the risk of large-scale fraud.”

* Stephen Miller (no relation) is also on the task force…

We’re going to see the first ever effort in American history to reclaim the ultimately trillions of dollars that are stolen from taxpayers. I believe, I know, President Trump believes that when this theft is exposed, we will see that if all of it were stopped, it would be enough to balance the budget. The extraction of wealth from American taxpayers to people who don’t belong here is the primary cause of the national debt, and this is the first ever effort to shut that down.

Um…

Federal law, however, prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for undocumented immigrants except in limited circumstances, and economists cite a range of structural factors — including military spending, tax cuts and demographic pressures on entitlement programs — as drivers of the national debt.

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Credit Unions: A True Part Of The Community

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Credit unions have deep connections built within their communities. As Matthew Parrott, President/CEO of SIUE Credit Union explains, credit unions aren’t just located in the neighborhoods they serve—they are an active, visible part of them. Staff members work every day to understand local financial needs, offer guidance, and build trust with the families who rely on them.

This community‑first mindset shapes every aspect of how credit unions operate. Members aren’t treated like account numbers; they’re treated like neighbors. Credit unions show up for local events, support community initiatives, and take time to truly listen to the people they serve.

But this commitment also means that harmful legislation can have serious consequences. For small credit unions—like SIUE—proposals such as IFPA could be devastating. Measures like these could force small credit unions to close their doors, leaving members without the family‑oriented, relationship‑based financial institution they depend on.

When a credit union disappears, a community loses more than a place to bank. It loses a trusted partner dedicated to helping local families succeed. That is why protecting credit unions matters—for the people and communities they proudly serve.

Learn more at: https://betterforillinois.org/

Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Hyundai division to revive two Joliet factories with 2,500 jobs. Crain’s…

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Sponsored by the Illinois Nurses Association:

Bedside Nurses urge a “No” vote on HB4369. The Nurse Licensure Compact Act is being marketed as harmless “flexibility,” but Illinois nurses see the fine print. Championed by the right-wing Illinois Policy Institute, this proposal could subject Illinois nurses who provide reproductive and gender-affirming care to cross-state investigations or discipline for following Illinois law. It would also hand hospital corporations a powerful tool to import strikebreakers, undermining bedside caregivers fighting for safe staffing and fair contracts. Labor nurses across Illinois are united in opposition, and voters should ask why anyone who once stood with healthcare workers is now advancing a bill backed by corporate interests and right-wing think tanks.

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Federal judge halts Trump administration’s health care funding cuts to Illinois, for now: The judge had previously issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the federal government from holding back the funds from Illinois, California, Colorado and Minnesota – but that order was good only for about a month. U.S. District Court Judge Manish Shah issued the preliminary injunction in the case late Friday afternoon. “The loss of capacity to fund and maintain public health infrastructure puts the health of plaintiffs’ residents in jeopardy,” Shah wrote in his order for the preliminary injunction. “… The states’ sovereign interests here outweigh the executive branch’s likely unlawful interest in using preauthorized funding to shape state-run governance.”

* NBC | Jesse Jackson posthumously spurs ‘commotion’ in key Senate race: That was after another son, Rep. Jonathan Jackson, raised eyebrows when he doubted the endorsement in comments to Politico, saying: “He wouldn’t do that. … This smells of desperation.” Reached by NBC News on Monday evening, Rep. Jackson backed off those remarks, saying, “I may have overstated that,” and adding that he “wished her well.”

* Sun-Times | Can anyone beat Darren Bailey in the Republican primary for Illinois governor?: “I don’t think that people realize the damage that Pritzker [has done] in the last three years, and he’s certainly done that, because affordability is front and center today,” Bailey told the Sun-Times. “Our approach will be actually doing something about it.” Conservative commentator Ted Dabrowski argues he’s the only candidate that can actually do something about Pritzker, who beat Bailey by nearly 13 percentage points and is unopposed in his party’s primary for a third term as Illinois’ chief executive.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Four Illinois State Legislative races to watch on Election Day: In the Illinois House, incumbent Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr. and community organizer Miguel Alvelo Rivera face off in the 40th District, which includes a stretch of the Northwest Side from Bucktown to Albany Park. Rivera has won some endorsement from some local elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, whose district includes part of Andrade’s district, and Alds. Rossana Rodríguez-Sánchez (33rd) and Anthony Quezada (35th). Rivera is running as a progressive outsider, while Andrade said he has a track record with voters.

* Sun-Times | Pritzker taunts Bovino amid reports of Border Patrol chief’s retirement: ‘No one is above the law’: Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday celebrated the reported retirement of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, who led President Donald Trump’s aggressive — and at times deadly — deportation campaigns in Chicago and other cities. “Greg Bovino won’t just get to walk away — he will be held accountable and responsible for the damage he’s done to our nation,” Pritzker said on the social media platform X. “We won’t forget, and neither should you. No one is above the law.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker calls for setting new higher education attainment goals: Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on agencies in his administration to set goals for increasing the number of adults in the state with college degrees or other postsecondary credentials. In an executive order issued Friday, Pritzker announced the formation of a working group that will review the state’s existing workforce development programs, consult with industry and labor groups as well as local economic development organizations, and recommend new higher education attainment goals.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | City Council poised to vote on restoring Chicago’s subminimum wage for tipped workers: Johnson opponents motioned last week to force a council floor vote on legislation to pause the One Fair Wage policy, passed in 2023 and now in its third year of moving toward full implementation. However, the coalition would need at least 34 votes to override a potential mayoral veto of their ordinance, which seeks to halt the policy that servers be paid the city’s full minimum wage on top of tips starting in July 2028. The impending clash would be the latest of many between Johnson and an antagonistic council bloc. He has issued two mayoral vetoes already in his first term, after City Hall had gone since 2006 without one.

* Crain’s | FAA seeks deeper-than-expected flight cuts at O’Hare: The FAA, in a new notice issued Monday, proposes to cap total daily operations at 2,608 daily takeoffs and landings. That’s up slightly from 2,554 last summer. But it’s 15% lower than the peak of 3,080 that airlines had initially scheduled for the 2026 season before the FAA stepped in. The cap is lower than the current level of operations at about 2,800 daily flights, which the FAA initially had suggested. But it’s not as drastic as the 2,500 or 2,400 levels that were floated two weeks ago.

* Chicago Yimby | Commercial Leasing Begins For Thompson Center Redevelopment: Additional interior renderings and a new website have been revealed for the ongoing redevelopment of the Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street in The Loop. The iconic structure dates back to 1985 but had long been plagued by maintenance issues, until a group of local developers partnered with Google to remodel and reposition the property.
* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson signals support for letting CPS students take a day off to push for school funding: Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th), Johnson’s handpicked chair of the City Council’s Education Committee, has two grandchildren who attend Chicago Public Schools. Taylor said she does not believe the mayor should sanction students to skip classes, unless they learn something from it. “Are they going down to Springfield? Are they coming down to City Hall? What work is gonna be done? There needs to be something else other than just taking a day off. I want young people to understand them taking the day off. Are we teaching them about May Day? Are we teaching them about workers rights? Are we teaching them to advocate in Springfield for themselves? What comes with it?” Taylor asked.

* Sun-Times | After fires, officials prepare to remove another homeless encampment on Chicago’s Northwest Side: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration says the encampment’s roughly 20 inhabitants will be offered long-term housing, but might have to wait weeks for the apartments to be ready. That means moving to a shelter, a “bridge” housing facility with social services, or staying outside, officials say.

* WBEZ | Mayor Brandon Johnson meets with men in prison working toward Northwestern University degrees: Ian Valencia, a Northwestern senior incarcerated at Sheridan, has been locked up half his life, since he was 17. The visit of a sitting Chicago mayor to a state prison – perhaps the first of its kind, according to Northwestern students – is symbolically important, Valencia said. “It’s helping give me a more hopeful look on what’s possible, if more people get involved in trying to change what prison is supposed to be like,” he said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi faces suburban opponent for influential position over property taxes: Hynes called the pandemic reassessment an “unforced error,” and contended Kaegi’s proposed solution, so-called “circuit breaker” laws — versions of which have stalled in the statehouse — would be expensive and could have been avoided had the assessment stayed on track with market value in the first place. Kaegi warned Hynes’ ascent could be a return to form for an office still marred by past corruption.

* Tribune | Attorneys in ‘Broadview Six’ case say conspiracy charges violates First Amendment, has ‘chilling’ effect: The four remaining defendants in the case are: Katherine “Kat” Abughazaleh, a candidate in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for the 9th Congressional District seat; Andre Martin, originally of Providence, Rhode Island, who is Abughazaleh’s deputy campaign manager; 45th Ward Democratic Committeeman Michael Rabbitt; and Oak Park Village Trustee Brian Straw. Last week, Perry granted a request from the U.S. attorney’s office to dismiss charges against Catherine Sharp, a onetime candidate for Cook County Board, and Joselyn Walsh, a part-time garden store worker and singer.

* Daily Herald | After Naperville council nixes controversial data center, Pulte Homes development pitched for site: The property owner has since requested informal feedback from the city council on a potential residential development for the site. The owner has also tapped Pulte Homes as its development partner on the project. A preliminary site plan shows more than 260 units — both townhouses and rowhomes — to the south of the Nokia complex.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Lawmakers call for expanded testing after E. coli found in Cahokia Heights water: The calls for action from U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski are in response to recent community-organized testing results first reported by the Belleville News-Democrat and its partners, St. Louis Public Radio and the Illinois Answers Project. The community testing detected E. coli in eight of the 118 samples collected from 23 homes over seven months, from June to December. Six of the community’s eight E. coli-positive samples came from the same home in the former city of Centreville.

* Alton Telegraph | Alton says $1.6 million in unpaid trash bills went uncollected: Comptroller Paul Fritsch, who was appointed in late January 2026, confirmed the figure and said his office has been reviewing the accounts, starting with those more than 90 days overdue. However, he cautioned that the $1.6 million number is still being refined. “We’ve been crossing the different numbers,” Fritsch said during the March 11 meeting. “We’re calculating that based on some other factors.” Fritsch also noted that the city cannot easily distinguish which delinquent accounts belong to rental properties because the billing system does not categorize them by address type. And some of the debt, he said, is extremely old.

* WCIA | Macon Co. aims to prevent homelessness, keep people in their homes: The Macon County Continuum of Care (CoC) has launched a 100-day homeless prevention challenge. […] On a regular day, CoC serves as a hub for resources meant for people facing homelessness in Macon County. But now, it’s the home of a new challenge: fighting to prevent homelessness before it can start. […] The program encourages landlords and community members to communicate when tenants are struggling early, so that those in need can access preventative care. That is when Dove Inc. can step in.

* WCIA | Decatur Public Transit System launches contactless fare collection system: “So, we are trying to modernize the fare process. So, we’re going to go to cashless, we’re going to hopefully go to cashless by late into the year, maybe early fall, late summer, somewhere in there, try to go to completely cashless,” City Operations Manager of Transit and Facilities, Riley Fanning, said. “So, this will help them to get on the app, they will just buy a card, tap a card and ride our system that way.”

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Good morning!

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Fleetwood Mac…