* ICYMI: ‘This election is not over’: Democratic race for Illinois comptroller still undecided as Croke holds slim lead. Tribune…

- The Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller remained too close to call Wednesday as state Rep. Margaret Croke maintained a slim lead over state Sen. Karina Villa.
- With an estimated 92% of votes counted, Croke led Villa 34.6% to 32.2%, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press.
- While a few downstate counties had not reported complete election results as of Wednesday, the biggest chunk of outstanding ballots appeared to come from Chicago.

* Related stories…

• ABC Chicago: No clear winner yet in Democratic comptroller race; Margaret Croke holds lead
• Sun-Times | State Rep. Margaret Croke declares victory in Democratic primary for Illinois comptroller
• CNI: Croke leads Democratic comptroller race as downstate voters dominate GOP primaries

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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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* At 1 pm, Governor Pritzker will highlight Illinois’ growth as a national destination for film and television production, with targeted State investments resulting in a record-breaking $703 million in film production expenditures in 2025. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Amy Hicks | My reproductive health rights vanished while in prison: For about a month, I kept hoping something would change and I would be saved from having to undergo an induction I did not want. After the date for the induction was set, I became even more stressed out. Then, two full weeks before my due date, I was awakened early in the morning and put into the back of a van to be driven about an hour to the hospital. I was accompanied to the hospital and the delivery room by two corrections officers — one male and one female — who stayed with me during the entire process. At the hospital, I made one final plea and told the doctor I did not want to be induced, but no one really listened or spoke to me. The induction went forward against my will, and my daughter was born just a few hours later.

* Daily Herald | Republicans pledge unity, take aim at Pritzker and boost Bailey 2.0: They include primary opponent and video gambling magnate Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills, who was at the unity breakfast Wednesday. Dabrowski had another commitment and the fourth candidate, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, did not attend. “Rick Heidner’s stepped up to the plate,” Bailey said. “I have no doubt that the resources we need will come. We don’t have to match JB Pritzker dollar for dollar. What we need is people to register to vote. To show up to vote.”

* WGLT | IEA chooses Bloomington resident as next president: Illinois Education Association [IEA] members chose Karl Goeke. Goeke had been serving as interim president following the death of IEA president Al Llorens in September. Goeke was a classroom teacher for more than two decades until three years ago, when he was elected vice president of the union. Goeke has degrees from Western Illinois University and Illinois State University, according to a union news release.

* Semafor | Why AIPAC shouldn’t get too excited about its Illinois primary strategy: It mocked progressives for being unable to win two other seats it invested in. But AIPAC didn’t get into the field to beat them; it jumped in to help state Sen. Laura Fine, a rival progressive whose friendly relationship with the pro-Israel group made her unelectable once Biss brought it up. It couldn’t rescue Melissa Conyers-Ervin in the Loop; the winner in that primary, endorsed by retiring Rep. Danny K. Davis, didn’t seek AIPAC’s support because he didn’t support unconditional US aid to Israel.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Gov. Pritzker is out with a new ad. Rate it!…

* CBS | Illinois primaries show political power of Pritzker, limits for outside spending and more takeaways: The Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, which had backed a third candidate, Rep. Robin Kelly, also showed frustrations with the governor’s involvement. “Quite frankly, [Pritzker’s] behavior in this race won’t soon be forgotten by any of us,” Rep. Yvette Clarke told Punchbowl News. Clarke put out a statement on Wednesday congratulating Stratton, and said it was a moment “that calls for unity.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Bailey says campaign will focus on Chicago area after rough primary night in suburbs: Bailey performed well with the base of Republican voters in the state. He received more than three-quarters of the vote in many of the state’s most rural counties and took home more than 90% of the vote in his home county of Clay. But statewide, Bailey has also underperformed the benchmarks he set four years ago when he received 57% of the vote, so far coming in at 53.5% this year with 95% of votes counted. Turnout in the Republican primary also appears to be down overall from 2022, according to initial unofficial results, although ballots are still being counted.

* CBS | Bailey seeks to distance himself from Trump, shore up Chicago area support in Illinois governor’s race rematch with Pritzker: Bailey said he believes the Trump administration should have handled its immigration enforcement effort in Illinois much differently. “But let’s back up, and what should have been the biggest difference? The biggest difference is we don’t need federal agents in the state of Illinois. We could have been dealing with this with state and local law enforcement, had JB Pritzker not gotten in the way and hindered that process,” he added.

* WTTW | Pritzker Looks to Keep Momentum, Influence Going After Primaries: In addition to positive incentives for staying, Pritzker added that the team should also consider the cost of leaving the state. “If (the Bears) are going to abandon us, I think the fans are going to abandon them,” Pritzker said.

* Sun-Times | Gov. JB Pritzker flexes political muscle through Juliana Stratton’s decisive Senate primary win: “Juliana won this because she traveled the state. She went and won people over, and I think her authenticity, her genuineness is what broke through,” Pritzker told the Chicago Sun-Times after flexing his political muscle on election night. “I believe that the voters understood that all of that negative advertising that got run against her was not real, that they believed who she is, that she stood up and had bold ideas. She told people she’s going to go fight for them, and they understood that she’s been fighting for them here in Illinois,” the governor said of his two-time running mate who campaigned on their record together.

* Tribune | Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton looking to make history in US Senate race against ex-Illinois GOP chair Don Tracy: While the Republican Senate primary was a relatively low-cost race with little outside spending, Stratton said she’s prepared for whatever opposition might arise in the coming months. The outside spending from pro-crypto groups wasn’t really about pushing back on industry regulations, Stratton contended, but rather “because they know that I’m somebody that’s going to stand up for working families, stand up to Donald Trump.”

* Sun-Times | Juliana Stratton’s strong suburban, downstate numbers helped fuel her Senate primary victory: In Chicago, Stratton had 50.04% of support from voters in majority-Black wards compared to Kelly’s 27.92% and Krishnamoorthi’s 15.93%. Stratton also led voters in majority-Latino wards 40.99% to Krishnamoorthi’s 23.74% and Kelly’s 24.22%. In wards with majority non-Latino white voters, Stratton led 40.74% to Kelly’s 22.05% and Krishnamoorthi’s 22.19%. In wards where no racial or ethnic group made up more than 50% of the population, Stratton led with 43.42%, according to a WBEZ analysis of election results.

* Shaw Local | Illinois counties with Big, Beautiful Bill school voucher ballot question lean towards opting in: Voters in McHenry, Ogle, Lee, Grundy and many other counties across the state weighed in a voucher-style federal scholarship program that would give donors a tax credit. The new federal program, called the Education Freedom Tax Credit, was enacted as part of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. It’s due to kick in at the start of next year.

* Daily Herald | Voters settle primary contests for state House, Senate seats: When it comes to replacing state Sen. Don DeWitte in the 33rd District, voters in November will choose between Republican Danielle Penman and Democrat Michele Clark. Penman of St. Charles defeated Jessica Bruegelmans of unincorporated Geneva in Tuesday’s Republican primary. Penman received 6,987 votes, and Bruegelmans got 4,852 votes, according to unofficial election results.

* Tribune | Downstate and Chicago North Side challengers declare victory in state House primary races: Also on the North Side, four Democrats in the Lincoln Park area competed in a primary to succeed state Rep. Margaret Croke, who is running for comptroller. With 89% of the votes estimated to be counted, Paul Kendrick, who was endorsed by Croke, was declared the winner of the Democratic nomination for the seat with about 48% of the vote. He is one of four legislative candidates statewide benefiting from a PAC funded by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. The second-highest vote-getter in that race was Litcy Kurisinkal, a former Local School Council chair and human rights advocate who campaigned for then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential run. She had about 23% of the vote.

* Tri States Public Radio | Higgins ousts Hammond in 94th District Republican primary: In a statement, Hammond said serving as a state representative has been “one of the greatest honors” of her life and that her driving motivation in office has been to “serve the people of western Illinois. “I want to congratulate the Republican nominee and I hope that he remembers that our constituents deserve more than a fighter, they deserve results,” Hammond said in the statement.

*** Catching up with the Congressionals ***

* Coin Desk | Fairshake’s $10 million Illinois misfire marks first big hitch in crypto political surge: Losing a race is unusual for the crypto industry’s political action committee, Fairshake, which has recorded a dominant record in the past two congressional elections. But the Illinois primaries this week saw its biggest-ever setback, likely to conclude with a new member of the Senate next year being somebody the PAC spent more than $10 million trying to defeat.

* CBS Chicago | Cryptocurrency and AI industries tested their influence in the Illinois primary elections. It didn’t go that well
: In a bright spot for the AI industry, former congresswoman Melissa Bean won the nomination to reclaim her old seat after a crowded and intense primary. Bean was supported by about $1 million in funding from AI-backed groups. “She recognizes that the United States must work toward a national regulatory framework on AI that creates jobs, helps us stay ahead of China, and protects the safety of kids, users, and the community,” said Josh Vlasto, a political strategist for Leading the Future, an umbrella organization for AI political groups. “Leading the Future was proud to support her campaign and looks forward to working with leaders who will prioritize innovation over doomerism.”

* Tribune | Melissa Bean wins 8th District Democratic primary in race to succeed US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: She said part of her motivation for returning to politics was to defend federal health care subsidies, some of which expired this year under the Republican Congress. Opponents criticized Bean as being “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat,” and for dark-money ads from donors connected with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that funds pro-Israel candidates.

* ABC Chicago | AIPAC gets split results for supported candidates in 2026 Illinois primary election: Biss, whose mother was born in Israel, says AIPAC’s influence seems to have diminished. The group has been around for about 75 years, donating millions to pro-Israel candidates around the country. “In this election cycle so far, this strategy seems to be, ‘let’s go after any candidate who is not blindly pro-Israel,’” said Suzanne Chod, a professor at North Central College.

* Evanston Now | What Biss victory means at city hall: Under state law, if Biss resigns as mayor before Nov. 27 — at least 130 days before the April 6, 2027 consolidated election — the city council will appoint an acting mayor from among its members and voters in that election will choose a new mayor to serve until 2029. Resign later than that and the council selects an acting mayor to serve until 2029.

* Daily Herald | Biss, Elleson thank voters after winning 9th Congressional District nominations: As Biss headed to his car after Wednesday’s meet-and-greet, a woman driving on Church Street near the L station yelled “Congratulations!” to him. Biss spoke with the woman while she waited for a red light to turn green. He walked away with a big smile. Afterward, Biss acknowledged that 70% of Democratic voters in the 9th wanted someone else to be the nominee. “I’m going to work very hard to win their trust,” he said.

* Block Club | Mike Quigley Wins Democratic Primary For 5th Congressional District Seat: Quigley had 66 percent of the vote, with 85 percent of votes counted, according to unofficial results. The Associated Press declared Quigley the winner about 8 p.m. Quigley, who has represented the North Side and northwest suburban district since 2009, faced Democratic challengers Matt Conroy, Ellen A. Corley and Anthony Michael Tamez in the primary. […] Quigley’s win comes on the heels of his plans to pursue another office in 2027: In January, he confirmed he intends to run in Chicago’s mayoral race, though he said he would focus first on winning reelection to Congress before formally launching that campaign.

* Daily Herald | Casten, Conforti win big in 6th Congressional races: U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove was among the members of the Chicago-area congressional delegation who scored primary victories Tuesday. Casten defeated challenger Joey Ruzevich of Chicago the 6th District’s Democratic Party primary, The Associated Press declared. With an estimated 95% of Democratic ballots counted, Casten was ahead 66,369 votes to 20,984, unofficial results showed.

* SJ-R | Mary Miller to face Jennifer Todd in race for Illinois’ 15th District: U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, easily secured her spot on the Republican ticket in Illinois’ Primary Election for the 15th Congressional District. She will face Democrat Jennifer Todd. The seat spans most of central Illinois with the exception of a narrow strip with Springfield within it.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | City Council Reverses Vote to End Tipped Minimum Wage; Mayor Johnson Says He’ll Veto It: The Chicago City Council Wednesday voted 30-18 to reverse a 2023 vote to phase out the tipped minimum wage, one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s major legislative accomplishments. All Chicago businesses should be required to pay their workers the same minimum hourly wage, regardless of whether they also earn tips, Johnson said. It would take 34 votes to override the mayor’s veto. Johnson said the vote was “shameful” and called those who voted to stop tipped workers from being paid more “self-proclaimed Democrats” who were willing to see Black and Latino women paid less than a living wage.

* Sun-Times | To pay for tourism boost, Chicago ramps up hotel tax, making it nation’s highest: Chicago’s already sky-high hotel tax will climb to 19%, highest in the nation, to help market the city to convention organizers and tourists. The City Council made it happen on Wednesday by unanimously agreeing to create a Tourism Improvement District and raise the tax on hotel rooms within that district to 19%. The current combined city, county and state tax on hotel rooms is 17.5%.

* Block Club | Mayor’s Pick To Run Animal Care And Control Gets Council Approval After Compromise: The appointment of Susan Cappello, who has been leading the city’s animal shelter as acting executive director for the past three years, was finalized during the council’s monthly meeting after a compromise that would create a working group to address problems at the shelter was crafted with alderpeople who opposed her. Cappello will be paid just under $172,000.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Two incumbents fall, appointees hold on in Cook County Board races: Sixth District Commissioner Donna Miller was in the latter group, successfully snatching the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. Her County Board seat representing much of the Southland saw a crowded Democratic primary, with a familiar name winning out. Patricia Joan “Trish” Murphy, the daughter of former Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, won in a five-candidate matchup with just under 37% of the vote, according to unofficial tallies. Wesam Shahed, legislative counsel for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, came in just shy at roughly 33%.

* Tribune | What happened in Chicago suburban primary elections on Tuesday: Incumbent DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek appears to have lost her reelection bid in a primary loss to fellow Democrat Paula Deacon Garcia. Sadia Covert, a Naperville Democrat who has represented County Board District 5 since 2018, was ousted by Naperville City Councilman Ian Holzhouer by a margin of more than 2,500 votes, unofficial vote counts show.

* Daily Southtown | Southland voters said they seek a change in national policy: Affordability and anger with national policy were two of the key topics voters raised Tuesday at primary polling locations throughout the south and southwest suburbs. “I came out because I really don’t like the way things are going,” said Jeramiah Cook, who voted in Homewood. “Decided to be the change I want to see.” Cook said affordability was his main concern, though he was also worried about international policy.

* NBC Chicago | Suburban man arrested for allegedly threatening Gov. Pritzker, police say: A suburban man has been arrested for allegedly threatening Gov. JB Pritzker, according to Illinois State Police. Timothy J. Shemitis, a 71-year-old Frankfort resident, faces a felony count of threatening a public official and one misdemeanor charge of harassment by telephone, police said.

* Daily Southtown | Kenneth Duffy declares victory in Orland Township committeeperson race; Napoleon Harris to lead Thornton Township Democrats: Orland Township Trustee Kenneth Duffy says he is excited to begin work to boost the Republican Party’s standing as the township committeeperson following Tuesday’s primary. With all precincts tallied, Duffy had 54.1% of votes while former township committeeperson Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman had 45.9%, according to unofficial results.

* Daily Southtown | Southwest suburban voters back statewide property tax rebates; term limit extension leads in Dolton: Dolton residents also leaned yes on three village specific ballot questions, with about 80.1% of voters in favor of extending term limits for local elected officials. The change will allow officials to hold the same office for four 4-year terms, with the clock starting at the next municipal election. It reverses a binding referendum question from 2019 that asked whether the mayor and village clerk should be limited to no more than two consecutive 4-year terms.

*** Downstate ***

* WNIJ | Rockford Public Schools cuts over 100 positions amid $15M deficit: Rockford Public Schools is cutting more than 100 positions as it deals with a $15 million budget deficit. RPS Superintendent Ehren Jarrett says costs have risen significantly over the past few years. The district also increased social-emotional support coming out of the pandemic. “Unfortunately, that’s how you go from a budget surplus to a budget deficit pretty quickly,” he said. “And unfortunately, the only way to get ahead of this was to cut back on some staff.” Jarrett says none of the cuts are teaching positions. They’ve reduced 12% of the district’s central office staff and 4% of “nonteaching” roles, like attendance specialists and academy coaches.

* WCIA | Two incumbent sheriffs in Central Illinois were not re-elected: Both winners got more than 60% of the vote. Mike Walker was trying for a third term as DeWitt County Sheriff, but Clinton’s Police Chief, Ben Lowers, won the republican nomination. Over in Douglas County, Nate Chaplin lost his bid for a second term as sheriff. Heath Thurston won the race there. Thurston is a Tuscola Police Lieutenant and has been with the department since 2000. He has been working in law enforcement for almost three decades, and said that stepping into this role is a lifelong dream come true.

* Capitol City Now | Crouch defeats Timm in Republican primary for Sheriff: “If I lost this because I took the high road, and didn’t go negative, then so be it. That’s what was meant to be,” said Timm. Crouch’s campaign brought up Timm’s record, including a termination that was later rescinded. Others brought up Timm’s criminal record, stemming from well before his time as a deputy, and when he was still a teenager. Timm, meanwhile, produced a video where Crouch praised Timm upon his retirement.

* WGEM | Hancock County Treasurer primary winner voices displeasure with salary decrease: Winning a primary election should have been a day of celebration for Shannon Kissinger. However, one day before the election, on Monday, the Hancock County Board decided to decrease the position’s salary by more than $10,000. “I’ve been grooming her, I’ve been cross-training in the office, trying to make this a smooth transition,” said current Treasurer Kris Pilkington. Pilkington has served as treasurer in the county for 24 years but decided to retire this election cycle, leaving the position up for the taking.

* WREX | Parents, school leaders disappointed after 1% tax falls short: A proposed one percent sales tax for schools in Winnebago County was rejected by voters Tuesday night, with the measure failing 61 percent to 39 percent. The referendum would have added a one percent sales tax on purchases in the county, with the money going toward school facility repairs, school resource officers and mental health professionals across multiple districts.

* WQAD | Illinois State Police trooper injured in Whiteside County crash: ISP has identified six crashes related to the state’s Move Over Law so far in 2026. The law requires drivers to slow down and move over when approaching any emergency vehicle, emergency worker or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights on. First-time violators may be fined up to $10,000, and if anyone is injured, a driver’s license may be suspended for up to two years.

* News Gazette | UI to relocate Snyder Hall residents following ‘catastrophic flood’ in basement: Around 450 University of Illinois students living on campus will be relocated to other university housing when they get back from spring break, according to a notice sent out this morning. The email delivered to Snyder Hall residents said on Sunday, the building experienced a “catastrophic flood in the basement that severely impacted critical building systems.” While no damage was done to the rooms themselves or students’ belongings, the email said that electricity, elevators, water heaters, card-access systems and data infrastructure were all affected.

* WAND | University of Illinois police officer arrested after domestic battery call: Joseph Cassidy, 38, was arrested at the scene, and his case has been referred to the state’s attorney’s office. The senior communications coordinator for the U of I’s Division of Public Safety told WAND News that Cassidy is an officer, but was unable to comment on personnel matters. It is unclear if Cassidy will be formally charged.

* SJ-R | Springfield’s Comfort Inn & Suites sells for more than $7M: Comfort Inn & Suites Springfield at 2620 S. Dirksen Parkway sold for $7,850,000 on Feb. 13, in a sale between Girdhar Enterprises Inc. and another local hotel operator, buyer Nilkanth Spil LLC. Nilkanth Spil LLC registered agent on the Illinois Business Entity Search is Bhavin Patel, and address listed for the LLC is 1330 S. Dirksen Parkway – or the Super 8 by Wyndham in Springfield. The LLC was registered in October of last year with the state.

*** National ***

* Yahoo Finance | Powell: Job creation is near zero: Job creation in the US has slowed to essentially zero, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday as the Fed released its latest economic projections, which included slightly higher economic growth than previously projected and little change to the unemployment rate. Altogether, Powell said, central bankers see “a degree of stability” in the labor market.

* WaPo | Can this Texas law crack America’s housing problem?: Early evidence suggests the Lone Star State’s embrace of by-right zoning has allowed developers to build more housing without requiring a sweeping overhaul of local zoning codes. If other states follow suit, they could ease the housing shortage while growing their economies and populations. While estimates of the U.S. housing problem vary widely, the squeeze is undeniable. The housing deficit is driven largely by local permitting red tape, restrictive zoning that often jacks up construction costs and prevents housing from being built. Estimates suggest zoning restrictions and land-use regulations account for 24 to over 40 percent of construction costs for new single- and multifamily housing, respectively.

* CNBC | Wholesale prices rose 0.7% in February, much more than expected and up 3.4% annually: The producer price index, a measure of pipeline costs that producers receive for their products, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.7% on the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, the so-called core PPI increased 0.5%.