* Press release…

Today, Daniel Biss announced the endorsement of State Representative Kelly Cassidy.

“From the minute I met Daniel, I was impressed,” said Kelly Cassidy. “First, by his hair. But after that, by his willingness to be his own person - that he would make his own decisions on behalf of his district based on what he believes is right, even when a vote might be politically risky for him.

“Daniel is the only candidate in this race who has a record of enacting real, progressive change, including for the LGBTQ community. When we passed the ban on conversion therapy, when we passed marriage equality — he was there every step of the way, working with me and others in the community, doing the actual hard work of making laws that protect us.

“We have seen from the last 2.5 years that being Governor should not and cannot be an entry level job. Daniel has the real experience in governing we need. I’m proud to support him, and excited continue working with him as Governor.”

“It’s an honor to have Kelly on my side,” said Daniel Biss. “Kelly has proven herself a moral compass in a lost legislature, and a passionate defender of equal rights, especially for the LGBTQ community. From fighting for a living wage, to reforming our criminal justice system, to creating a safe and equal place for all of our communities, Kelly and I have worked together for years, and it means the world to me to me to receive her support today. I’m excited to work with Kelly today and for years to come to ensure that all Illinoisans have a seat at the table.”

That’s the second House Democrat to endorse Biss this week, even though he spends a lot of time lumping Speaker Madigan in with Gov. Rauner.

* Tribune…

Pritzker, meanwhile, is planning a phone bank over the issue of health care as Republicans in Washington try to advance a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The phone bank is the latest effort among Democrats critical of Rauner for not saying more about the GOP proposals, including a Senate Republican measure that would phase out funding for Illinois’ expansion of Medicaid coverage.

Rauner has said he has “concerns” about the proposals.

“We will call Bruce Rauner. We will call Republican congressional leaders. We will call (Illinois’ Democratic U.S. Sens.) Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin to thank them for their hard work. And we will call on others to help us make a difference,” Pritzker said in a statement.

I’ve never seen a press release announcing a phone bank before. Then again, I’ve never seen a phone bank that focused on calling elected officials. They also called voters, though.

* Meanwhile, Ameya Pawar has a new campaign video (click here) and the Trib talks about Chris Kennedy’s latest fundraising e-mail (click here).