* Commenter Southside Markie received a robocall from Newt Gingrich today asking him to vote for Gov. Rauner. It takes a few seconds to get started…
I suppose the idea here is to help shore up Rauner’s conservative base. But is anyone even answering their phones in this state right now? Is Team Rauner worried or just being careful not to miss a trick? I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow.
Hi. This is Newt Gingrich. Calling to remind you to vote on Tuesday, March 20th in the Republican primary.
Bruce Rauner is leading a revolution against the corruption in Springfield. Mike Madigan has been in power for far too long and Bruce Rauner is the only one who can win the fight against the Madigan machine. That’s why it’s so important you vote for Bruce Rauner on Tuesday, March 20th.
When asked to account for his own spending against Democratic candidates in the midst of his own primary, Rauner replied that “meddling ain’t the word for what the DGA is doing.”
“You haven’t heard me say, ‘hey, Biss is too liberal,’ you haven’t seen me say “vote Kennedy,” Rauner told reporters. “You hear the Democratic Governors Association coming in and supporting my opponent.”
In the course of the press conference, Rauner also accused Pritzker several times of hiding his wealth in offshore accounts to avoid property taxes — something Rauner may also be guilty of, according to the Chicago Tribune, pointing out that Rauner’s name had been posted as an investor in a pool registered in the Cayman Islands through his private equity firm GTCR.
“We have got to fight back against Madigan, and she has specifically said she wouldn’t push back on his income tax hike that they passed over my veto last summer,” Rauner said. “And she specifically has voted against property tax relief.”
Ives said Rauner is telling desperate lies: “It is Rauner and the DGA who share the same policy positions on abortion, sanctuary state, Chicago bailouts and the like.”
* And…
Outside of @JeanneIves Trump Tower newser, it appears @GovRauner Campaign sends someone outside but in view of Press holding enlarged check from DGA, drawing more attention to adds calling Ives the true conservative #ILGovpic.twitter.com/2GkgiOwVvx
* “Voter shaming” letters were a big thing two years ago. They appear to be back and even more blatant. From a subscriber…
Lots of folks in the neighborhood [are upset] about this today — we’re getting a ton of calls and visits to the [redacted] about it. It’s a letter from an outfit called the “Illinois State Voter Program” that looks suspiciously like the earlier mail sent out by that Lipinski front group, United for Progress. (Although there are no “paid for” disclaimers on this piece.)
Looks like a curious effort to guilt folks into voting tomorrow by implying they’ll be exposed to their neighbors as a non-voter if they don’t. The addresses listed and redacted in the attached letter are the mail recipient’s neighbors.
We did some checking and it turns out the letter is only being sent to “Leaners” — we know of no Hard D’s or Hard R’s who had it mailed to them. Looks like an attempt to get middle-of-the-road voters to show up tomorrow — assuming they’ll pull a Dem ballot and vote for Lipinski.
Like the earlier United for Progress piece, the “Illinois State Voter Program” uses a Lockport P.O. Box as its return address.
Just heard from a guy from [redacted] who got the letter. In addition to listing the neighbors on his block, they listed two of his Facebook friends — one who lives in Oak Lawn and another who lives in Garfield Ridge. Pretty sophisticated data dive.
…Adding… The “group” even has a website. Click here. It was created March 9th. But check out what happens once you input your info…
They need a spell-checker.
* Moving right along…
I received this very ominous (and very unsolicited) text with a link to the attached anti-Rauner video from what I assume is a @JeanneIves text-banking campaign. Worth noting that I'm a strong Dem voter. pic.twitter.com/kaRR3EHV8h
[The DGA’s new TV ads are] hardly the kind of thing that would turn off conservatives ahead of a primary. In a statement, Rauner’s campaign said the Democratic Governors Association launched it because it feared the incumbent.
“That’s why they’ve decided to overtly attempt to influence the outcome of the Republican primary in favor of a candidate who is simply unelectable in Illinois,” said Rauner communications director Will Allison.
The Democratic Governors Association denies engaging in any such shenanigans.
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, D-Oak Park, has called on the Illinois Board of Elections to investigate several hundred phony campaign signs that popped up across his district over the weekend, just days before the primary election.
The signs ask voters to “un-elect” Boykin and refer to the first-term commissioner as a Republican. Boykin’s 1st District covers much of Chicago’s West Side and the near western suburbs. […]
Boykin said he saw between 300 and 400 of the signs across the district over the weekend.
* Gov. Rauner was on KMOX Radio today and was asked if it wouldn’t be more productive to try to build a better relationship with Speaker Madigan and maybe try to work with the guy. His response...
Well, you know what, Mark, here’s, here’s the issue. Do you, is it good to be buddies, would we be safer and better off if somebody had been buddies with Al Capone? Is the mafia, I mean, the corruption, the self-dealing is, is out of control in Illinois. And you don’t beat that by friendship. You don’t beat that by talkin’. You do it through political pressure and getting more leigslators elected who aren’t loyal to Mike Madigan, they’re loyal to their local districts.
* And then the governor retold the story (which he said Madigan would deny, “but you know what, it’s the truth”) about how Madigan told him once many years ago that he had no goals for making Illinois better, he was just in politics to manage power and make money…
And you know what? You don’t befriend that. You don’t talk with that. You beat that through hard work and electing reformers and that’s what we’re gonna do.
Well, you know what, they broke down because of the pressure Mike Madigan. Mike Madigan wanted the three-year budget impasse, he wanted the pressure, he finally broke a few people. But, you know what, he’ll never break me. And we’ll get more strong-willed people in there and we’ll beat him. It’s just gonna take persistence.
* Related…
* Greg Hinz: Is tomorrow the day of reckoning for Mike Madigan?: But no one’s political career is on the line more than the guy who, one way or another, has been in almost every TV ad on both sides of the aisle this year. That’s Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party Chairman Mike Madigan, who has been the last man standing after political brawls for more decades than I care to remember but now is under unprecedented political assault.
Michael Ferro is retiring from the board of Tronc ahead of the newspaper chain’s $500 million sale of the Los Angeles Times and other California assets.
Ferro’s retirement is effective immediately, the company said. Justin Dearborn, chief executive officer of Tronc, was named to succeed Ferro as chairman of the company that also owns the Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News and other major daily newspapers. […]
In recent weeks, Ferro has discussed with his fellow board members and the management team his desire to retire as chairman in connection with the closing of the Times transaction, the company said in the news release.
Kathryn Minshew finally felt like a weight had lifted. It was September of 2013, and after months of back-and-forth, Michael Ferro, then-chairman of investment firm Wrapports, had at last signed a term sheet promising her career-advice startup, The Muse, the $750,000 infusion of capital it needed to make it past the end of the year. Now, at Ferro’s suggestion, the two were headed to his company’s corporate apartment in downtown Chicago for an evening of takeout and discussion of how The Muse might go on to a land a much bigger round of funding.
But once they stepped into the apartment, Ferro seemed to forget about their plans to strategize. He poured two glasses of bourbon and, giving one to Minshew, put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her face in for a kiss, she says. Although the move was forceful enough that she couldn’t pull away, she says she was able to turn her head so that Ferro’s lips landed on her cheek. […]
Less than three years later in Las Vegas during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, Hagan Kappler says she found herself in a similar position—at a private dinner in Ferro’s Aria hotel suite under the pretense of doing business. Kappler, then an executive at manufacturing giant Ingersoll Rand, thought she was there to talk thermostats with Ferro, who had recently sold his healthcare startup to IBM. Instead, Kappler says he repeatedly wrapped his arms around her from behind. She told him he was in her space and that she didn’t like it. Then he did it again, this time groping her breast. […]
On Monday, Ferro announced that he was retiring from the board of directors of Tronc, and that CEO Justin Dearborn would succeed him as chairman. Ferro will still be paid $5 million-per-year by Tronc through Dec. 31, 2020, to serve as a consultant. […]
Fortune reached out to Ferro last week with the details of both women’s accounts. Through a spokesman, he declined to be interviewed and did not address or dispute any of the specific allegations made by Minshew and Kappler or others in this story.
Today Ferro’s spokesman provided this statement to Fortune: “Over more than 20 years of leading public companies and other enterprises, Michael Ferro has never had a claim filed against him nor a settlement made on his behalf. Your on-the-record allegations appear to involve private conduct with private individuals who were not employees of tronc or any other company he ran. As recently announced, Mr. Ferro has retired back to private life after leading a financial turnaround of tronc as the non-executive chairman. There will, therefore, be no other comment.”
* Related…
* More layoffs hit Chicago Tribune newsroom: Thursday’s layoffs and the uncertainty surrounding them may help fortify an effort to unionize Tribune editorial employees. Last week a group of staffers met with representatives of the Chicago News Guild, longtime bargaining agent for the Sun-Times and numerous suburban papers. The meeting was described as preliminary to a full-scale organizing effort.
Tomorrow is Primary Day and a crucial day for the pro-family movement in Illinois.
We must elect Jeanne Ives to be the GOP candidate for Governor and defeat the modern day King Herod, Bruce Rauner, who has broken every promise he has made to the voters. […]
Thanks to David Smith, Illinois Family Action, Ralph Rivera, Illinois Citizens for Life Pac, Reverend Bob whose radio ads you have been hearing, and all the other pro-life and pro-family leaders. Family-Pac has been proud to fight by your side in this important campaign.
Herod also appears in the Christian Gospel of Matthew as the ruler of Judea who orders the Massacre of the Innocents at the time of the birth of Jesus.
And that radio ad mentioned above is a truly despicable move. I’m not gonna post it. Period. It’s not a shenanigan, it’s reprehensible.
* Meanwhile, the governor is still focusing attention on those devious DGA TV ads…
Today, at a campaign event in Hanover Park, Governor Rauner addressed the Democratic Governors Association running TV ads in support of his primary opponent. At the event, Governor Rauner made the following statement in response to Washington Democrats throwing their support behind an unelectable candidate like Jeanne Ives:
“The Democratic Governors Association, supported by JB Pritzker, are running ads trying to boost Ives in our primary. They know they can beat Ives and they want Ives to win. We need everybody to know it, and we need everybody to get to the polls. Don’t let the Democratic Governors Association and Washington Democrats influence the outcome of the Republican primary in the state of Illinois. Republicans: get to the polls and vote for Rauner and Sanguinetti.” – Governor Bruce Rauner
Ordering voters around in the third person is an interesting tactic.
* Speaking of that presser, the Pritzker campaign says the governor had a melt-down today. I’m not kidding…
Manic Monday: Rauner Melts Down Before Election Day
Chicago, IL – In a bizarre press conference this morning, Rauner stumbled and laughed through questions as he closed out his flailing primary campaign with desperate attacks on Democrats.
After conservative media outlets have fueled Jeanne Ives’ rise, Rauner begged Republican primary voters not to support his insurgent challenger at the last-ditch presser. Rauner hypocritically railed on Democrats for running ads in another party’s primary, while dodging questions on his qualifications and accomplishments, nervously laughing nearly half a dozen times during Q&A.
“While Jeanne Ives continues to surge just hours ahead of Election Day, Bruce Rauner is manically melting down,” said Pritzker communications director Galia Slayen. “Rauner is sounding the alarm on his own sinking campaign as Illinoisans are preparing to vote in the primary he once took for granted.”
* A couple of people have sent me pics like this today. Dan Proft is mailing out the latest edition of one of his papers…
I received one, too, by the way. It’s basically just “Ives, Ives, Ives” for several pages.
* Democratic House candidate David Bonner has been getting big bucks from Statehouse interest types, but he’s also being hit in the mailboxes…
Ouch.
Debbie Meyers-Martin has only reported having about $21K in cash, so I’m not sure where she’s getting money for a 4-5 piece mail program unless it’s a limited list and/or she’s getting a bunch of small-dollar contributions.
House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) said Saturday a false mailer written by Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) means he can no longer remain neutral in the 8th District Democratic senate primary. Lang said the campaign brochure claimed that he had endorsed Silverstein when he had not. In response, he endorsed Ram Villivalam. […]
Silverstein told Patch Lang had not previously indicated that he would remain neutral:
1) It never crossed my mind that after 18 plus years of my constant support for Rep Lang that he would not assist and support me. In fact, we passed his nominating petitions.
2) He mentioned a conversation with me. In terms of that conversation, I heard that Rep Lang must be neutral until my matter before his committee was adjudicated. I respected that need for objectivity and ability to consider the matter fully. In that matter he showed great integrity. But once I was cleared by the Inspector General of the charges, and his committee’s responsibilities correctly discharged and the matter no longer before him, I thought our relationship would revert to the usual. Mutual support.
* Steve Rhodes has written some last-minute deep dives about the various campaigns. From his profile of Sen. Daniel Biss…
First, what was Carlos Ramirez-Rosa all about? Really? And I don’t mean that because he’s socialist, I mean that because he’s a 29-year-old first-term Chicago alderman. […]
Biss has a legitimate shot at winning the nomination Tuesday.
That’s a far cry from when Chicago magazine asked a few months ago if he had considered dropping out due to low polling numbers. (At that point, Pritzker had spent $7 million; he’s now spent $70 million and he’s in the exact same place in the polls. Maybe he should’ve been the one to drop out!) […]
Just say it. Own your choice. “Right now, getting Bruce Rauner out of office is more important than policy differences, expertise or any of the other traditional arguments we’d make when offering an endorsement. We can’t afford to take any chances, and Pritzker’s money offers us the most security in reaching our top goal: denying Rauner a second term.” Just say it. It’s not necessarily an unjust position. But don’t cloak it in [expletive deleted]. […]
I just know that Biss’s head-exploding exasperation during that last WTTW debate as two plutocrats who have refused to release their tax returns accused him of being the cynical poser we don’t really know seemed awfully genuine to me.
Pritzker is the Establishment’s candidate, and I must say I’ve been wrong in asserting that was only because of his checkbook. It’s also because he can be counted on not to rock the boat.
When you refuse to criticize Joe Berrios, much less endorse a challenger, you are truly Mike Madigan’s and Ed Burke’s guy.
“I’m not revealing who I voted for or who I’m supporting in that race,” Pritzker said, in the campaign’s final debate. […]
“Oh my gosh,” Chris Kennedy exclaimed in a truly genuine moment. ” If you can’t take a position on whether Joe Berrios should be re-elected . . . you shouldn’t be the governor of the state of Illinois.”
Perhaps Rauner’s biggest Pants on Fire lie? Pretending to not know what “pants on fire” means (Reporter: “It means that it’s not only false, it’s ludicrous . . . “) - or, more like, evading with dismissive scorn what fact-checkers tend to find when verifying his many truth-challenged statements. That alone shows the same dismissiveness to Illinoisans whose lives have been absolutely mangled by his single-minded pursuit of Moby Mike. […]
[The Democratic Governors Association is] playing with fire. Do you really want to further activate whatever Trump forces exist in Illinois (a state that has thus far not been fertile to Trump, just as it was not fertile for the Tea Party)?
As much as Democrats would also relish an Ives primary victory - based on the unproven notion that she’d be an easier opponent (certainly a less-moneyed one) than Rauner - it’s worth asking if working to make that happen is a good moral choice. None of this is good for democracy - especially one that seems like it’s crumbling. Pulling another thread from our already frayed civic life only hastens its demise.
[In reference to Kennedy’s freakout on an elevator during the 2016 Democratic National Convenion] Kennedy wasn’t wrong about the behavior of media packs, but boy was he wrong about how to handle it. Can you imagine him as governor? Can you really? […]
Back to Jacobin:
Along with the rest of his family, Kennedy has also continued to benefit from a piece of accounting wizardry that has inoculated his family’s wealth from taxes. As Carol O’Donnell of Forbes outlined, the Kennedys have long used “dynasty trusts” to both protect their wealth from the greed of individual family members, as well as shield it from the government’s busy hands.
But upon selling Merchandise Mart to Vornado Realty in 1998, the family also potentially avoided paying capital gains tax on the sale by entering into an “operating partnership unit” with the company, giving the Kennedys an ownership stake in Vornado. This also means that individual Kennedys have been reaping millions of dollars in dividends for years. Given that Chris Kennedy was the Vornado Realty Trust’s executive officer from 2000 to 2011, it’s likely he did, too. […]
It’s quite likely we’d know for sure if he released his tax returns. […]
Look, the guy is Not Ready For Prime Time.
* Other stuff…
* Our antiweed governor better take note: downstate is also going to pot: “I do not support legalizing recreational marijuana. I think it’s a big experiment on young people’s brains and development. We should study what’s going on in Colorado and California,” Rauner said. “Even [Colorado governor John] Hickenlooper says, ‘Bruce, you guys in Illinois, you ought to wait awhile and study what’s going on here. ‘Cause it ain’t all good.’” OK, first of all—no one’s rushing to do anything. If anything, they’re taking too [expletive deleted] long.
* As primaries loom, downstate Democrats look for a way back: Late Chicago political analyst Paul Green coined the phrase “Downstate holds the key to victory,” in which he meant statewide contests were ultimately decided by the votes from the small farming communities, university towns and former centers of industry that dot the area outside of Chicago and its suburbs. But, mirroring national trends, many traditional Democratic constituencies downstate have for one reason or another moved away from the party.
* Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti and Treasurer Michael Frerichs at Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day parade…
I didn’t give Oswego Willy a trigger warning, but after Friday’s Jason Plummer pic, this might be too much for him. Somebody should probably do a wellness check.
* From a Proft paper, so no matter how deliciously possible it may seem, just keep in mind that it’s the day before an election…
Gov. Bruce Rauner says he’ll fight for Illinoisans. But only if he wins re-election.
If he loses, Rauner’s wife, Diana, says she and Bruce are out of here.
“Bruce and I are moving to Italy,” a source says she flippantly told a group of “mostly Democrat” women from DuPage County last Thursday.
* The DGA then used the Proft paper story to troll the Rauners in its latest press release, which ends…
The Rauners would fit right in – they’re already wine connoisseurs of the highest degree.
Diana Rauner’s response came from a question about Illinois’ out-migration problem. Under Bruce Rauner, the problem has only gotten worse.
Is Bruce next?
“Given his rock-bottom approval ratings, it’s not surprising that Bruce Rauner is already planning his escape,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “And frankly, Italy’s a great choice. Illinois is worse under Bruce Rauner, so it’s no wonder he’d want to escape the mess he created. This year, Illinois voters are going to be saying – Ciao, Bruce!”
And they helpfully included this pic…
Weird times.
*** UPDATE *** The governor was actually asked about the story today and he dodged the question…
Rauner was asked whether he would stick around Illinois should he lose. He laughed, then said, "That's a whole 'nother subject. Let me be clear. We aren't going to lose. I'm a fighter. I never give up and I have fought hard for six years. I've lost 20 pounds, most of my hair."
Not a bright thing to say. Also, there’s that laugh again.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Congressman LaHood has said he is staying out of the Republican primary battle, so this was an interesting photo…
Dropped by the Sterling Family Diner in Peoria with Rep. Darin LaHood this morning! It was great to meet everyone! #twill#ILGovpic.twitter.com/jqTpCPc0qR
* She got the congressman’s name wrong (Ray is the father), but it’s Twitter and we’re all tired, so no big deal…
Ives campaign says Cong Ray Lahood told them he was at a public event of elected officials and not endorsing @GovRauner even tho Rauner spox said Gov & Lahood were campaigning together today in Peoria #ILGov@JeanneIves
* Pics of the alleged act (which could very well be someone throwing away a sign planted in the public way, making this a Tarver campaign shenanigan)…
They sent a third pic of the guy behind the wheel showing his license plate that I’m not going to post. But the plate of the alleged perp was a variation on the word “enchanting.” I told you that so you could understand the joke they texted: “Well, we’re definitely enchanted.”
“I’ve done 25 or 30 races over the years, and I’ve never seen a party turn away from a lawmaker like this,” said Thom Serafin, a former Democratic consultant who is now an independent political analyst in Chicago.
Thom and I are old pals, but he may have forgotten about his friend US Sen. Alan Dixon, an old-style conservative Democrat who got outflanked on his left by Carol Moseley Braun.
Blue Dog Democats expressed anger earlier this winter that the DCCC hadn’t come through with an endorsement for the incumbent. But Lipinski has since told the Washington Examiner he’s getting the committee’s support.
“And I would hope so,” Blue Dog Kurt Schrader said in the Speaker’s Lobby on Wednesday. “Why would members pay dues to the DCCC if they don’t have your back at the end of the day?”
The party apparatus itself hasn’t turned against the congressman. The DCCC is with him. The Cook County regular organization is with him. The Illinois AFL-CIO is with him. Some fellow party members have, however, turned against him.
In interviews with nearly a dozen Democrats, most said they are glad to have a real debate on issues in a district that has been virtually unchallenged for decades, including those who support Lipinski.
“We have not had a choice, a real choice, in at least 14 years,” said Newman supporter Mary Anne Quinlian. “Not having a choice makes everyone feel limited. That isn’t healthy.”
But Lipinski says progressive pressure may drive centrists like him away from the Democrats for good.
“I have seen the Democratic Party, unfortunately, push pro-life voters out of the party,” Lipinski said. “I have people come up to me and say, ‘I used to be a Democrat and because of the life issue, I can’t be a Democrat anymore.’ ”
“We interviewed nearly a dozen Democrats and the first person we quoted is a Newman supporter and the second is the congressman himself! Hooray!” Also, Ms. Quinlan is a gun control activist. And there are no quotes in that piece from any people who aren’t identified as supporters of one candidate or the other.
• Of all the reasons challenger Marie Newman has mustered to defeat Rep. Dan Lipinski in their Democratic primary contest, calling him a “Trump Democrat” is potent political shorthand for turning out her vote.
• In pro-Lipinski direct mail pieces secretly financed by a donor or donors hiding under the name Americans Committed for Progress — it’s a phony organization — Lipinski is portrayed as anti-Trump, even though he hasn’t carved out a niche as standing up to an anti-Trump agenda Democrat.
Lipinski’s own direct mail pieces sets him up as “fighting” Trump health care cuts. That’s to gloss and try to mitigate Lipinski’s opposition to the creation of Obamacare.
• It’s almost a given in this Illinois Democratic primary. Strategists tell me hitting Trump tests well. That’s why so many Illinois Democrats are using Trump.
Lipinski’s American Conservatives Union lifetime rating is just 19.12 out of 100. That’s the highest of all Illinois Democrats, but Peter Roskam’s is 82.77.
Lipinski has come under fire for moderate views that have often put him at odds with others in his party. Lipinski is one of the last pro-life Democrats in the House, and he voted against Obamacare. He did not publicly endorse President Obama in his 2012 reelection bid
Sometimes, time passes you by. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I’d bet good money if he wins they’ll come after him again in 2020.
Lipinski, allies say, was caught a bit flat-footed by the challenge. He told TPM a few weeks ago that he wasn’t sure “why anyone believes this is going to be a close race to begin with.” He was slow to launch TV ads slamming Newman, allowing her and her allies weeks to themselves to define the race. That allowed Newman to raise her once-nonexistent name ID and drill him for his regular breaks with his party, not an easy feat in Chicago’s expensive media market especially since it’s been saturated with heavy campaign spending from the billionaires running for Illinois governor.
A Lipinski poll taken early in the race found him with a 30-point lead; a recent survey from NARAL found Newman within two points.
* From Citizens For A Better Illinois, a coalition of NARAL, the Human Rights Campaign, SEIU, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and EMILY’s List…
By Election Day, CBI will have spent more than $1.6 million to expose Dan Lipinski’s record.
After Rauner said he’d be moving back to the mansion in May, a reporter asked about a discrepancy in fundraising efforts. Money was raised to repair the mansion, but efforts to raise private money to repair buildings on the state fairgrounds haven’t been as successful since Rauner created a fair foundation in 2016.
“What we have found is that because Madigan and his legislators have resisted it and have fought against a fair foundation, there’s some reluctance among some donors to fund it, because they’re worried Madigan will somehow end-run it or block it in the future,” Rauner said. “His resistance to a fair foundation has inhibited donors and it’s frankly terrible.”
Yeah, that’s the only possible explanation.
*** UPDATE *** With a hat tip to a commenter, if you go to the Illinois State Fairgrounds Foundation’s website, you’ll see this…
Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of a gun-dealer licensing bill last week took a lot of folks by surprise. It probably shouldn’t have.
We’ll get to the politics in a second, but as with HB40, the governor was acting on his beliefs. Rauner is a strong abortion-rights supporter, so he signed HB40 last year to provide public funding for abortions and protect women’s right to choose if Roe v. Wade is reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Governor Rauner also says he’s an NRA member. And he’s been railing against government regulations of business his entire adult life. This licensing bill checked both of those ideological boxes.
Okay, on to the politics.
After the disastrous two-plus-year state-budget impasse, HB40 gave him an opening with suburban women last year – and you can’t win statewide without that demographic.
Last week’s licensing-bill veto allowed him to throw some red meat at his GOP base a few days before the primary.
Getting on the front page of every newspaper in the state and leading the local TV news coverage and inserting himself into conservative talk radio shows would tend to help the governor with Republican primary voters.
And the more the Democrats scream about that veto, the more Rauner’s base is shored up at an important moment. That may sound cynical, and it most definitely is, but it’s difficult to deny. He upset a lot of conservatives by signing HB40. He needed to make it up to them.
Then, the Friday before the election, the Democratic Governors Association dropped almost half a million dollars on two TV ads designed to both help Rauner’s GOP primary opponent Representative Jeanne Ives court conservative, pro-Trump, pro-gun Republican primary voters and hurt the governor with that same Republican base.
As Rauner knows from his own personal experience, primaries often tighten up at the end. His polling had him leading by double digits four years ago at this time. Back then, he pulled down all his negative ads and switched to a fully positive campaign, only to barely squeak by on primary night. He wouldn’t want to make the same mistake twice.
Rauner probably suspected the DGA was about to do something, so his gun-bill veto earlier in the week was perfectly (accidentally, but still perfectly) timed.
It sure seems as I write this that the governor believed the race was tightening by looking at his behavior last week.
He vetoed that bill to regulate gun sellers, then held a hastily arranged press conference at the now-infamous Quincy veterans’ home to announce some “options” for the future, pulled down his negative TV ad attacking JB Pritzker, reportedly added $350,000 to his already huge $1.5 million buy for the final week, launched a new and more powerful negative ad against Representative Ives that ludicrously tried to connect her to Speaker Madigan, and quickly put together a new TV spot defending himself against the DGA’s onslaught.
With Republican turnout appearing to tank compared to four years ago (which might give the far-right base an advantage), along with the possibility that at least some Cook County Republicans might be taking Democratic ballots to vote against Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios (a possibility that Rauner himself encouraged with his constant attacks on the Madigan-Berrios combine), and the fact that the governor cannot campaign effectively on a record of accomplishments (his positive advertising just says what he will do in the future, although he does take full credit for proposing a $1 billion tax cut that has no chance of passage), plus the intense national political weirdness, it all adds up to a situation where the governor could not afford to take any chances at all.
But wait. What about the gun-bill veto’s impact on the fall campaign? After all, those crucial suburban women are not known for being pro-gun. Just the opposite.
Well, you gotta win the primary before you can get to the general. Plus, the governor is likely betting that the Democrats will send him more gun-related bills and he can sign some or even all of them once the primary is behind him, so he can balance things out for the fall.
The bottom line is: I don’t think this is the end for gun-control legislation this spring. In fact, it could wind up as just the beginning once we get to April. But that will rely on the Democratic leadership wanting to pass laws, not just bills. And I’m not sure yet which path they’ll take.
* I told you Sunday that Speaker Madigan’s 13th Ward Organization reported receiving $55,400 from the Teamsters’ DRIVE committee on Saturday. The 13th Ward got $55,400 from the pipe trades earlier this year. He’s apparently spending some of that money to convince voters that this guy will be an independent judge…
Hilarious. “He’s independent!” says the 13th Ward. Independent of… what?
* The governor is really focused on those wicked DGA TV ads…
Media Advisory: Governor Rauner to Hold Media Availability Tomorrow Morning in Hanover Park
On Monday, Governor Rauner will visit Round Ground Metals in Hanover Park, IL and hold a media availability to address the Democratic Governors Association’s interference in the GOP primary.
* A Kennedy dirty trick? Looks like it. Notice the date of the first tweet…
* You probably won’t be surprised that none of these statewide officials appear on Casten’s endorsements web-page. So, this is yet another candidate mailer designed to make it look like someone has endorsements that he doesn’t actually have…
* Press release…
Congressional candidate Chuy Garcia on Sunday called on Iris Millan and her campaign to cease and desist the unlawful use of his name and image in her campaign materials in the race for Illinois’ 4th House District. This letter was sent by Garcia’s campaign following a mailer misleading voters about Chuy Garcia’s endorsement in this race for State Representative.
Jesus “Chuy” Garcia endorsed Delia Ramirez for State Representative on December 17, 2017 because she has deeps roots in this district and is ready to transform Springfield.
Iris Millan, who according to Illinois Sunshine has received over 50% of her campaign donations from 1st Ward Alderman Proco ‘Joe’ Moreno, has sent misinformation to voters numerous times through an unknown organization called the Social Justice Fund. This is a continuation of the Millan campaign’s dishonesty and willingness to deceive voters for political gain. Ramirez called these tactics “shameful and not in the best interest of voters.”
This is the weirdest election ever. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s opponent is now pulling a Bruce Rauner and calling her a Machine Madigan candidiate. While he runs to her left. That’s right I said running to her left. #Twill Make it all stop. pic.twitter.com/bxX3W1Vmeb
* Security of state voter rolls a concern as primaries begin: “It’s not something where you ever feel completely safe,” Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections. “It’s something where you feel like you’re doing your best to protect against what could happen in a cyberattack.”
* Wheeling Township GOP Chair slams Rauner attempt to subvert Ives endorsement: Rauner has sought to use his prodigious checkbook to boost lagging enthusiasm for him among local GOP organizations. Even his hometown, local New Trier Township GOP refused to endorse him over Ives. Of all 30 suburban Cook County townships, Rauner performed best in New Trier in a hotly-contested 2014 primary, carrying 77 percent of the vote in a four-way race against state senators Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard and then Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford.
* Editorial: Voters should do the vetting in primaries: After her primary opponent Lance Yednock entered the race, Bernal said a Democratic state representative asked her to leave the contest. After the holidays, she received a series of calls with the same request. Her answer stayed the same. On Jan. 15, Bernal said she met with Yednock and a high-ranking state official at a Spring Valley attorney’s office. She again was asked to end her campaign. Bernal told The Times on Thursday she would vote against Madigan for speaker.
The frenzied final weekend of in-person campaigning supplements the nearly $65.7 million spent by candidates and interest groups on TV commercials in the governor race so far. The contest could become the most expensive race to be Illinois’ chief executive in state history.
That TV spending total — in just the primary — is more than the record $65.3 million Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent on his entire 2014 campaign.
* JB Pritzker was on Newsradio WJPF the other day and was asked about this now outdated graphic from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform…
Interviewer: And they had it done in a pie chart and yours was all orange, and orange said ’self.’
Pritzker: [Three-second pause] Hehehehehe. Well, you want me to react to that?
Interviewer: Go big or go home, right?
Pritzker: Hehehehe. Well, remember that this whole campaign began in December of 2016 when Bruce Rauner wrote himself a $50 million check into his own campaign account. And then he accepted tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers’ right-wing network. And you know, they’re aiming at, uh, destroying labor unions and lower wages in the state, lowering workplace safety. So, I knew when I entered this race that we’d have to go fight fire with fire. Sen. Paul Simon, who is I think a hero to many of us who care about public service, once said, you know, that when you’re fighting for campaign finance reform, which I am, you can’t unilaterally disarm in the middle of it just because you’re in favor of campaign finance reform and the Republicans are spending so much money. So, I really believe that what I’ve tried to do throughout this campaign is to build the infrastructure of the Democratic Party, or at least of my campaign so that going into the general election we can win up and down the ticket for Democrats. So that’s what I’ve been doing and I’m excited about going into this Tuesday primary. I feel good about our chances. And most of all I feel good about our ability to beat Bruce Rauner in the general election.
* That’s not a bad (albeit far too-wordy explanation), but he’s also had to fend off well-funded attacks by Rauner and attacks by his opponents over stuff like this…
How can @JBPritzker say this now? "I haven't moved any money off shore and I don't invest offshore it's not apart of what I do." #ILGov
“I haven’t moved any money offshore” means “my accountant or brother-in-law did it for me” and “I don’t invest offshore” means “Well, my foundation does… and okay, trustees that I assigned also do it for me.” Translating JB’s non-denial denials is a full-time job these days. https://t.co/EWTmmSxuqG
* Meanwhile,not long ago, Chris Kennedy was bitterly complaining about all the money JB Pritzker was handing out to ward, township and county party organizations. On Friday, Kennedy’s campaign gave $2,500 to the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization.
Ives, who once said she needed $10 million to run an effective race against Rauner, has raised nearly $4 million — including $2.5 million from conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest. In recent days, Vincent Kolber, a transportation asset manager from Chicago, loaned her $250,000 in addition to $410,000 he already had given.
Ives said Saturday she’ll have enough money to keep airing ads through Tuesday despite a fundraising email pitch from her campaign Saturday, seeking money for “our final chance to get on TV.”
* By the way, the Teamsters’ national DRIVE committee gave Speaker Madigan’s 13th Ward Organization a fat $55,400 check yesterday.
* Related…
* Pritzker Now at $70 Million, Rauner Feeling Pressure from Ives: Biss also commented on the matter and said, “JB Pritzker is trying to buy the election because Mike Madigan told him to.” … According to Rauner however, “she’s weak, weak on Madigan, weak on taxes.”
* Recognize these names? Meet the Macon County donors who gave $420,000 to political candidates
* Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day: Democrat for governor Chris Kennedy said he is confident ahead of the vote. “All we have to do is reject big money and politics on Tuesday,” Kennedy said.
Love the responses people from #IL03 are sending back to these ridiculous texts. “Also, I am catholic and will be voting for Marie Newman.” ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Tu4f6icEri
In a little neighborhood near Midway airport — with “Proud Union Home” signs scattered across tiny front yards — canvassers spread out to talk to voters about Dan Lipinski, a pro-life, Democratic congressman running in a close primary against progressive challenger Marie Newman. […]
Seventy canvassers — nearly all of whom are undergraduate students from the University of Notre Dame, Franciscan University in Steubenville, and Cedarville University — have knocked on about 23,000 doors in the district since Thursday, and they hope to reach another 5,000 before the weekend’s over. […]
Working off of SBA List models, the canvassers have reached out to moderate Democrats across the entire district — which spans much of Chicago’s southwest suburbs — targeting voters who have turned out in Democratic primaries and who are predicted to oppose taxpayer-funded abortion… But, as SBA List canvassers have discovered this weekend when talking to moderate voters, many Democrats don’t share Newman’s support for liberal abortion laws.
Notice they wrote “knocked” on the doors. Those out-of-state students didn’t reach that many people. And, of course they’re going to hear what they want to hear at the doors because they’re specifically targeting voters who are on their side. I call shenanigans on that story.
Also, the SBA List folks said they was spending “six figures” on this GOTV effort. Its last FEC filing showed it had $110,222. It’s close to election day, paranoia is super high, so some are speculating that Rauner bucks may be involved there to divert support away from Jeanne Ives. But that would be a lot of work for a very small universe - traditional Democrats in one congressional district who vote pro-life.
* Speaking of the governor’s race, here’s a Rauner campaign e-mail…
Day 2: Has the DGA Filed an In-Kind Contribution for Ives Yet?
NO.
The State Board of Elections has stated that the DGA should report their ad buy on behalf of Ives as either an independent expenditure or an in-kind contribution.
The Hill: “Dems meddle against Illinois governor ahead of GOP primary”
Politico: “Democrats meddle in Illinois GOP Primary”
Chicago Sun-Times: “Ives also got back-door support last week in the form of a TV ad released Thursday by the Democratic Governors Association”
NBC5: “The Democratic Governors are running ads to help [Ives].”
* This Cook County Board race was destined to get nasty. From Friday…
Today residents across Chicago demanded Alma Anya, Cook County Commissioner Candidate in the 7th district immediately end her campaign following the arrest of her campaign staff member [redacted by me]. [Redacted], who is the boyfriend of Alma’s campaign [redacted], was arrested by the Chicago Police Department Wednesday morning at 1AM in the West Lawn neighborhood and charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing Cook County Commissioner candidate’s Angie Sandoval yard signs. […]
According to the Chicago Police Department report, [redacted] had wire cutters in his hand and his car had more than 50 yard signs for candidate Angie Sandoval inside.
* Same day, same race, different candidate’s press release…
The Cook County Board of Ethics has confirmed that Cook County Commissioner candidate Angie Sandoval repeatedly violated campaign finance laws regarding contribution limits from contractors doing business with the County, according to new information the campaign of Alma Anaya campaign has received via a Freedom of Information Act request.
* From today…
Latino Victory Fund today slammed Angie Sandoval, candidate for Cook County Commissioner, for her desperate attempts to mislead voters and smear her opponent, Alma Anaya. Sandoval has led a concerted effort to convince voters that Jesús “Chuy” García, the frontrunner for Illinois’ 4th congressional district, supports her campaign even though he has endorsed Anaya. In a shocking display of xenophobia, Sandoval has also aired English-language ads that cast Anaya, who immigrated to the United States as a child, as an outsider, saying “she’s not from here.”
U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Deputy Majority and Niles Township Democratic Committeeman Leader Lou Lang will campaign with 8th District Senate Candidate Ram Villivalam at Ram for Senate HQ. Schakowsky will talk about why she endorsed Progressive Democrat Ram to change Springfield, and replace incumbent Ira Silverstein. Leader Lang is publicly endorsing Ram for Senate following his announcement yesterday. In a statement posted yesterday, Lang wrote:
“Friends, In politics, all that matters is your word. So, let’s be clear. A new campaign brochure authored and mailed by Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) claiming that I have endorsed him in his primary election is: False…Today, I endorse Ram Villivalam for the Illinois State Senate as I believe he possesses the integrity becoming of a legislator.”
Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced today that 178 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from her office will be monitoring primary elections throughout Illinois on Tuesday, March 20, to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and polling places are accessible.
* Moving right along, a pro-life Republican legislator asked me if I wanted a “copy of the NARAL flyer showing Jeanne as against HB40 and the governor for it at this hard R household?” Seems a bit odd that NARAL would be mailing to such a person, but, sure, I replied, send it over…
Heh.
* If the field office is supposed to be so busy, why does one of his pics show campaign workers playing Uno? I call shenanigans!…
Friends, In politics, all that matters is your word. So, let’s be clear. A new campaign brochure authored and mailed by Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) claiming that I have endorsed him in his primary election is: False.
As a Member of the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission, which oversaw the investigation of Senator Silverstein related to a sexual harassment complaint, I had pledged to the Niles Township Democrats and informed all parties involved in the 8th State Senate district Democratic primary, including Senator Silverstein, that I would remain neutral. Senator Silverstein’s mail piece compromised that neutrality. Now I am no longer neutral.
Today, I endorse Ram Villivalam for the Illinois State Senate as I believe he possesses the integrity becoming of a legislator.
Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy on Friday accused rival J.B. Pritzker of “buying off” elected officials, including local African-American leaders as part of an “apology tour” over 2008 remarks about potential black successors to Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. […]
Kennedy’s comments came as Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, has given more than $700,000 to local Democratic organizations and the campaign accounts of officials across the state, State Board of Elections records showed.
* Well, Pritzker is a piker when compared to the other side. Here’s a report today from the Illinois Review…
Quid Pro Quo? Rauner Gives $1.5M to 41 County GOP Orgs Through ILGOP
In an political strategy unprecedented in the Illinois Republican Party, thousands of dollars were transferred from the Illinois Republican Party to county organizations in the last three months leading up to the March 20th IL GOP primary.
State Board of Elections records show that 41 county GOP organizations received gifts from the IL GOP from $5000 to $25,000. Never before has the IL GOP had the resources to distribute funds in such a manner.
Where did the unprecedented party funding come from? County leaders tell Illinois Review they were asked to fill out applications, and checks were sent their ways - no requests or expectations voiced in the process.
Prior to hitting the parade route along Columbus Drive, Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker defended putting another $6.3 million of his fortune into his campaign, a move he disclosed Friday night. It brought the record-setting, self-funding total of the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune to $69.5 million.
Pritzker tried to make light of the latest cash infusion. “We simply are trying to make sure that we’re paying the bills in the campaign, and we’re very excited about the opportunity to simply get our message out,” he said.
Rival Chris Kennedy did some quick math and said the large sum “means he’s spending, I guess, $2 million a day to try to buy this election. And we have to decide whether we want to send a message from Illinois to the rest of the country, the rest of the world, that a democracy can be bought.” […]
“I was sort of confused about where the other half-million was,” Biss said. “I was hoping that J.B. would get to $70 million during the course of the campaign. It’s only, only 69.5. What a cheapskate.”
Kennedy’s donors include real estate developers, attorneys and family members. In 2018, top contributors include former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley with $100,000, Habitat Company CEO Daniel Levin with more than $200,000, and attorney Robert Berner of Baker McKenzie with $250,000.
Biss garnered the most donations under $25 — a total of 70, according to a report for the last quarter of 2017. He also received hefty handouts from a potpourri of wealthy Democrats and attorneys.
Those include Chicago lawyers Gary Elden with $200,000 and Leonard Goodman with $150,000, California software entrepreneur Steve Silberstein with $150,000, Evanston investment banker Charles Lewis with $250,000, and Chicago philanthropist Gail Waller with $300,000.
Compared to Kennedy with more than 258 individual donations and Biss with over 245 this year, Pritzker’s financial disclosures look a little lonely — his only other benefactor is the Illinois Education Association with $14,700.
When asked at a debate this month to name the top five donors to her attorney general campaign, Republican Erika Harold said she couldn’t identify them.
“Obviously I have received support from the party, and I am very proud to receive support of the party,” she said, adding she “couldn’t say an exact amount.”
There was one precise figure, though, that Harold offered: $305,000 she received a day earlier from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, leading the moderator to ask her whether she could be independent from the governor. […]
“The semblance of impropriety seems to be there, looking at being beholden to the governor,” said Grasso, who is self-funding his campaign.
Harold has reported raising $461K since the start of the year, which she began with $162K. Grasso has raised $366K, mostly from himself. He started the year with $25K.
The controversial soda pop tax that was repealed last year by the Cook County Board amid a public backlash has spawned two fierce Democratic primary election contests fueled by $1.8 million in campaign cash.
Union-backed challengers Brandon Johnson and Bridget Degnen are taking on tax-opposing Commissioners Richard Boykin and John Fritchey, contending layoffs triggered by the pop tax repeal have diminished vital county services. Both cite finding new ways to raise more government revenue as priorities. […]
Campaign contributions to all four candidates this election cycle come to nearly $1.4 million, even though it’s not unheard of to win a County Board seat for $100,000 or less. And political action committees have poured another $442,000 in independent expenditures into the race. Most of the money comes from public employee unions that opposed the repeal of the pop tax and business interests that successfully fought to eliminate it.
At a recent fundraising event in southwest suburban Homer Glen, Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin acknowledged that leading the minority party in a chamber controlled by Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t easy.
“I like to think my job is threefold,” said Durkin, a 20-year veteran lawmaker from Western Springs. “I’ve got to work on policy. I’ve got to raise money. But I’m also an unlicensed psychiatrist at times in Springfield.”
Psychiatry isn’t necessary to diagnose an Illinois Republican Party facing deep ideological divides, however. In some respects, the GOP split mirrors the one on the Democratic side — insurgents from a far wing of the party pushing against the establishment.
Tuesday’s election already was unusual, as a sitting governor faces a potentially difficult primary challenge. But rarer still is the year when a longtime legislative leader also faces a well-moneyed challenge in his home district.
So far, Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC has disclosed $1,229,373.72 in independent expenditures against Durkin and for his opponent Mickey Straub. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ PAC has disclosed spending about $46K against Straub since March 5th.
Ooh this just happened to me too, thought it was a misinformed wrong number that perhaps I could persuade otherwise… This is a disgusting tactic. pic.twitter.com/An7XGvNEsh
A mailer sent out by the Cook County GOP aggravated already growing divisions in the party over “official” endorsements. A sample ballot Republican voters received reflected endorsements made personally by Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison in February and an endorsement session held later.
Several township committeemen are concerned that the sample ballots sent out by the Cook County GOP contain a note that declares the sample ballot as the only “official” sample ballot for the county, and that any others were to be ignored. Wheeling Township Committeeman Ruth O’Connell said that left down ballot candidates with no endorsements. Wheeling also endorsed Jeanne Ives to be the IL GOP gubernatorial nominee over Bruce Rauner - the “official” Cook County GOP pick.
“That mailer undermines my authority as Wheeling Township GOP Committeeman,” O’Connell told Illinois Review.
Chairman Morrison said his ballot focused only on the top six offices, and left local race picks to local committeemen.
There are five counties in the Metro East: Clinton, Jersey, Madison, St. Clair and Monroe, with a total of 630,000 residents, according to the 2010 US Census. It’s an important part of the state. Plus, according to the News-Democrat and my own checking, this trip was planned in advance. It wasn’t some hastily arranged foray to avoid questions from the Chicago media about a Tribune story that appears to have some factual issues.
Rod Blagojevich won with Downstate votes. Pritzker is trying to do the same thing. The trip most certainly has the benefit of being out of the state’s largest media market during a particularly difficult time, but he was just in the second-largest market and now he’s back in Chicago today with two items on his schedule.
* The Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ PAC is getting downright nasty in the super-crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie. Click the pic for a larger view…
* But the constant whining about money in Biss’ press releases is getting a bit stale…
JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy reach new levels of absurdity with latest cash dumps
JB Pritzker has now spent $70 million in his attempt to buy the Democratic primary. Yet despite spending more than Donald Trump in his 2016 primary, and now more than Bruce Rauner in his 2014 general election, Pritzker has failed to move out of the 30’s in polls taken over the last 10 months. Chris Kennedy has also dumped another $500,000 into his campaign this week, bringing his total to over $2 million.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Technically, not a true shenanigan, but close enough…
Get your facts straight before you tweet. Sign is from CLPAC Both Chuy and Sandoval asked for and earned the PAC's endorsement. An aAd similar to the sign has been online for weeks. The sign reads CLPAC Proudly Endorses. The only lie is what @MaryAnnAhernNBC is spreading https://t.co/yNd0MqkOdE
* Bernal: Madigan behind Yednock campaign: The La Salle County Board member, who is running for state representative, said party leaders asked whether she supports Chicago’s Michael Madigan, the longtime House speaker and chairman of the state Democratic Party. She said she couldn’t make that promise. “I had never met him and don’t know him, but I certainly would not promise to agree on everything he wanted. They asked me the question three times, and I gave them the same answer,” said Bernal, a registered nurse. “They said they would look for someone to face me in the primary. I feel they wanted me to support the speaker on everything.”
* Slowik: High turnout of fired-up voters expected for Tuesday’s primary election: I’ll be watching to see how many write-in votes Mateusz “Mat” Tomkowiak picks up in his challenge to Madigan’s seat on the state central committee representing the 3rd District. I expect Madigan to prevail, but Tomkowiak’s numbers could be another sign of how many voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the party.
* Madigan backs Dem central committee incumbent in 13th: Friends of Michael J. Madigan has given help in the form of fliers and robocalls valued at more than $40,000 to incumbent Jayne Mazzotti of Taylorville. She was a Democratic National Convention delegate for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Her challenger in Tuesday’s primary, when Democratic voters will elect one man and one woman from each congressional district to be on the state central committee, is Pamella Gronemeyer, a pathologist from Glen Carbon who was a Bernie Sanders supporter and served on the platform committee of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
* Flaps, flubs and funds — Dem gov primary flush with all of it: For businessman Chris Kennedy — who raised more than $6 million for his campaign — there were immediate expectations. When will the Kennedy family sweep in? Why haven’t they given more money? Why isn’t he on TV? Is he really running this time?
* Governor candidates make final push for votes ahead of primary: Chris Kennedy shook hands at the 95th Street Red Line station, and is bringing in reinforcements this weekend. “So, I’ve relatives coming in from all across the United States to Chicago and they’ll fan out across the state of Illinois. A lot of them have been here through summer and fall, so they’re reacquainting the friendships they’ve made earlier in the campaign,” Kennedy said.
* Jim Nowlan: Let’s get rid of all the political consultants: Recently, on the same day, I received five over-size, glossy political postcards from Gov. Bruce Rauner. The cards told the most outrageous, bald-faced lies about an opponent that I have ever read. As I digested the messages, I became sick to my stomach.
* Depending on how you look at things, the Tribune is being unsportsmanlike by dropping a bombshell a few days before an election, Speaker Madigan is getting some payback a few days before an election, or the Daniel Biss campaign is trying to cover up and flat-out deny legit allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation a few days before an election…
A former staffer for State Rep. Litesa Wallace — the running mate of Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss — says Wallace ignored her sexual harassment complaint involving a community leader and then retaliated against her for making the accusation.
The woman’s complaint closely resembles one of nine recently disclosed by House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has come under fire for his handling of sexual harassment allegations in both the legislature and his own political organization.
Madigan did not release names involved with the cases, but the Tribune learned of Wallace’s dispute with her former aide following an open records request for documents related to pay issues and harassment accusations.
Informed of the staffer’s allegations, a Biss-Wallace campaign spokesman denied any wrongdoing on the representative’s part and blamed Madigan for turning the dispute into a political issue by mischaracterizing it on his list. Madigan’s allies are backing one of Biss’ rivals, J.B. Pritzker.
* The Tribune filed a FOIA on February 27th, hours after Madigan released a list of nine resolved staff cases involving harassment. This one is the only identified case involving payment of state funds, so it was FOIA-able…
“A staffer accused a legislator of harassment, retaliation, and failure to pay wages. The matter was resolved through counsel.”
