A new poll of Illinois’ 17th Congressional District Democratic voters conducted last week shows former state Rep. Litesa Wallace leading a crowded field of deep-pocketed rivals.
According to the poll by Triton Polling & Research of 522 registered voters and paid for by the Wallace campaign, she leads with 22.1 percent of the vote, trailed by former regional weatherman Eric Sorenson with 18.6 percent and nobody else in the field garnering more than 9 percent.
Rockford alderman Jonathan Logemann, preferred by many establishment figures, netted only 4.9 percent in a poll with a 4.3 percent margin of error.
Wallace’s name identification showed room to grow at 43.6 percent, compared to Sorenson at 51.4. Logemann was at 31.1 percent.
Wallace was trusted to “get things done for working families” by 20.9 percent of the respondents, leading the field.
“Voters know Litesa’s an advocate who gets things done for women, children and working families,” said Dulana Reese, Wallace campaign manager.
The polling began on May 2nd, the day Politico published the leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion showing the vote to eliminate Roe vs. Wade abortion protections. It concluded May 5th.
“Once voters realize that abortion rights are on the ballot in November and that Rep. Wallace has a proven track record of making Illinois a haven state and standing up for reproductive freedom, we expect Litesa’s advantage to grow,” Reese said.
“The Republican frontrunner in this race is Esther Joy King, an extremist on abortion who believes in no exceptions for girls and women, even in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. Rep. Wallace will bring the biggest contrast in our efforts to retain the seat currently held by Rep. Cheri Bustos,” Reese said.
Rep. Wallace previously served three terms in Springfield as the State Representative from Rockford’s 67th District. She gained national attention in 2018 when she ran for Lt. Governor alongside Daniel Biss in the Democratic primary for Governor.
She has been endorsed by SEIU Illinois, Winnebago County Citizens for Choice, the Collective PAC, Democracy for America, and a long list of elected officials in the 17th District and across Illinois.
Rep. Wallace is running to represent the newly drawn 17th District, which includes most of Peoria, Rockford, Freeport, the Quad Cities, Bloomington-Normal, Macomb, and Galesburg.
The poll was taken May 2-5. Click here for the toplines, which show that 60 percent of respondents said they always vote and another 35 percent said they were very likely to vote in the primary.
* There was also this mild push question asked after the favorability and head-to-head questions (with initial head to head results in parentheses)…
Of the candidates for Representative of U.S. House Illinois District 17, who do you trust to get things done for working families?
Alderman Jonathan Logemann 5.8 (4.9)
Cannabis lobbyist Jacqueline McGowan 4.5 (2.3)
County Board Member Angie Normoyle 8.0 (7.7)
TV Weatherman Eric Sorensen 16.8 (18.6)
Counselor & Experienced Legislator Litesa Wallace 20.9 (22.1)
Admissions advisor Marsha Williams 0.9 (2.9)
Not Sure / Don’t Know 43.1 (41.5)
Kinda interesting that her numbers went down a tiny bit when “experienced legislator” was mentioned.
* The city for years relied on its interpretation of a state legislative “drafting error” to impose hundreds of millions in fines? Brilliant. What could possibly go wrong?…
An Illinois appellate court ruled Friday that the city of Chicago unlawfully overcharged some residents who were ticketed for failing to have a vehicle sticker, which one car owner said led him to declare bankruptcy after he racked up thousands of dollars in fines.
Attorney Jacie Zolna, who represents three residents in a lawsuit that led to the ruling, said the decision sets the stage for a possible class-action lawsuit that could see hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket debt come under scrutiny. […]
Vehicle stickers are at the heart of the case. The city charges $95 annually for a passenger car sticker, with the money going toward road maintenance. Failing to display a sticker can mean a ticket.
State law sets the maximum penalty for such an offense at $250, but city attorneys argued that was “a drafting error” in the vehicle code, according to the appellate court ruling. They said the legislature intended the true ceiling to be $500 and the city charged accordingly, with a $200 ticket bringing an additional $200 fine if not paid within 25 days.
Although we rest our interpretation of this statute on its plain language and our resistance to any assumption that there has been a legislative error, we note that the history of the $500 cap in section 11-208.3(a) also supports this understanding. For most of section 11-208.3’s history, the caps in subsections (a) and (b)(10) were both set at $250. Then, in 2010, the statute was amended to allow for the administrative adjudication of violations of section 11-1201.1 of the Vehicle Code, a provision that deals with automated railroad crossing enforcement systems. See Pub. Act 96- 478, § 5 (eff. Jan. 1, 2010) (amending 625 ILCS 5/11-208.3(a)). As part of this same amendment, in addition to new language on section 11-1201.1, the cap in section 11-208.3(a) was raised to $500 for the first time, presumably to accommodate the higher fines now permitted by the new railroad crossing statute. See id. Meanwhile, in that same 2010 amendment, the $250 cap in section 11-208.3(b)(10) was left unchanged. See id. Plaintiffs argue convincingly that the decision not to raise the $250 figure in section 11-208.3(b)(10), either in 2010 or in any subsequent amendments, reflects a legislative intent “to leave in place the $250 limitation for the ordinance violations that were already in existence prior to the passage of the railroad safety law.”
Seems reasonable.
Also, if the city truly believed this was an error, the brain trust shoulda passed a trailer bill to clean it up.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is donating more than 3,000 pieces of protective equipment, including body armor, ballistic face shields, and ballistic helmets to help the Ukrainian citizens enduring the Russian invasion. By U.S. standards, this equipment can no longer be used by ISP or any other law enforcement agency within Illinois. Most body armor in the U.S. has a standard five-year life span. However, it will still offer some protection to civilians, humanitarian aid workers, and others in the Ukraine. This surplus equipment must be disposed of if it is not donated to the Ukraine.
ISP coordinated the donation with the Illinois National Guard, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Department of Commerce, and the United States Department of State to transport the equipment as well as ensure compliance with all Federal and State laws and regulations.
I’ve asked which entity is receiving the equipment.
* Darren Bailey spoke to his Facebook followers this morning about Richard Irvin’s press conference…
The man has been hiding in his basement for over two months. And just like they were doing with Biden, they’re trying to prep him, they’re trying to make him and help him say the right things. It was an absolute disaster. And what made it even better is he had his RINO club with him. He had his head his tax hiking, tax hiking club with him. Avery Bourne was with him and a senator and another representative were with him. It was supposed to be a LaSalle Veterans Home press conference, like I did, actually very timely, last Thursday, when the news broke. But unfortunately, you know, he doesn’t know anything about this stuff. So he’s got to be prepped, and it took him almost a week to try to memorize a statement. And, wow, four minutes into it and the press started asking him where he stood at on life. He would not answer the question. They asked him where he stood at on Trump. He would not answer the question. Please watch this video, the man began to break out in a sweat he stuttered, he tried to get it back to why he was supposedly there. Anyway, we’ve got some interesting days on our hands ahead of us and only if we unite and activate and get this message out. That’s how we win. So that’s why I need your help.
* But here’s what Bailey told Mary Ann Ahern when asked whether he thinks about a federal law banning abortion…
I believe that it is the life within the womb that must be protected. That is a life. However, with that being said, just an all outright ban on abortion, that’s not gonna solve anything, because people are still going to go you know, JB Pritzker is wanting to open the floodgates.
* I think Krishnamoorthi does a good job, but he put too much emphasis on raising money and that can lead to trouble…
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has been investigating the Washington Commanders from his perch as chair of a House oversight subcommittee. He’s also raising money for his reelection.
Those two facts collided on Monday.
Krishnamoorthi abruptly canceled a fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday night after POLITICO approached his office with questions about the event. The issue: whether it was inappropriate for a pair of lobbyists, Mike Manatos and Tom Manatos, to explicitly invite donors to the event to discuss with the congressman the probe of the football team and its owner, Dan Snyder.
Linking pleas for campaign dollars to specific legislative actions is a no-no, and Krishnamoorthi’s camp quickly acknowledged as much.
“The Congressman is grateful that his efforts to stand up to some of the most powerful interests in Washington, from Big Tobacco to organizations like the Commanders, has generated enthusiasm from the public and some of his supporters,” a spokesperson for his campaign said in a statement. “However, we did not authorize any correspondence or outreach conducted for this general meet and greet event for Raja’s re-election campaign.”
“Out of an abundance of caution,” the statement added, “this event has been canceled.”
* Press release…
In a recent event hosted by former State Representative Roger Eddy in Robinson, Illinois, Paul Schimpf, GOP Candidate for Illinois Governor focused his remarks around the need for the Illinois Republican Party to offer solutions in order to unify the people of Illinois and defeat JB Pritzker. Schimpf expressed concern regarding the destructive nature of primary elections and stated there must be an end to the internal party bickering that divides the party and keeps voters at bay. Schimpf went on to highlight his campaign focus on parents’ rights, safe families, and restoring trust in government, all of which he described as American values.
Schimpf concluded his remarks by stating, “Illinois needs a Governor who will listen, learn, and lead us in a way that unites and recognizes that the strength of Illinois is its people, not its government.”
Rep. Mike Quigley is opting out of the Chicago mayor’s race, but that’s not stopping him from weighing in on the heated contest to succeed retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
The Northwest Side congressman is endorsing former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, campaign officials told the Chicago Sun-Times. In a video announcement, Quigley said Giannoulias, like himself, “is committed to restoring the public’s trust in government.”
“That’s why when he was state treasurer, he put in tough ethics laws and ended pay-to-play right out of the gate,” Quigley said. “I know Alexi will be a great secretary of state, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting him.”
Quigley’s endorsement is the ninth that Giannoulias has received from a current or former Democratic member of the U.S. House or Senate, including Representatives Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bobby Rush, Jan Schakowsky and Brad Schneider.Former House members Luis Gutierrez and Jerry Costello Sr. and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun are also backing his candidacy.
* All but three are Black legislators…
Today 16 members of the Illinois State Legislature endorsed Kari K. Steele for Cook County Assessor on the heels of endorsements from organized labor.
Majority Caucus Whip Omar Aquino, D-Chicago
Majority Caucus Chair Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago
Deputy Majority Leader Emil Jones, Jr., D-Chicago
Senator Tony Munoz, D-Chicago
Senator Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago
Representative Kam Buckner, Chair of the Illinois House Black Caucus, D-Chicago
Representative Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago
Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans, D-Chicago
Deputy Majority Leader/Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria
Representative Sonya Harper, Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Chair, D-Chicago
Representative Cyril Nichols, D-Chicago
Representative Bob Rita, D-Blue Island
Representative Lamont J. Robinson, D-Chicago
Representative Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago
Representative Nick Smith, D-Chicago
Representative Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago
“After four disastrous years of Kaegi’s mismanagement, we need a competent manager in the Assessor’s office,” said State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. “Kari Steele has been a dedicated Commissioner at the Water Reclamation District for over 10 years and President for over three years, managing a billion-dollar budget and a AAA bond rating. Unlike Kaegi, Kari understands how late property tax bills will hurt seniors in my district and others on a limited income. Kari is the person we need right now to lift the Assessor’s office out of chaos.”
“Small businesses across the County are struggling under high assessments,” said State Representative Lamont J. Robinson. “Our communities need more economic development, not less, and when small businesses are forced to close, we lose jobs, our economic anchors and communities become less safe. We need an Assessor who understands the needs of our communities.”
“I’m proud of the support I have from our legislators,” said Kari Steele. “As Assessor, I will work with state and local governments to find real solutions to problems that require all of us to come together and solve. Problems like delayed tax bills due to mismanagement, ineffective incentives for economic development and mounting tax pressure on communities that are already struggling.”
* ABC is generally thought of as the non-union contractors group…
The Irvin for Illinois campaign announced the endorsement from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Illinois, a national construction industry trade association that represents more than 21,000 members and prides itself on their merit shop philosophy of helping members develop people, win work, and deliver work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of communities.
In their endorsement, ABC Illinois President Alicia Martin noted that Richard Irvin is the best candidate to take back the state of Illinois from crime, corruption, taxes and burdensome regulation that have crippled businesses and communities under J.B. Pritzker’s leadership. Irvin’s running mate, State Representative Avery Bourne, has also been a longtime advocate of ABC, supporting ABC’s Illinois issues in the legislature throughout her tenure.
Enough Chicago aldermen are in agreement on a new map of the city’s 50 wards that they will avoid a ballot referendum next month that would have let voters choose from between competing maps, sources said Monday.
The proposed map will create 16 wards with Black majorities and 14 with Latino majorities, sources said. That’s one fewer Latino ward than the City Council Latino Caucus spent months fighting to secure.
The reformers are bitter.
* Press release…
This evening at 5 pm, Winnebago County Republican Chairman and candidate for the 35th Illinois Senate District, Eli Nicolosi, will be holding a press conference in response to the increasing calls for him to step down.
Nicolosi has been under scrutiny since it was revealed that there was an emergency order of protection filed against him by his wife of 15 years. The order of protection has since been dropped by Nicolosi’s wife, however, some local Republicans have questioned whether or not Mr. Nicolosi is fit to serve as chairman of the party. Nicolosi has stated that he plans on addressing these concerns during tonight’s press conference.
“It’s despicable that someone would put out private information for political gain in what should be a private family matter,” Nicolosi said. “The allegations are 100% untrue, and because I am running against a 30-year establishment incumbent, Springfield sadly drags my wife and 4 children into the public eye. My family is going through a tough time, and while we as adults can handle this, my children simply cannot defend themselves.”
Nicolosi is running against 30-year incumbent Dave Syverson in the Republican Primary election on June 28th. The press and the public are welcome to attend, and Chairman Nicolosi will be available for questions.
I’m guessing he won’t be withdrawing.
…Adding… I thought I posted this, but apparently I didn’t, so my apologies to Leader Brady…
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge, representing more than 34,000 active duty and retired law enforcement officers, has endorsed Dan Brady, a Bloomington Republican, in his bid for Illinois Secretary of State in the June 28 primary election.
“We back Dan Brady because of his unwavering lifetime support for law enforcement,” said FOP State Lodge President Chris Southwood. “This support spans from the time he was a county official working closely with local police agencies, through his current tenure in the Illinois General Assembly where he stood by the men and women of law enforcement regardless of the way the political winds were blowing.”
“In addition, Brady passed legislation that has helped to make Illinois’ roads safer and to save lives,” Southwood said. “This is exactly the kind of philosophy-in-action that we need in our next Secretary of State.”
Brady has been a member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2001.
“I am very honored to have the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge. I have always supported the men and women of law enforcement and will continue to do so as Illinois Secretary of State,” Brady said. “I thank the FOP for their vote of confidence in me.”
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman, a Republican who two decades ago became only the second woman to sit on the state’s highest court and later was the second woman to serve as chief justice, will retire in July, the court announced Monday.
Garman, who was appointed to the seven-member court in 2001 to replace retiring Justice Benjamin Miller and then was elected the following year, would have been up a for a once-a-decade retention vote in November. Instead, with Garman’s retirement effective July 7, a little more than a week after the primary election, the court will appoint a replacement to fill the seat until the 2024 election.
Her departure comes at a moment of upheaval for the court, which in 2020 saw a sitting justice, Democrat Thomas Kilbride, rejected for retention by voters — the first time that’s happened since retention elections were adopted in 1964.
The Democratic-controlled legislature, in an effort to protect the party’s 4-3 majority on the high court, subsequently redrew the boundaries of the state’s judicial districts and instituted new campaign finance restrictions for those running for the bench.
Rarely is the game played straight when it comes to the Supreme Court. Appointments are the norm, and the redistricting, while long overdue, was obviously political.
* Release from Justice Garman…
Trailblazing Justice Rita B. Garman has announced her retirement from the Illinois Supreme Court effective July 7, 2022. Justice Garman, 78, has served on the Supreme Court since 2001 and retires as the longest serving judge in Illinois. She served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 2013 to 2016. Justice Garman’s full statement on her retirement is available here.
“There is no doubt that I have had the role of a lifetime, a privilege to serve the people of the state of Illinois as a member of the court system at every level,” Justice Garman said. “But this is the right time for me to step back from my public role and allow someone else to assume this all- important position. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Illinois.”
The Supreme Court has constitutional authority to fill interim judicial vacancies and has appointed another trailblazing justice, Fourth District Appellate Justice Lisa Holder White, to fill Justice Garman’s seat.
“Rita has been my close friend, mentor, and role model since I joined the bench in 2006. I have so much gratitude for her service to the Illinois judiciary,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “No words can describe her loss. However, she has provided hope for the future by nominating for her replacement a wonderful woman who will be able to step right into her shoes. It is a pleasure to welcome Justice Holder White to the Court.”
Justice Holder White, whose term is effective July 8, 2022, through December 2, 2024, will be the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court.
“Being appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court is the honor of a lifetime. I am humbled by the confidence Justice Rita B. Garman and the entire Court have placed in me,” Justice Holder White said. “My service to the judiciary for the past 21 years has helped prepare me for this historic moment. I look forward to the privilege of resolving matters my fellow citizens bring before the Court.”
Interesting times. It’s possible that Illinois could elect its first Black governor this year, who is also running as a Republican.
* Meanwhile, in other Supreme Court news, here’s a press release excerpt…
Judge Elizabeth Rochford announced today that the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) rates her as ‘Highly Recommended’ for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court. As the premier legal association in the state, the ISBA represents approximately 30,000 Illinois lawyers.
“I am honored to receive the highest recommendation possible from the Illinois State Bar Association, which includes the most respected lawyers in Illinois. It means so much that my colleagues have faith that I am the right person for this seat on the bench. As a member of the Illinois Supreme Court, I will carry forward the ISBA’s commitment to legal excellence for the people of Illinois,” said Judge Elizabeth Rochford.
The ISBA ranks candidates using a comprehensive Judicial Evaluation process. These evaluations are initiated by the candidate’s submission of a thorough written application, and then followed by a detailed background investigation by members of the ISBA Judicial Evaluations Committee (JEC) and an in-person interview of the candidate. The JEC then rates the candidate or judge: Recommended, Highly Recommended or Not Recommended. Judge Elizabeth Rochford received the highest recommendation possible in receiving ‘Highly Recommended.’
Fellow Democratic candidate René Cruz was given a “Recommended” rating. Republican Daniel B. Shanes was also given a “Highly Recommended” rating, but fellow Republican John Noverini was given a “Not Recommended” score.
The three candidates who were removed from the ballot (Rotering, Curran and Hurchinson) were not rated, but will be if their names are restored. They’re appealing.
In the 3rd District, Supreme Court Justice Michael Burke was given a “Highly Recommended” rating and Democratic appellate court justice Mary K. O’Brien was given a “Recommended” rating.
...Adding… Press release…
Illinois Chamber of Commerce PAC Announces Endorsements of Judge Daniel Shanes and Justice Michael Burke for Illinois Supreme Court
(Springfield) – The political arm of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce announces its endorsement of two outstanding candidates to fill new positions on the state’s highest court.
Representing thousands of Illinois small, medium, and large employers, the Chamber of Commerce advocates for the election of candidates that understand the impact of government decisions and legal precedents on a healthy economy. Judge Shanes, running in the newly drawn 2nd district and Justice Burke, running in the new 3rd district, are just the kind of judges all Illinoisans concerned with our future prosperity should support.
“The Chamber Board considered impartiality and fairness, knowledge and experience, and unquestioned integrity as the hallmarks of judicial candidates worthy of job-creators’ endorsement. Judge Shanes and Justice Burke represent the best choices for voters in all three areas,” said Todd Maisch, President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
After the news conference, Sullivan issued his own response, accusing Irvin of running a “campaign that seems to have no relationship whatsoever with the truth.”
“Richard Irvin yet again ducked important questions on abortion and his own Democrat voting record, distorted his own background, and blatantly lied about Jesse Sullivan,” the downstate venture capitalist’s campaign wrote.
Bailey tweeted out that he is “the only proven conservative leader in this race.”
“A lot of script reading & nervous dipping and dodging from the Irvin basement today,” Bailey’s campaign tweeted “Why did it take him several days to face the public? We need a Governor with the courage to lead and the integrity to tell the truth.”
It’s not like either of those two guys have held regular or even more than occasional press conferences. Maybe practice what you preach, fellas. Show us your stuff.
* It appears from this Mike Miletich report that I may have miscounted…
Irvin cut off many questions by yelling “hold on” and “let me finish.” In fact, Irvin said “let me finish” at least 25 times during the 10 minutes allowed for questions.
North Central College Political Science Professor Stephen Caliendo listened to the news conference and said Irvin tried his best to stick to his agenda.
“I don’t think his team is probably scrambling right now saying, you know, how do we deal with that disaster of a press conference we just had,” Caliendo said. “Certainly they’re going to want to talk to him about handling things a little bit differently. But he got, he said the things he wanted to say.”
The problem with Professor Cliendo’s analysis is that, while Irvin was able to say some things, the message received was heavily cluttered by his constant dodging of pretty simple and basic questions.
GOP candidate for governor Richard Irvin holds a news conference, but dances around questions on abortion, Trump
Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin met with the media Monday for only the second time since announcing his candidacy, but deflected questions of likely interest to voters that ranged from his past presidential votes and the prospect of another presidential bid by Donald Trump to whether Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
Aurora Mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin slammed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of a COVID-19 outbreak at a state-run veterans’ home during a Monday press conference – and repeatedly avoided questions about whether he voted for Donald Trump and his stance on Roe v. Wade potentially being overturned.
Center Square covered it straight, of course, but Irvin’s message was lumped in with the other Republican candidates.
I get asked all the time — what made Lion Electric choose Illinois to build its very first US manufacturing plant?
A lot of it comes down to the leadership of Governor Pritzker.
By investing in job training and high-tech manufacturing, Illinois has become a place where businesses want to be.
Now we’re building the nation’s largest heavy-duty electric vehicle plant here in Joliet, bringing over 1,400 new jobs and Made in America buses and trucks.
We’re thriving and we’re proud that our future is here in Illinois.
The non-refundable income tax credit is equal to 50% of the income tax withholdings of new job created in the state. This percentage increases to 75% if the business expansion project is located in an “underserved area” census tract […]
Additional credits are also available as reimbursement for qualifying training costs. Ten percent of eligible training costs of newly hired full-time employees positions at the project may also be included as part of annual credits.
* I switched back to an iPhone from an Android model over the weekend. Still having some transfer issues and having to relearn some things, but it was a necessary move. I’m not looking back.
* The Question: What mobile device do you use and have you recently considered switching or not? Explain.
What kind of Republican says he supports Black Lives Matter strongly and passionately?
The kind of Republican who voted Democrat in seven of the last eight primaries.
The kind of Republican who says this about JB Pritzker: ‘It is my honor to bring to the podium a great friend and a great leader who has guided our state with professionalism and compassion.’
You know who you call Richard Irvin? You call him ‘a Democrat.’ In the Republican primary, vote for, you know, a Republican. Vote ‘No’ on Democrat Richard Irvin
But the Irvin campaign is claiming that their media tracking shows Proft’s new PAC, perhaps ironically called People Who Play by the Rules, has spent $2,473,131 so far on broadcast TV, cable and radio ads while only claiming to have raised $1 million.
Hmm.
I sent Proft an email asking for comment.
*** UPDATE *** From Proft…
Clerical error. Received $2.55M from Dick Uihlein on April 20. Should’ve been reported accordingly. Thought it was. The person who keeps my books made a reporting mistake online. He is on the phone with the State Board of Elections now to notify them of our mistake and correct it. Our bad.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Party will host a high dollar fundraising reception with President Joe Biden in Chicago on Wednesday evening, with the top ticket price $365,000, the Sun-Times has learned. […]
The White House also said Biden will attend a Democratic National Committee fundraiser while in Chicago. The Sun-Times obtained a copy of the invitation and the price levels:
*$365,000 to be a “sponsor.”
*$250,000 to be a “leader.”
*$100,000 to be a “supporter.”
These top three levels get a donor into a small meeting — called a “clutch” in fundraising — with Biden plus a photo.
A pic for a ticket is standard in politics. For instance, the going rate for a photo with former President Trump at US Rep. Mary Miller’s recent fundraiser was $25,000…
The Winnebago County GOP is calling for their chairman Eli Nicolosi to resign from his position.
Precinct Captain for the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee (WCRCC) Austin Davies told 13 Investigates that Nicolosi was not conducting meetings properly with the organization’s bylaws.
Davies has also expressed concern over an order of protection that was filed against Nicolosi in April, which was later withdrawn on May 4.
“We think it’s important at this time to let the public know that Eli does not represent us based on these new allegations by his wife, by his conduct over the last couple years of his chairmanship and his unwillingness to meet with those that are concerned,” Davies said. […]
Nicolosi is currently running for state senate in the 35th district against incumbent Dave Syverson.
* Stolen hunter valor? /s…
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Jesse Reising does not have a hunting license. That didn't stop him from wearing camo and hunter orange in campaign videos.
However, according to FOIA documents from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources obtained by 5 On Your Side, Reising does not have a hunting license in Illinois. He acknowledged as much during a recent interview.
“Right. No, I don’t,” he said. “I haven’t hunted since I was a young kid.”
Illinois state law allows 15- to 18-year-old teenagers to hunt with a provisional license if they have a licensed adult hunter accompanying them.
A spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee gave a statement on the campaign tactic.
“Already Chicago lawyer Jesse Reising is running a dishonest campaign,” Elena Kuhn with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement. “Reising has made clear he’s not up for the job.”
Reising says portraying himself as a hunter is fair game because he used to go hunting years ago.
Firefighter Eric Mattson, who’s running to represent the 43rd state Senate seat that’s been held by former Sen. John O’Connor, was appointed to the seat over the weekend.
How convenient: The move was designed to give Matson an edge in the June primary over Democrat Rachel Ventura, a Will County board member who’s also running for the seat. O’Connor stepped down a month ago to care for a family member. […]
Insiders have worried that Mattson, a moderate Dem with establishment support, will have a tough time against Ventura, a progressive who ran for Congress in 2020 and has higher name recognition.
Local unions are also almost entirely opposed to Ventura.
* Another appointment is coming for the Supreme Court that so far has not been covered like the appointment above…
For nearly five decades, Justice Rita Garman has been a judge in central Illinois. Effective July 7, the sitting justice of the Illinois Supreme Court will retire.
“This is the right time for me to step back from my public role and allow someone else to assume this all-important position,” Garman wrote in an open letter on Monday. [scroll all the way to the end…]
In the short term, Garman will be replaced by a judge appointed by the state Supreme Court. Her seat will then be filled in the 2024 election cycle, according to Matt Dietrich, a spokesperson for the state board of elections.
There are two seats up for election on the state’s highest court in the 2022 cycle. The partisan elections are for the Second District, which covers the northern suburbs of Chicago outside of Cook County, and Third District, which covers the southern and western suburbs outside of Cook County.
* By my count, Richard Irvin said “Let me finish!” to reporters 18 times in about 10 minutes. Let’s take a look at one representative example. After refusing to answer pretty much every question, and dodging some direct questions about whether he’d voted for Trump and whether he would vote for Trump if he was the GOP’s nominee in 2024 with his usual deflection that it’s what JB Pritzker wants him to talk about, Rick Pearson tried to pin him down…
Pearson: Isn’t it just a bit disingenuous to your rivals for the nomination alleging how they voted when you yourself who pulled Democratic primary ballots will not say who [you] voted for? How can you attack Darren Bailey and call him a soft on Trump, or a never Trumper? How can you attack Jesse Sullivan as a never Trumper when you yourself will not say who you voted for, if you voted voted for Donald Trump and would you vote for him again if he’s the nominee in 2024?
Irvin: Let’s just talk about records for a second. As a matter of fact, campaigns are about records matter. As I pointed out, you know, JB Pritzker, and my opponents on the Puffin side were attacking me and my record even before I formally announced but I’m not gonna fall into the trap of JB Pritzker.
Pearson: This isn’t about JB Pritzker. [Crosstalk]
Irvin: …You know, I’m not gonna fall, I’m not gonna fall into the trap of JB Pritzker talking about what he thinks we should be talking about in this campaign…
And then he went on to attack Darren Bailey over property taxes, migrant workers and mask mandates.
* Let’s move to the constant “Let me finish” refrain. After a long attempt at trying to change the subject from a question about whether there should be a federal law outlawing abortion (which would directly impact Illinois, since it has such strong abortion rights in statute), Irvin was interrupted by a reporter and said…
Hold on, let me finish, let me finish, let me finish. Let me, let me, let me finish. Let me finish. Let me, let me finish. And, you know, as I said…
* As mentioned above, he was asked if he would vote for Trump in 2024. He talked about Pritzker, the Safety Act, etc., and when Mary Ann Ahern eventually grew impatient and tried to ask the question again…
Let, let me finish. Just let me, let me finish. Let me finish. Let me finish. You know, he, he said, he said that we should be grateful that Mike Madigan is the Speaker of the House
* While avoiding an answer to Pearson’s Trump question, Irvin began talking about how he was “offended” at Jesse Sullivan’s claim to military service, his filibustering was interrupted again…
Let me finish, let me finish, so, so let me, let me just say this, also Jesse Sullivan, he advocates, advocates and supports open borders, that means he doesn’t really want there to be a United States.
The Irvin people are quite upset that reporters didn’t ask their candidate about the press conference’s topic, which was the deaths at the LaSalle Veterans Home and the Pritzker administration’s failure. But they almost never make their creation available to reporters and Irvin completely dodged commenting last week on one of the biggest issues in the entire nation and he’s been hammering away at his Republican opponents for being closet Democrats, so they had to expect that there would be some off-topic questions.
Again, this is a campaign based on a fantasy world of his opponents being secret Democrats and the only person interested in his voting record is the governor. Check out his latest TV ad, for crying out loud…
And reporters apparently have finally had enough of it and want him to answer for it. This ain’t rocket science.
Veterans are responding to Richard Irvin’s latest attack ad on Jesse Sullivan, calling on Irvin’s campaign to pull the ad and apologize to families who have lost loved ones serving in military or civilian roles abroad.
The Sullivan campaign released a new ad, featuring veterans voicing their disgust with the shameful political attack that is riddled with falsehoods.
Veterans from across the state also published an open letter this morning, saying, “Every veteran who served in combat served alongside Department of Defense civilians. They undertake the mission at great personal risk. They love our country. And they serve honorably…Irvin’s ad contains multiple falsehoods, most notably the dismissive comment that Jesse was a ‘social worker.’ Irvin’s shameful use of veterans to dismiss this form of public service is a disgrace.”
Major Monte Montes, US Army (ret.) and Sullivan’s former supervisor emphasized the personal risk Jesse faced, saying: “The location the HTS team (and Jesse) was assigned to in 2012 was extremely hostile and volatile … the patrols the HTS team participated in were often targeted by insurgents with improvised explosive devices, rifle fires, and mortars.”
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, US Army (ret.) underscored the importance of DOD civilians to the overall effort, saying, “Civilians who volunteered to serve at the front in Afghanistan were critical to protecting our nation from jihadist terrorists who use mass murder as their principal tactic in a war against all civilized people. It is courageous to serve in combat environments, in any capacity. and we should value and thank those who have served our country, putting their own lives at risk doing so.”
For his work abroad, Sullivan received the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism, and the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.
In a press conference today, Richard Irvin yet again ducked important questions on abortion and his own Democrat voting record, distorted his own background, and blatantly lied about Jesse Sullivan.
He once again omitted details about his defense of violent criminals, his own record of tax hikes, and big-government expansion in Aurora. He presented no ideas or solutions for the state of Illinois, which is more of the same for a campaign that seems to have no relationship whatsoever with the truth.
IRVIN LIE: “[Sullivan] says that he wore, you know, he served in uniform. C’mon. We all know what that means…”
FACT CHECK:
• A coalition of veterans released an open letter today calling on Richard Irvin to apologize for his disgusting attacks.
• Jesse Sullivan was an Army civilian, deployed by the Department of Defense to Afghanistan.
• According to DOD records, Sullivan was a Human Terrain Analyst under US Army TRADOC G2, who led fieldwork and intelligence collections on more than 68 dismounted patrols outside of the wire.
• Sullivan received the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism, and the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service.
• Additional background: “As veterans.. we are repulsed” by Irvin ads attacking Sullivan.
IRVIN LIE: ”[Sullivan] advocates and supports open borders. That means he doesn’t really want there to be a United States.”
FACT CHECK:
• Irvin’s citation is a magazine article, written by someone Jesse doesn’t know, in a college magazine years after Sullivan had graduated. Sullivan had nothing to do with it.
• Richard Irvin has voiced support for sanctuary cities and as mayor of Aurora, praised a law to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities as “the right, just and fair thing to do.”
• Sullivan believes in enforcing the law, and does not support sanctuary cities or preventing federal authorities from enforcing the law.
With President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address calling for the nation to “fund the police” with better training and resources, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2022’s Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
In order to determine the best states to pursue a career in law enforcement, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 30 key indicators of police-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita.
Life & Work for Cops in Illinois (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
13th – Law-Enforcement Officers per Capita
1st – Median Income for Law-Enforcement Officers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
8th – Median Income Growth for Law-Enforcement Officers
8th – State & Local Police-Protection Expenses per Capita
22nd – Police Deaths per 1,000 Officers
Note: “Law-enforcement officers” includes police and sheriff’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators.
The first Hispanic member of Congress from Illinois – ex-Rep. Luis Gutierrez — and the second — Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia — are endorsing different candidates in the Democratic primary virtually certain to yield the third Hispanic member of Congress from the state.
The Chicago Sun-Times has learned that Gutierrez on Monday will endorse the Democratic primary bid of Ald. Gil Villegas (36th) at an event at the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 hall, 1340 W. Washington Blvd.
Villegas will also pick up the support Monday of Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, the highest-ranking Hispanic elected official in Illinois. […]
Villegas “represents the future of the Democratic party,” Gutierrez told the Sun-Times. He is critical of Democrats and groups — such as the Working Families Party which supports Ramirez — who identify with the “defund the police” slogan and movement. […]
Gutierrez said, “I don’t want to send another congressman (to Washington) who is going into the defund the police caucus.I want a Congressman who is going to hold the police to a high level of accountability but is also going to guarantee they are better trained, better equipped and better understanding of the (impact of) escalation.”
* But it’s not just the groups that have endorsed Ramirez talking about defunding the police. Rep. Ramirez herself called for defunding the police less than 2 years ago…
— United Working Families (@UWFIllinois) July 18, 2020
When asked for comment by the Sun-Times, Ramirez pointed to votes she took during the spring session to increase police funding. I’ve asked for the full statement and will post it when I get it.
…Adding… The Ramirez statement…
As State Representative, Leader Ramirez voted to secure over $300 million in evidence-based approaches like expanding mental health resources, violence prevention, and domestic violence programs, as well as supporting major efforts to reduce the rape kit backlog. And she voted to invest resources into creating corresponder programs along with providing more than $100 million in funding training and pension benefits for police officers and first responders. Leader Ramirez wholeheartedly believes that investing in people and the root causes of violence, namely poverty, and racism, is the best approach to reckon with the violence we face.
Almost every weekday since the beginning of February, the Richard Irvin campaign has sent at least one press release to reporters about a host of issues, from crime to taxes to corruption to former House Speaker Michael Madigan to, well, you name it.
Last week, however, the Irvin campaign was conspicuously silent for 24 hours. While pretty much everyone in both political parties felt the need to be heard the day after a U.S. Supreme Court draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked, the Irvin campaign hit the mute button. No comment would be forthcoming, the campaign told reporters.
It goes without saying that Irvin is attempting to win a Republican Party primary without saying or doing anything that could derail his chances in a general election. Abortion rights are generally popular in Illinois but unpopular with Republican primary voters.
Obviously, the decision was made to protect the candidate and not give his rivals within or outside his party any ammunition to use against him before or after primary day. Again, pretty basic.
Irvin’s Republican opponents are so hapless and cashless that they haven’t yet been able to force him out of his protective shell, including last week on an issue that has, along with gun rights, defined the GOP for decades. Darren Bailey posted a standard milk carton meme on his social media accounts that tried to press the issue, but it was pretty vague and contained a misspelling of the word “statement.” At least he tried, I suppose.
The Chicago-area news media, which dominates coverage in this state, has spent more time focused on the 2023 mayor’s race than the 2022 contests and, perhaps understandably, hasn’t shown much interest in helping a gaggle of ultimately doomed far-right candidates whack a Black and seemingly moderate Republican who has an actual chance of winning in November.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Democrats have spent big bucks on ads trying to deflate Irvin and promote Bailey. Aside from pushing a hoped-for Bailey win, the Democratic Governors Association ads are designed to hit back at the well-funded Irvin, who has focused much of his advertising on Pritzker, which is a surefire unifying force among Irvin’s targeted GOP primary voters and also helps keep the governor’s numbers from rising as the Republicans argue (albeit tepidly to date) among themselves.
From the start, this whole Irvin thing has had the vibe of a campaign apparatus seeking out and building a candidate instead of the usual other way around. The Irvin campaign, of course, denies this. But we’re at about the halfway point between when Irvin formally announced his candidacy in March and nomination day, and his campaign has so far managed to only present what it wants the electorate to see, with just a couple of memorable candidate flubs.
The problem is the Irvin GOP primary strategy is to essentially gaslight Republican voters. In Irvin’s manufactured world, Bailey and Jesse Sullivan are closeted liberal Democrats who hate Donald Trump, despite the fact that Irvin has taken numerous Democratic primary ballots and won’t say if he voted even once for Trump. And I dunno about Sullivan, but I’ve covered Bailey for quite some time now and he ain’t any kind of liberal.
Also in Irvin’s world, the candidate who claims to be pro-life won’t specifically define what that means or what he would do about it if elected. That’s really not much different than any other important issue. Irvin makes a claim, obfuscates when he’s asked to define it, then won’t say what he’d do about it come January 2023.
The gaslighting was elevated to new heights last week when Irvin promised in a television ad that he would refuse to commute Madigan’s sentence if the indicted former House Speaker is convicted. As I pointed out to my blog readers, the pledge is utter nonsense. Madigan is under federal indictment. A state’s governor can’t do anything about that.
Irvin’s campaign has literally created a fantasy world where an ultra-right, anti-vax Republican state senator is a secret Democrat, where a mayor can call out the National Guard to put down rioting and a governor can commute a federal prison sentence. It’s just bonkers, but it’s also brilliant so far because almost nobody else is effectively calling him out on it.
* Meanwhile…
MEDIA ADVISORY: IRVIN, BOURNE AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS REACT TO LASALLE VETERANS HOME AUDIT REPORT
WHO: Aurora Mayor and Gubernatorial Candidate Richard Irvin and his running mate, State Representative Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville), Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris), and State Representative David Welter (R-Morris).
WHAT: Irvin, Bourne and legislative leaders to discuss the Illinois Auditor General’s report that shows J.B. Pritzker’s team and senior leadership at the Illinois Department of Public Health were well aware, in real time, of the Covid-19 epidemic at the LaSalle Veterans Home and failed to take quick action to address the outbreak that ultimately took the lives of 36 veterans.
WHEN: 11:30AM on Monday, May 9th
WHERE: Irvin for Illinois Campaign Headquarters, 1 East Benton Street, Aurora, IL 60505
…Adding… I’ve posted several of these from the ILGOP, so here’s one from DPI…
With only 50 days until the primary election, Richard Irvin still hasn’t answered basic questions of critical importance about his background and his campaign for governor—from who he voted for when he pulled Democratic primary ballots in 2014, 2016, and 2020 to if he thinks Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
As Irvin heads to his first press conference in months, major unanswered questions remain top of mind for voters:
• Does Irvin think Roe should be overturned?
• Does Irvin support the increasingly widespread Republican efforts to enact a nationwide abortion ban? What restrictions on abortion would he like to see in Illinois?
• Will Irvin consider vetoing the state budget to enact his personal agenda like Bruce Rauner did in 2015?
• Who did Irvin vote for in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries? Did he ever vote for Donald Trump for president? And why is he hitting his opponents for pulling Democratic ballots when Irvin himself did the same?
• Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election fairly?
• Was the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol “legitimate political discourse?”
• Does Irvin support the minimum wage increasing to $15 an hour?
• Is Aurora still a sanctuary city?
• What does Irvin have to say about reporting that shows your campaign donors getting big city contracts in Aurora?
Irvin’s endless flip-flops also deserve explanation. Despite requiring vaccines for city workers in Aurora and imposing penalties against businesses that failed to comply with mask mandates, on the campaign trail Irvin now says he is “against all mandates.” He also went from a “strong and passionate supporter” of the Black Lives Matter movement to saying Donald Trump’s favorite phrase, “All Lives Matter.”
It’s time for Irvin to finally come clean with Illinoisans and truthfully answer basic questions about his record. His first press conference in months would be a great place to start.
The annual Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to a former or current state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility, and bipartisanship.
Former Governor Jim Edgar and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute invite you to nominate an Illinois elected official who has displayed this kind of exceptional leadership.
We created the Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award to shine a spotlight on remarkable public service that is taking place in our state and local communities. Please join us as we celebrate the Prairie State’s best traditions. Nominate an Illinois statesperson by June 1.
