* According to a search of Facebook’s ads, Richard Irvin’s campaign has been dark on that platform since May 27th. Irvin currently has $960,000 [UPDATE: It’s now $937K, down from $960K, but that was down by about half from $1.8 million] of ads on Chicago broadcast through next Monday, but has nothing on the air and nothing booked Downstate at the moment except for a little bit of cable. This explanation is kinda weird since he has so much Griffin money and Griffin said he was going “all in.” And if he stops talking to Downstate voters, he will lose even more of them to Bailey…
NEW: @IrvinBourne4IL will NOT air TV ads downstate for the next week, says 52% of electorate is in ChicagoTV markets. Irvin team points to —Pritzker/Dems/GOP challengers expected to spend $75M in the GOP Primary, that’s the most Dem spending ever in GOP primary ever.
I just didn’t buy that explanation, so, when pressed, the campaign told me they’re “reassessing” their ad strategy. Apparently, this darkness isn’t permanent. That would be a good thing because what they’ve been doing clearly isn’t working. They’ve been caught red-handed on their ridiculous claims that Darren Bailey is a Democrat. Crime is not polling as voters’ top interest.
“I’m willing to bet he’s up with all new creative and a more right wing brand to court the Bailey voters,” said one Dem operative, who I think could be correct.
But with 20 days until June 28th, and early voting happening now, it’s awful, awful darned late for a reboot. If that’s what is really going on.
*** UPDATE *** Here’s what I have been told since the post went up: Pritzker’s hard-hitting ads have put Irvin in the spot of either taking a hard right turn and risk killing his general election chances, or just say to heck with all this, be who he is on Chicago broadcast TV (because doing so Downstate would hurt him) and let the chips fall where they may. The Democrats would love him to lean hard to the right, but apparently, he isn’t gonna do it.
WTTW News today announced the launch of a comprehensive digital VOTER GUIDE in advance of the June 28, 2022 primary elections. Along with comprehensive digital resources, WTTW will produce and present a series of candidate forums and extensive, daily political coverage and analysis. The forums, which will feature candidates for federal, state, and county offices, will be part of WTTW’s flagship news and public affairs program Chicago Tonight. Viewers can watch on television at 7:00 pm each night (except June 9) and stream live and on-demand on wttw.com/news, Facebook, and YouTube.
Throughout the election season, Chicago and regional residents can rely on WTTW News and CHICAGO TONIGHT to gather facts, and present trusted information and analysis. WTTW News is committed to creating a forum for fair, balanced and commercial-free discussion from different perspectives.
“This election will have a significant impact on residents in our region, and as a leading public media organization in Chicago, it is our responsibility to ensure that voters have the information and resources they need to make informed choices when they head to the polls,” said Jay Smith, News Director for Chicago Tonight and WTTW News.
— Iris Martinez, clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County and 33rd Ward Committeeperson, is endorsing Fernando “Sergio” Mojica for the 13th state House District. Mojica, a queer Afro-Latino who was formerly a Chicago Public Schools principal, is running to succeed Majority Leader Greg Harris.
— State Rep. Tim Butler, who’s running in the 95th Illinois House District, says he’s secured the endorsement “of every Republican official elected countywide in Sangamon County.” Republicans hold eight of the nine county offices.
— Protect Our Future PAC launched a new ad for Democrat Nikki Budzinski in IL-13. Protect Our Future is a new PAC funded mostly by a young cryptocurrency billionaire who spent $11 million on an Oregon congressional race for a Dem candidate who lost.
Today, Governor JB Pritzker met with leaders from the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois to discuss how his administration’s fourth balanced budget is helping first responders in every corner of the state. Alongside AFFI President Chuck Sullivan and area fire fighters, the governor reaffirmed his gratitude and commitment to Illinois first responders and their families.
“I’ve been proud to put Illinois on the side of first responders, not just in name but in action, by signing legislation that supports and invests in both active and retired first responders,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “So long as I am in office, Illinois will continue to champion the needs of fire fighters, paramedics, and all first responders whose life-saving work keeps our communities safe and healthy.”
“Since day one, Governor Pritzker has stood with fire fighters and paramedics across the state,” said AFFI President Chuck Sullivan. “His support of issues that affect our retirement security, worker injury protections and ability to collectively bargain has never wavered. His record speaks for itself, and it is reassuring to know that the Governor has our best interests at heart.”
Following the previous administration’s devastating budget impasse, Governor Pritzker has made historic investments to support first responders across Illinois. By putting pen to paper and signing meaningful legislation that funds fire departments from Chicago to Carbondale, Governor Pritzker has transformed Illinois into a state that respects and uplifts the tireless work of first responders. The Governor remains dedicated to putting public safety first, recognizing that it starts with those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.
The Democratic Party of Illinois is making a strong pitch to the Democratic National Committee to become one of the first states to hold a presidential primary, highlighting in its bid, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, that Illinois, on a variety of fronts, is a “microcosm” of the nation.
DPI chair Rep. Robin Kelly submitted a bid to the DNC on Friday, the deadline, and if successful, the 2024 primary in Illinois will be in February. […]
The DNC has to be convinced a state can switch primary dates, and Illinois has that one nailed.
The Illinois primary date is set by the Illinois General Assembly and is usually in mid-March. This June primary is an exception — due to late 2020 census results needed for redistricting.
The bid contains letters from Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Senate President Don Harmon and Gov. J.B. Pritzker basically promising the Democratic supermajorities expected in both chambers will, as the bid said, “pass the requisite legislation.”
We favor Casten, who stands firm on his liberal convictions on issues like immigration, gun control, government spending and - his particular field of expertise as the former owner of an environmental company - climate change, but presses his case with calm persistence that leaves room for reasonable debate and discussion.
Newman is not necessarily lacking in that department, but her campaign so far - including a notably tasteless TV ad built around a defecating dog and questionable, sometimes downright incorrect claims about Casten’s record - seems shaped to highlight inflexibility and pugnacity, even in defense of a congressional ethics investigation of claims leading back to her 2020 campaign that she adamantly denies.
* CD3…
Today, Abby Pariser, a long time reproductive rights advocate and member of Jane - the abortion counseling service, an underground network of women in the early 1970s who helped over 11,000 women obtain illegal abortions prior to Roe vs Wade, endorsed Delia Ramirez in her candidacy for 3rd Congressional District. In 1972, Abby Pariser was one of seven Chicago women arrested and charged with abortion and conspirancy to committ abortion. Their story is featured in Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes documentary The Janes, which premieres on HBO Max on Wednesday, June 8th at 8 pm.
“As someone who knows first hand what it is like to live in a world where women are not allowed the freedom to make decisions over their own bodies, I know that women across the country will be greatly hurt if Roe vs Wade is overturned. Elections matter, voting matters and this is the time to support only those candidates who have shown total unwavering commitment to women’s reproductive rights”, stated activist Abby Pariser. “Delia’s opponent - Gil Villegas, has a record on abortion and reproductive rights that raises serious concerns over his ability to represent women at this crucial time. He has taken money from pro-life Republicans and he voted to give 5.5 million dollars in TIF dollars to religious clinics that prevent women access to abortions and contraceptives. Other aldermen stood up for reproductive rights and Gil did not”.
“I am proud to receive the endorsement of Abby Pariser, someone who exemplifies courage in a time when women were robbed of bodily autonomy. We enjoy the freedoms we have today because of women like Abby and we cannot reverse course on reproductive justice. I will fight to the end to make sure bodily autonomy remains for all those who seek abortions.”, said Representative Delia Ramirez.
*** UPDATE *** The First District Appellate Court has kicked Cook County Sheriff candidate Carmen Gercone off the ballot after she was reinstated by a lower court. Click here for the decision.
* More…
* Police were ‘coached’ to make Jan. 6 Capitol incursion look like a siege, candidate says: One of the Republicans running for Illinois’ 5th Congressional District seat claims police serving at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, incursion were coached “to make it appear that the Capitol was under siege.” Tommy Hanson of Chicago also claims he’s spoken with senators and congressmen who “knew it was not a harrowing event.”
Now the only way things are gonna change in Illinois is a political tidal wave. Only someone as arrogant and delusional as Pritzker would think he deserves to be reelected, reelected in November. Well, our next guest aims to send him packing. Joining me now is Richard Irvin, Mayor of Aurora, Illinois, and GOP gubernatorial candidate. Mayor, great to see you. Now back in March, there was something described as a Scared Straight incident in a House Democratic Caucus. A poll was floated showing Pritzker was facing big suburban headwinds and even trailing you. And the poll also showed that crime was driving his push for change. It’s only gotten worse since then. Does any of this surprise you?
Um, that “poll” was taken in the most conservative areas of the suburbs, including Republican-held districts. It was designed to scare House Democrats into working harder by essentially pulling a fast one on them.
The top item was not crime. The crime and violence issue was tied for 4th place with the price of gas and the cost of living, and 6th place if you look at those who were “extremely concerned,” similar to that Senate poll we talked about a while ago. The crime numbers were still very high, however. But, again, this poll was designed to frighten members, not to enlighten them about what’s actually going on in most of their districts.
Multibillionaire Democratic Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker and his allies are spending tens of millions of dollars to stop a black Republican veteran from challenging the incumbent in November.
In the last five weeks alone, Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) have dropped more than $12 million on TV ads meant to sink Republican Richard Irvin, an Army veteran who became Aurora, Ill.’s first black mayor in 2017—and to elevate his Republican primary opponent, state lawmaker Darren Bailey. Those ads attack Irvin’s record as a defense attorney and call Bailey “too conservative for Illinois,” an attack intended to boost him in the June GOP primary. With digital ads factored in, Democrats are on pace to spend a total of $32 million on similar spots before the primary’s conclusion, ad spending data obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show.
The massive spending shows just how much Pritzker fears a general election fight against Irvin, who was raised by a single mother in Aurora’s housing projects. The DGA started its anti-Irvin assault in March, just days after a Tulchin Research poll showed Pritzker trailing the Republican mayor in the state’s all-important suburbs.
*facepalm*
…Adding… From comments…
The Drudge Report picked up the Washington Free Beacon story with the ridiculous headline, but that wasn’t over the top enough, apparently, and needed a photoshopped picture of Irvin with boxing gloves.
Today, Rodney Davis’ campaign for Congress in the 15th District released a new ad titled “Coddle,” which highlights Mary Miller’s disturbing record, including her rhetoric that has encouraged illegal immigration and her allowing a convicted pedophile to serve as her personal driver and represent her at community events.
“Mary Miller and her DC allies are lying about Rodney Davis because they are trying to hide Miller’s disturbing record. Just like Joe Biden, Miller says it’s our responsibility to care of illegal immigrants. Miller even has a convicted pedophile working on her campaign, and she refuses to answer questions about it. Mary Miller isn’t who she says she is. She’s a fake conservative and can’t be trusted.” - Aaron DeGroot, Davis campaign spokesperson
Rodney: I’m Rodney Davis, and I approved this message.
Narrator: Fake conservative Mary Miller has DC insiders lying about Rodney Davis to hide her disturbing record.
Like Biden, Miller coddles criminal illegals and says it’s our responsibility to care for them.
Miller knowingly hired a convicted pedophile to be her driver, prowling our neighborhoods, putting our kids at risk.
Giving aid to criminals who illegally cross our border, embracing a convicted pedophile. Fake conservative Mary Miller can’t be trusted.
* Alexi Giannoulias fundraising appeal…
Dear Rich,
With less than three weeks before Election Day, we released our final television ad of the campaign today.
And, yes, the kids finally get their ice cream. […]
The ad — entitled “Double Scoop” — is the fourth of the series that features me teaching a group of kids the fundamentals of basketball and teamwork.
While our first two ads highlight my plans to modernize the office to cut down wait times and protect voter rights and expand registration opportunities, this one focuses on how I intend to curb political corruption by strengthening ethics laws.
As I say in the ad, “political corruption… it’s like ice cream. If you don’t act fast enough, it can get really messy.”
While fake conservative Mary Miller sided with DC liberals to defund our military and oppose pay increases for our troops, she was also getting rich at taxpayer expense. Miller’s family business pocketing $1 million in government bailouts, on top of her six-figure taxpayer-funded salary. Enriching herself with taxpayer money, abandoning our troops. Not Right. Not conservative. That’s the real Mary Miller. Illinois Values PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising.
Slamming “naysayers,” “pessimists” and “carnival barkers” who always talk trash about the state, Gov. J.B. Pritzker today laid out the business case for electing him to another four-year term in a speech to one of the state’s key business groups. […]
Lawmakers just passed the fourth balanced budget in a row under his leadership, paying off $17 billion in bills left behind by former Gov. Bruce Rauner and shortening the state’s bill payment cycle to just two weeks, he said. The state has restocked its rainy day fund with $1 billion, put another $1 billion toward old group health insurance debt and given taxpayers $1.8 billion in tax relief, he added. He cited these as reasons why, in his view, Wall Street rating agencies have given the state six credit upgrades after nine cuts in the Rauner years.
Illinois’ gross state product is now growing faster than it was before the pandemic, has the greatest growth in small business startups of any large state and gained people—not lost them—in the last decade, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pritzker, a former venture capitalist who specialized In tech investments, said state progress in that field “gets my blood moving.” He noted, among other things, a new investment tax credit for data farms that has been successful, pulling in $8 billion in private investments, and other credits to incentivize electric vehicle producers and suppliers—a promising move but one which has not yet produced results.
Only at the end did the Democratic incumbent touch on a raging crime problem, especially in Chicago, that has business leaders concerned. “We continue to need to address our challenges,” he said.
* Irvin campaign…
– Last night Richard Irvin, Mayor of Aurora and gubernatorial candidate, discussed Illinois’ public safety crisis under J.B. Pritzker’s leadership with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
“I’ve got two words for you that Pritzker disregards, and that’s ‘protect’ and ‘respect’,” said Irvin. “Protect our residents in the state of Illinois and our children, and respect our law enforcement try to keep us safe every day. He doesn’t do that…He wants to protect criminals more than he wants to protect the innocent victims of crimes. And he shows this disrespect and disdain for our police officers constantly.”
Irvin said Pritzker’s anti-police policies aren’t criminal justice reforms; they are making families across Illinois less safe and our state as a whole more dangerous–the three law enforcement officers that were shot in the line of duty this week in Chicago are just another ramification of this poor public policy that has emboldened criminals and sidelined law enforcement.
What we need is a permanent reduction in taxes. We should permanently roll back the JB Pritzker / Avery Bourne gas tax. But if we can’t do this, we should at a minimum eliminate the sales tax on motor fuel. Friends, here in Illinois, we tax tax. That’s wrong. It’s an insane way of doing business. And even if gas prices were lower as a matter of principle, we should not place a tax on a tax. The sales tax on motor fuel is even more infuriating now that gas prices are soaring. Instead of finding meaningful solutions to this problem, JB Pritzker chose campaign year theatrics over genuine relief. JB’s plan to suspend the expected gas tax increase on July 1 is temporary and it is an absolute insult to working families. To combat inflation, we must reduce state spending and lower taxes. I proposed to start this process through a zero-based budget because Illinois families deserve real meaningful and permanent solutions to the crushing inflation, high taxes and rising gas prices.
I call on the House and the Senate leaders to bring the lawmakers back to Springfield to address the record high gas price in Illinois immediately. Today. I’m ready to go back to work so that Illinoisans can afford to go to work.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
Sen. Bailey also said “I have tried to reach out to Speaker Welch and to no avail.” Welch’s spokesperson said she checked with Speaker Welch and his staff and all said they hadn’t heard from Bailey.
Anyway, I’ve asked the four leaders and the governor’s office for comment. I’ll let you know what they say. In the meantime, what’s your reaction?
…Adding… Jaclyn Driscoll…
The Office of the Speaker doesn’t comment on Republican primary fodder. But as Senator Bailey knows, we’ve taken steps to freeze the gas tax and continue to explore additional options for relief for families dealing with the effects of global instability.
…Adding… House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…
This spring my caucus introduced several measures that would have provided relief from inflation and lowered gas prices for Illinois families - the Democrats refused to call them for a vote. If the speaker calls us back in session, we will be there.
…Adding… Ellie Leonard with the SGOPs…
Leader McConchie and the Senate Republican Caucus introduced and supported a measure during the spring session that would cap the sales tax on gas, preventing the state from receiving a windfall of cash and taking advantage of consumers in a time of crisis. That proposal, offering about $1 billion in relief, was ignored and instead, Democrats and the Governor are delaying the automatic two cent Motor Fuel Tax increase to trick Illinoisans ahead of the election that they are providing “relief.” Senate Republicans were ready four months ago to provide real relief to consumers and would return to Springfield in a heartbeat to do the same.
…Adding… Jordan Abudayyeh at Gov. Pritzker’s office…
As the nation grapples with high gas prices, providing meaningful relief to working families remains the Governor’s top priority. That’s why the Governor worked to enact Illinois Family Relief Plan, which suspends the gas tax increase, the grocery tax, and doubles property tax relief.
Background:
• The gas tax funds road improvements, which were ignored for more than a decade resulting in poor road conditions that cost consumers hundreds of dollars a year in repairs. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of jobs are supported through this work.
• With regard to the Illinois Family Relief Plan, 97 percent of Illinois tax filers will receive hundreds of dollars in property tax and income tax rebates in 2022 because of the $1 billion in tax relief Governor Pritzker signed into law in April as part of the FY23 balanced budget.
• Consumers will see relief from:
o A one year grocery tax suspension – saving consumers $400 million
o Six month motor fuel tax freeze – saving consumers $70 million
o A one-time, $520 million property tax rebate – 5% of property taxes paid, up to $300 per household
o Permanent expansion of the earned income tax credit from 18 to 20 percent of the federal credit while expanding the number of households covered – putting $100 million per year back into the pockets of working families who need it most.
o Direct rebate checks to working families
* $50 per individual
* $100 per dependent, up to three children per family
…Adding… John Patterson with the SDems…
The outrageous price gouging perpetrated on the motoring public needs to end. Nothing in Illinois caused prices of $5 or more a gallon. Washington needs to act. While we examine what else could be done here, I hope the senator and his allies will join the millions of Americans across this great country in calling on Washington to stand up to foreign oil interests, get to work and finally do something to address this national gas price problem.
A new survey released this week suggests Illinoisans are more moderate on the issue of abortion than the current Democratic-controlled General Assembly, but it is unclear whether that will cost Democrats votes in November.
The poll by the Chicago-based firm Ogden & Fry – which is owned by a Republican candidate for Cook County Board – found that 40 percent of those responding describe themselves as “pro-choice with some restrictions,” including limits on late-term abortions, while nearly 25 percent describe themselves as “pro-life with exceptions” for things like rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother.
That puts nearly two-thirds of those surveyed somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, with only 21.5 percent describing themselves as 100-percent “pro-choice” and 14 percent identifying as 100-percent “pro-life.”
First, there is a world of difference between being pro-choice with some exceptions and pro-life with a few limited exceptions.
* I passed on that poll result because of the wording…
Abortion is one of the most divisive topics of the day. How do you consider yourself?
100% Pro-Life
Pro Life with exceptions (rape, incest, life of mother, etc.)
Pro Choice with some restrictions e.g. partial-birth abortions, late term abortions, etc.
100% Pro Choice (legal until the moment of birth including partial-birth abortions)
“100% Pro-Life” is not defined, but all other stances are. Also, using “etc.” in a poll question is a bit odd. And, “until the moment of birth”? Yeah, not loaded at all. There was also this question…
Are you more or less likely to support a candidate who believes an elective abortion should be legal until the moment of birth?
I’m not sure what that actually means, but 51.9 percent said they’d be less likely. That’s usually not enough to move actual numbers in campaigns, however. You normally need a much higher result than that to see an impact on real life votes.
* There are some other significant poll results, though. Back to the article…
Perhaps more importantly, 78 percent of those surveyed said they believe parents should be notified before their minor child receives an abortion, including 35 percent who supported a judicial bypass in situations where parental notification is not possible or not in the child’s best interest.
Even among self-identified Democrats, 61.6 percent said they support some level of parental notification requirement.
Repealing PNA has never polled well, but there might be a political way to manage it. For example, I told subscribers recently about a mailer attacking Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) for voting against repealing PNA…
When the Illinois legislature took steps to protect access to abortion care for all people in Illinois, Mike Zalewski voted with every Republican in Springfield to block younger women from freely accessing reproductive care. His vote protected outdated parental notification requirements – even when a person is raped or the victim of incest – putting the health and safety of young women at great risk.
Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence former state Sen. Thomas Cullerton to up to 18 months in prison in his $248,000 embezzlement case involving the Teamsters labor union, which cost him his seat in Springfield.
In doing so, the feds revealed that former Chicago Teamsters boss John T. Coli claimed Cullerton had been hired for what turned out to be a do-nothing Teamsters job as a favor to an unnamed senator, identified in a court memo only as “Senator A.”
“[Cullerton,] who was a state senator at the time of his illegal conduct, clearly realized that he would be able to get away with pocketing this money without doing any work simply because he was an elected official,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote. […]
But Bhachu wrote Tuesday that Cullerton went on to land “another do-nothing job” as a salesman for a video gaming company in 2017. There, Bhachu said Cullerton’s salary doubled from $1,000 a week to $2,000 a week, in what the company owner called a mistake.
Dealing a crucial blow to Chicago Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) and his legal team, a federal judge Monday rejected hundreds of pages of defense motions in the once-powerful politician’s criminal case, finally clearing the way for a potential trial.
U.S. District Judge Robert Dow wrote that the combined motions from Burke, political aide Peter Andrews and developer Charles Cui “would have this court dismiss almost every charge of the indictment against all defendants.”
But the judge concluded that the motions “largely go to the strength of the evidence” and should be considered by a fact-finder — like a jury.
“It is a fact-finder’s role to assess whether the government has proven the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, not this court’s at the pleadings stage,” Dow wrote.
* And, hey, while we’re at it, here’s another one from Jon Seidel…
Federal prosecutors say former Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson should go to prison for two years for cheating on his taxes and lying to federal regulators.
But Thompson asked a federal judge to give him probation instead.
The two sides made their recommendations Monday ahead of Thompson’s sentencing before U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama, which is set for July 6.
“[Thompson’s] criminal conduct was repetitive and willful,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Petersen wrote in a court memo. “The defendant’s dishonesty was not a single lapse of judgment, but rather, involved years of deceit. He simply thought he could get away with paying less than what he owed. The sentence imposed must show otherwise.”
Chris Gair, Thompson’s lawyer, wrote in his own memo that Thompson has “suffered tremendous public humiliation as a result of his conviction” in February.
A couple accused of paying more than $281,000 in kickbacks to Bloomingdale Township’s disgraced former highway commissioner pointed the finger right back at him Friday, calling Robert Czernek a liar who can’t be trusted as their federal fraud trial got underway.
Debra Fazio and Mario Giannini were charged along with Czernek back in August 2020 and accused of an eight-year scheme in which Bloomingdale Township improperly paid more than $700,000 to Bulldog Earth Movers, an excavation company owned by Fazio.
On Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee kicked off opening statements in the trial of Fazio and Giannini. He told jurors “greed” led the couple “to seek out easy money.”
Giannini’s attorney countered the case was really about “trust” — and whether jurors could believe Czernek, who is now the feds’ key witness in the trial.
Twelve Illinois residents are among nearly two dozen people who face federal charges for an alleged $26 million insurance-fraud scheme that lasted nearly a decade.
Prosecutors say the defendants filed false applications to get life insurance policies and then tricked carriers into paying death benefits by lying about the identities of deceased people.
The feds say the defendants would pay premiums on the policies for two years, until the period for contestability expired. Claims for death benefits would then be submitted using false death certificates. The defendants are also accused of lying to law enforcement, first responders, medical personnel, funeral home staff and cemetery employees.
The indictment seeks forfeiture of at least $26 million in alleged ill-gotten gains, as well as nine luxury vehicles, eight Rolex watches and properties in Orland Park, Bridgeview and Burbank.
Those charged from the Chicago area include James Mills, Juley Ely, Ginger Ely and Joe Rouga of Oak Lawn; Frank Costello of Hoffman Estates; Mary Bacco of Bridgeview; Steve Montega, Niko Ristick and Ricky Blanca of Orland Park; Mark Blanca and Diana Lumas of Burbank; and Joe John of Arlington Heights.
Governor Pritzker: “Margaret Croke has devoted her career to fighting for women, working families, and the LGBTQ+ community. She has been an invaluable asset to the General Assembly, leading the way on reproductive rights, economic opportunity, and public safety. I know that Margaret will continue to be a force for change and never stop fighting for Illinois and the 5th District. I am delighted to endorse Margaret for the State Central Committee.”
Margaret Croke: “I’m proud to have Governor Pritzker’s support in my campaign for the Democratic Committeewoman of the 5th District. Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, we have made Illinois the most pro-choice state in the country, passed balanced budgets to put our state back on a path to fiscal sustainability, and implemented commonsense reforms to help keep Illinoisans safe. I look forward to fighting to make Illinois the best place it can be for all who call it home as a member of the Democratic Party of Illinois.”
Croke is up against two other candidates, incumbent Nancy Shepherdson and MWRD Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos. Shepherdson has been endorsed by DPI Chair Robin Kelly.
Rep. Croke said she plans to use the money to mail to women primary voters. Croke had $59K in the bank at the end of the first quarter and has raised $77,000 since then, including the Pritzker check.
