* Sabato’s Crystal Ball on Illinois General Assembly races…
Senate: Likely D
House: Likely D
Democrats drew Illinois’s maps, and that should give them a solid shot at maintaining their wide majorities. In a good Democratic year, the new maps should allow the Democrats to keep or slightly increase their Senate and House margins; in a bad year, it should help keep their losses down. That said, the size of the Democratic margins is at or near historic highs, and billionaire GOP donor Ken Griffin is investing millions of dollars to elect a Republican governor this year, on a platform highlighting crime and corruption under Democratic leadership. Republican legislative leaders would love to ride Griffin’s money to pick up seats in the suburbs and downstate.
Really went out on a limb there.
* Competing independent expenditures in the Rodney Davis vs. Mary Miller GOP primary…
* In McHenry County, Tom DeVore denies calling developmentally disabled kids “window lickers,” despite the evidence…
* Wondering about press passes…
The Strokes, the internationally renowned Grammy Award winning rock band, announced earlier today that they will be hosting a concert fundraiser and rally on May 30, 2022 at the Metro in Chicago to support Kina Collins, gun violence prevention advocate and Democratic candidate for Congress in IL-07.
* Press release…
Illinois’ new Third Congressional District is a majority Latino district – home to a significant number of Spanish-speaking residents and voters. The new district’s leading Latino candidates – State Representative Delia Ramirez and Alderman Gil Villegas – committed to participate in a Spanish-language candidate forum hosted by Univision in collaboration with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and AARP. Yesterday’s Spanish-language forum was canceled minutes before it was set to start as a result of Alderman Gil Villegas backing out.
Latino leaders shocked by Alderman Gil Villegas’ last minute cancelation issued the following statement:
“Illinois’ new third congressional district is majority Latino and home to a significant number of Spanish-speaking voters. The district is a safe Democratic district, and the winner of the June 28 Democratic primary is all but guaranteed to be the district’s new congressperson. That is why we are so deeply disappointed and dismayed that – at the last minute – Alderman Gil Villegas would back out of the district’s only Spanish-language forum sponsored by Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Univision and AARP.”
“All voters deserve to be informed and to hear from the candidates running to represent them – that includes the Third Congressional District’s Spanish-speaking voters and residents that Alderman Villegas hopes to represent. The Third Congressional District’s next congressperson must be able to reach and represent all of the district’s residents and voters, including the residents and voters who primarily communicate in Spanish. Alderman Villegas canceling the district’s only Spanish-language forum is totally unacceptable. We call on Alderman Villegas to show respect to the Spanish-speaking voters and residents he hopes to represent and reschedule the Spanish-language forum he canceled yesterday.”
U.S. Congressman Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia
State Senator Omar Aquino
State Senator Karina Villa
State Senator Celina Villanueva
Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez
Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
Alderman Andre Vasquez
Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya
Committeeman Anthony Joel Quezada
Former State Senator William Delgado
* Press release…
IL-17: Dirty Money Alert: Wallace Campaign Calls on GOP Frontrunner to Return $64K in Tainted Committee Money
The campaign of former state Rep. Litesa Wallace, Democratic candidate for the 17th Congressional District, today called on Republican frontrunner Esther Joy King to return more than $64,000 she received from a political fundraising committee funded by Steve Wynn, an alleged agent of China, and his wife.
Former casino mogul Wynn, a former Republican National Committee finance chair and accused rapist, was sued by the U.S. Justice Department on charges that he illegally lobbied former president Donald Trump on China’s behalf. In April, Wynn and his wife gave massively to the Republican “Take Back the House” committee, which in turn wrote a check for $64,491 to King.
Said Wallace campaign spokesperson Wednesday:
“Esther King wants to talk tough on China. Now that she knows her overstuffed campaign fund is tainted, it’s time for her to live up to her alleged values and return those dirty dollars.”
* Press release…
The following is a statement from Alicia Webb, spokeswoman for the campaign of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, following today’s reporting from Crain’s regarding Commissioner Kari Steele’s improper homeowner’s exemption.
“Commissioner Steele’s excuses for illegally taking a homeowner’s exemption to which she is not entitled don’t hold up under even the lightest scrutiny. She’s counting on the public overlooking her attempts to game the system–-just like she’s counting on the public overlooking her spouse lobbying for big developers who want to rig the property tax system against working families. But Fritz Kaegi won’t let us go back to the old ways when connected politicians used the Assessor’s Office to enrich themselves and their family members. He’ll put the public’s interest ahead of special interests.”
* DGA press release…
This week, GOP candidates in the running for the Illinois gubernatorial nomination sparred during a Chicago Tribune Editorial Board session, the first meeting of all six candidates in the primary. In an increasingly tight race, it’s no surprise that the faceoff was chaotic, messy, and downright ugly.
Some highlights:
• Darren Bailey called Aurora under Mayor Richard Irvin “the highest taxed city in the nation” with a “ridiculous pension problem,” and accused Aurora under Irvin of downgrading crimes as civil violations to make the city look safer.
• Jesse Sullivan slammed Irvin’s “scorched-earth campaign” and accused him of “treating the conservative base like they’re idiots.”
• Darren Bailey put Irvin on blast, saying: “all he really wants to talk about is trashing each one of us around this table.”
• …and as usual, Irvin ducked, dodged, and deflected questions about his support for Trump (or lack thereof).
What could’ve been a critical opportunity for the candidates to distinguish themselves turned into a mud-slinging, name-calling mess. And with just under six weeks until the primary, the chaos isn’t showing any signs of stopping.
“With the primary fast approaching, the GOP field is in complete disarray,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “The Republicans’ messy infighting means the race is still a total toss-up. But no matter who wins the nomination, we know one thing: they don’t have Illinoisans best interests at heart.”
* Back to the Rodney Davis campaign…
18 current and former central Illinois county sheriffs are announcing their endorsement of Rodney Davis’ campaign for Congress in the 15th District. The sheriffs’ endorsement follows the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) endorsement of Davis last week. […]
• Calhoun County Sheriff Bill Heffington
• Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp
• DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker
• Fayette County Sheriff David Russell
• Logan County Sheriff Mark Landers
• Former Macon County Sheriff Jerry Dawson
• Former Macon County Sheriff Tom Schneider
• McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout
• Menard County Sheriff Mark Oller
• Montgomery County Sheriff Rick Robbins
• Former Montgomery County Sheriff Jim Vozzi
• Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody
• Moultrie County Sheriff Chris Sims
• Piatt Mark County Sheriff Vogelzang
• Pike County Sheriff David Greenwood
• Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell
• Former Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson
• Vermillion County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn
The kickoff of early voting for the June 28 Illinois primary is spotlighting some voter confusion in redrawn Chicago area congressional districts as candidates scramble to lock in their votes. […]
In-person early voting starts May 26 for Chicago voters and June 1 for suburban Cook residents in the combined City Hall/County Building in the Loop, with satellite locations opening up in June in the city and Cook County suburbs.
Starting Thursday, Lake County voters can vote at the courthouse in Waukegan; in DuPage County at the fairgrounds in Wheaton; in Will County at the courthouse in Joliet; in Kane County at the clerk’s office in Geneva or the Aurora satellite office.
* Press release…
Erica Conway Harriss, the Republican Senate candidate for the 56th District and a sitting Madison County Board member, will now face an unknown opponent in the general election. Rachelle Aud Crowe, who had been seeking reelection as State Senator from the area, was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to be the next U.S. Attorney from the Southern District of Illinois.
“I certainly wish Senator Crowe the best in her future endeavors. What has not changed is that the people of the Metro East deserve to have their voices heard in Springfield. I am running because the voices of parents, workers, and local business owners need to be the ones that echo in the halls of the Capitol, not those of political insiders,” stated Harriss.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has tapped a dozen challengers for the initial roster of its “Red to Blue” program for top-tier candidates, offering an early look at how it views the House battlefield with redistricting nearly complete.
Republicans only need to flip five seats to undo Democrats’ razor-thin majority and capture the House in November — but Democrats can stretch that number by flipping GOP-held seats the other way, and capitalizing on those opportunities will be a key part of any path to keeping the House during President Joe Biden’s first midterm.
The majority of the program’s roster is running for seats that became much more favorable for Democrats under new redistricting maps. Biden carried 10 of the 12 target districts in 2020.
“I think it’s going to be mostly about defense,” DCCC Executive Director Tim Persico said, speaking about Democrats’ midterm strategy. “But,” he added, “it’s important to play offense.”
* Nikki Budzinski…
Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced it was adding Nikki Budzinski to its first list of “Red to Blue” candidates - one of only 12 in the country to be added. Budzinski’s addition to the coveted list signals the growing momentum building behind her campaign and that she’s well-positioned to flip this open seat in November.
Red to Blue is a highly competitive battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates, who have the best chance to flip seats from Republican to Democrat, with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns. Through the Red to Blue program, the DCCC also provides strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate trainings and more.
Budzinski made the following statement: “I am proud of the grassroots, issues-focused campaign that we have built. The path to holding our house majority runs through winning IL13, and I am thrilled to have the DCCC’s support in that effort. I look forward to continuing to work hard, meet voters, and be a tireless champion for working families in Congress.”
This will also likely help in her primary race, which she’s the overwhelming favorite to win.
* NRCC…
Hi there –
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee just added IL-13 Candidate Nikki Budzinski to its “Red to Blue” frontline list.
Politico noted President Biden carried this district previously by 11 points.
This move signals Democrats know what we do: Nikki Budzinski is extremely vulnerable and will need all the help she can get.
NRCC Comment: “Democrats realize their unending crises and failing socialist agenda are putting previously safe congressional seats in jeopardy, and vulnerable candidate Nikki Budzinski should be worried.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella
Democrats had a 13 to 5 advantage in the congressional delegation coming into the cycle, with Illinois losing one seat through reapportionment. If all the races go as planned by Democrats, they’ll start the next Congress with 14 members, compared to three Republicans. That would be a small step to helping Democrats maintain their slim majority nationwide, since Republicans need a net gain of just five seats for a majority.
Competitive races in the 6th, 13th, 14th, and 17th districts will decide whether Democrats drew a successful gerrymander, or a so-called dummymander, a map that benefits the party it was intended to hurt. In a great GOP cycle, Republicans could end up with one more seat from Illinois than they started with. […]
13th District (Open; Rodney Davis, R)
Democrats redrew this district to be significantly more Democratic, pushing Davis to run in the 15th District. Considering Biden would have won the seat with 54 percent, the Democratic primary is critical because the nominee will start the general election with the advantage.
The Democratic front-runner is Nikki Budzinski. The labor activist and former executive in the Office of Management and Budget had $730,000 in the bank on Dec. 31. On the Republican side, candidates include Jesse Reising, a former DOJ prosecutor and current partner at Kirkland & Ellis, philanthropist Regan Deering and others. The 13th was designed to be a Democratic pickup, but Republicans could hold it under the right conditions. Initial rating: Lean Democratic.
Rodney Davis wasn’t pushed to another district. The Democrats drew a district for him. Mary Miller shifted to the district where Davis already lived. The whole idea that a district’s assigned number has anything to do with anything is not exactly deep thinking. “I must stay within the boundaries of 13 even though I no longer live in 13 because that’s always been my district’s number!” said nobody, ever. Sorry, but I’ve seen this so many times from DC types that it’s starting to bug me.
…Adding… As a subscriber just pointed out, before the last redistricting, the 13th District was represented by Judy Biggert. Nobody thought Rodney was running in the suburbs in 2012.
