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Jim Oberweis, others picked for NRCC’s “Young Guns” program

Friday, Aug 16, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

The National Republican Congressional Committee today announced the first round of “On the Radar” candidates as part of the Committee’s 2020 Young Guns program. The program mentors and supports candidates in races across the country and works to provide them with the necessary tools to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents.

“It’s clear the 2020 election will be a choice between two futures: a future of more freedom or government control,” said Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. “The new socialist Democrats are embracing policies that are in direct conflict with the needs and priorities of the American people: more taxes, more spending, more government, and less freedom. Simply put, this is theft.

“In stark contrast, Americans’ priorities are Republican priorities. This is why we are recruiting the best to compete in 2020 and I am proud to welcome each of these candidates to the Young Guns program. I remain focused on ensuring they have the resources they need to win, and I look forward to seeing them on the campaign trail over the next 14 months.”

* Candidate list for Illinois…

(IL-06) Evelyn Sanguinetti
(IL-14) Ted Gradel
(IL-14) Jim Oberweis

A snub of state Sen. Sue Rezin in the 14th? Interesting. And 73-year-old Jim Oberweis is part of the “Young Guns” program?

…Adding… Candidates apparently needed to have $100K in the bank at the end of June, but Rezin didn’t announce until mid-July. The same goes for Jeanne Ives in the 6th CD.

* From Sanguinetti…

Today, Evelyn Sanguinetti, Republican candidate for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District, was named as one of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s “On the Radar” candidates as part of the Committee’s 2020 Young Guns program. The program mentors and supports candidates in races across the country and works to provide them with the necessary tools to run successful, winning campaigns against their Democratic opponents.

“Americans’ priorities are Republican priorities. This is why we are recruiting the best to compete in 2020 and I am proud to welcome each of these candidates to the Young Guns program,” said U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. “I remain focused on ensuring they have the resources they need to win, and I look forward to seeing them on the campaign trail over the next 14 months.”

“I am honored to receive this important recognition by the NRCC and I look forward to victory next November,” said Evelyn Sanguinetti. “This election is about beating Sean Casten to ensure our kids and grandkids have the chance to live the American dream. Socialism is not the answer. Sean Casten has consistently shown that he does not represent the interests of the 6th district, but rather the elite progressive donors and socialists he’s catered to since being elected to office.”

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Justice Neville moves a step closer to being slated

Friday, Aug 16, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Daily Line…

Cook County Democratic Party leaders swept aside an insurgent campaign amid lingering questions about Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville’s property taxes, backing his bid to keep his seat on the high court. […]

A party committee tasked with recommending an endorsement for the Supreme Court chose Neville following a closed session that lasted fewer than 30 minutes. The full party is widely expected to vote on Friday to accept the recommendation, solidifying the party stamp that would give Neville precious caché and campaign resources in next year’s primary.

Neville had been seen as the party’s inevitable choice to fill the seat until a contingent of black leaders including Secretary of State Jesse White, Ald. Emma Mitts (37) and Ald. Pat Dowell (3) rallied around Appellate Judge Nathaniel Howse as an alternative.

And Neville was dealt a setback on Monday, when NBC5 reported that he reaped the benefits of a homeowner property tax exemption for a house where he does not live. The candidate repeatedly said on Thursday that Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office found “no evidence of any wrongdoing.”

* Crain’s…

Justice Neville received ownership of the home from his siblings in a quitclaim deed in 2004 but does not live there. The exemption is worth $726.

Neville told the committee during questioning today that there had been “no irregularities” or evidence of wrongdoing on his part. “I don’t think I can provide any more elaboration than the assessor provided. They have records. They have indicated there’s no evidence of wrongdoing. What else is there to say? If you have some evidence, I’d very much like to see it.”

Scott Smith, a spokesperson for Assessor Fritz Kaegi, said homeowners’ exemption applications from the year 2000 were “destroyed by the assessor’s office” and is unable to say who requested the exemption after Neville’s mother’s death.

“Our electronic records indicate whether a property received a homeowner’s exemption, but they do not reflect the name of the applicant. Therefore, we do not have the name of the person who filed for the exemption on this property in 2000. (Justice Neville’s) name is on the deed so he’s ultimately responsible for repayment of the erroneous exemption and has been in contact with our office about doing so.”

Neville told reporters he’d never asked for the exemption.

* But…

Smith said Neville’s name is on the deed, “so he’s responsible for repayment of the erroneous exemption and has been in contact with our office about doing so.”

* Meanwhile, in the circuit court clerk’s race…

Toni Preckwinkle thanks Martinez for her work as a state senator in Springfield; three Latinx committeepeople have lavished praise on Martinez, calling her a role model. No questions so far.

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) August 16, 2019

*** UPDATE *** Done…

Confirmed: Foxx for state's attorney and Cabonargi for clerk

— David Thomas (@DaveThomas5150) August 16, 2019

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*** UPDATED x1 *** Has Proft’s Uihlein money dried up?

Friday, Aug 16, 2019 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I pointed out to subscribers several days ago that Dan Proft’s campaign committees hadn’t raised any money this year after spending a fortune battling House Republicans in past primary cycles. The House Republicans have been saying they don’t believe Proft will be getting any more bigtime cash from Dick Uihlein and that they’ve made peace with some key Proft allies. I’ve reached out to Proft for comment a couple of times this week and haven’t heard back.

Hannah Meisel advanced the story today…

[Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider] said he’s trying to nix any Republican infighting before it has the chance to bloom in the 2020 campaign cycle. He told The Daily Line that he’s been working with the free-market think tank Illinois Policy Institute, whose CEO John Tillman was an early supporter of Rauner, and who has previously been in the background of efforts to field candidates against mainstream Republicans.

Schneider said he also planned to work with Ideas Illinois, a not-for-profit dark money organization created by longtime business leader Greg Baise to fight Pritzker’s signature policy: a progressive income tax that voters will have to weigh in on in the November 2020 election.

“We’re all working together, that’s the whole thing,” Schneider said. “You know, we’ve been fighting each other for so long, nobody’s done enough to try to get everybody to work together. And I think if there’s one thing that we’re doing that we haven’t done effectively, the last couple years we’ve been fighting each other.”

Schneider said because of his efforts, Republicans would face fewer primary battles — even from candidates launched by conservative radio host and one-time gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft, and conservative business magnate Richard Uihlein.

“In the past, resources have come from the Policy Institute and Dick Uihlein,” Schneider said. “And I don’t see that they’ve engaged in giving resources to Dan Proft in the last two quarterly statements, so I think there’s a pullback from that. I think they’d rather see us all working together than working against one another…if people are gonna constantly fight one another for radio ratings, no, we’re not interested in that.”

…Adding… Good point by Maxwell…

Who is leading the @ILGOP? Chairman Tim Schneider lists @IllinoisPolicy and the longtime GOP operative/lobbyist Greg Baise at @IdeasIllinois who he says are "players" working on the same team along with GOP legislative leaders. @IllinoisPolicy claims it is non-partisan. pic.twitter.com/HFJTzBun0O

— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 16, 2019

*** UPDATE *** I asked Matt Paprocki at the Illinois Policy Institute for comment on Chairman Schneider’s claim that his group was one of the “partners” on the state GOP’s team…

Illinois Policy Institute has no role with the Illinois GOP team.

But I hope everyone — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — says we are good partners.

We want to work to everyone. Our state’s biggest problems are not partisan. And the solutions to fix them have to be bipartisan, as well.

Illinois Policy Institute is nonpartisan, which means our policy work is open to all, and we will partner with anyone.