* Sen. Bailey tries to walk back his “move on and celebrate” comments shortly after the Highland Park shooting…

#illinois candidate for governor, @DarrenBaileyIL distinguishes himself as a public servant with a sincere apology for his comments following the Highland Park shootings. Bailey demonstrate that in his every day life, there is something bigger than him. He quotes Psalm 112. pic.twitter.com/HpOK9moLsU

— BlueRoomStream (@BlueRoomStream) July 7, 2022

…Adding… This Bailey campaign is a mess, man. Not only did the candidate mistakenly invent a mythical community (Edgefield Park), but the bible verse he quoted today was not Psalm 112. It was Colossians 3:12.

* Greg Hinz…

Bailey also appears to have decided to keep Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy on the job instead of moving to dump him for his own candidate, as often happens. Tracy was in Effingham for Bailey’s election night party and the gesture was noted. “If he’ll work with us, we’ll work with him,” says one insider.

* This will likely receive more coverage as the campaign year progresses…

Saying Illinois workers need a constitutional guarantee of their right to organize and bargain—and reminding workers of the war former right-wing Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner waged against them—leaders of the Illinois AFL-CIO and legislative allies began their drive for voters to pass a proposed pro-collective bargaining constitutional amendment this November.

If approved, the measure would be one of four such guarantees enshrined in the 50 state constitutions. To win, it needs either 60% of the votes on the initiative itself, or an absolute majority–50% + 1–of all votes cast in the election. […]

“We’re getting ready for the inevitable attacks” from the corporate class, Drea told the Peoria crowd. “To counter the attacks, we have to blunt the lies we expect” from those interests. One of the few Republicans to oppose the amendment during last year’s debate, State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Altamont, called it “special interest legislation” designed to “draw campaign contributions.”

The state fed’s campaign for the amendment will include radio and TV ads, plus mailers but will rely on person-to-person contact, Drea said.

* Personal PAC endorsed Judge Rochford’s opponent in the Democratic primary, but Rochford won by 16 points…

The Personal PAC Board of Directors is extremely proud to endorse pro-choice Liz Rochford for the Illinois Supreme Court in the 2nd district, which includes Lake, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Dekalb counties.

We believe Rochford respects the fundamental right to privacy in reproductive decision-making. The November 8th election could not be more important to the future of reproductive rights in Illinois and across the entire Midwest for the 56 million women who will depend on us being here into the next decade and beyond as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Rochford’s opponent, Mark Curran, has been endorsed by the most extreme factions of the anti-choice movement seeking to make abortion illegal in Illinois, even in cases of rape and incest. For this reason Curran has the full support of “Illinois Right To Life,” the political arm of the anti-choice movement. From Curran’s Supreme Court campaign website: “Person of Faith-Devout Roman Catholic and follower of Christ, he founded Bibles, Badges and Business…”

* This is not a very fair take. Pritzker released two statements, one of which was consoling, before issuing the statement highlighted in this WaPo piece…

President Biden took the stage at an Independence Day barbecue just a few hours after the latest horrific shooting to upend an American city — but at his first opportunity to address the nation in person about the Highland Park killings, he did so only obliquely.

“You all heard what happened today,” Biden said. “Things will get better still, but not without more hard work together.”

It was not until about two hours later, after singer Andy Grammer finished an acoustic version of “Give Love,” that the president returned to the stage and attempted to respond to the tragedy more fully, calling for a moment of silence and decrying the spate of mass shootings. “We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Biden said, reiterating some of what he had said in a written statement earlier in the day. “We’ve got to get this under control.”

In contrast, J.B. Pritzker, Illinois’ Democratic governor, delivered a fiery response that took direct aim at those blocking gun control legislation. “If you are angry today, I’m here to tell you to be angry,” he said, seething while Biden was consoling. “I’m furious. I’m furious that yet more innocent lives were taken by gun violence.”

* Illinois Family Action…

Illinois conservatives face serious challenges in the gubernatorial race.

In 2014, Bruce “The Deceiver” Rauner beat Pat Quinn in the race for governor by about 140,000 votes. Quinn won only one county: Cook County. Rauner won in large measure by deceiving Illinoisans–including many conservatives–with his dishonest campaign promises. By the time he ran for reelection in 2018, Rauner had been found out and, as a consequence, had little support. He received nearly 58,000 fewer votes in the 2018 election and was trounced by J. B. Pritzker.

Because of his promotion of all sorts of evil, Pritzker was able to energize the Democrat base, thereby beating Rauner by over 700,000 votes in the 2018 race. While Quinn won only one county in 2014, Pritzker won at least 16 counties in 2018 (of 102 total counties in Illinois).

Here was the key for Pritzker over Rauner: He won Cook County by 836,138 votes. Fifty-one percent of his total votes came from just Cook County alone! If you throw in the following 6 counties: DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane, Champaign, and St. Clair counties, Pritzker received more votes than Rauner did statewide. In fact, Pritzker could have given the 611,791 votes he received in the rest of Illinois and donated them to Rauner and still won.

In the 2020 presidential election, Donald J. Trump received 260,608 more votes than Rauner did in those 7 counties. Of course, in a presidential election, the voter turnout is much higher which may account for the discrepancy. However, what is interesting is that in a non-presidential election year, Pritzker still received 32,855 more votes in those 7 counties than Trump did.

Therefore, two things must happen if GOP nominee Senator Darren Bailey is to beat Pritzker. He must get as many votes as Trump did and hope that the turnout for Democrats decreases by 5 percent or more or to make up the rest of the difference downstate. This will be a challenge for Bailey.

To say the least. Also, turnout across the board is always much higher in a presidential year. Bailey matching the Trump numbers would take a political hurricane and a perfect campaign run by Bailey. Trump received over 2.4 million statewide votes in 2020, while Pritzker took about 2.5 million and Bruce Rauner and Sam McCann combined received less than 2 million votes in 2018.

* Speaking of turnout, here’s the Chicago Board of Elections…

Updated Voter Turnout: 338,402 – 22.58% of registered voters in Chicago (1,498,813)
Democratic Turnout: 302,605 (89.42%)
Republican Turnout: 34,769 (10.27%)
Libertarian Turnout: 1,022 (0.30%)
Nonpartisan Turnout: 6 (0.001%)

32,461 additional votes have been counted and added to this total since the last summary report I sent on 7/1/22 , with 30,101 new Vote By Mail ballots included (received on Election Day 6/28/22 up through Tuesday 7/5/22). In total, 90,431 Vote By Mail ballots were returned and counted so far for the June 28th Primary Election.

So far, 173,571 Chicago voters chose to Early Vote or Vote By Mail (51.3% of voters), and 164,831 Chicago voters chose to vote on Election Day (48.7%).

These results will remain unofficial until the July 19th Proclamation of Results. The Board will now begin to process and count 3,662 Provisional Ballots, and will continue to count properly postmarked Vote By Mail Ballots sent to our office through July 12th. There are 34,154 Vote By Mail ballots that were sent and not returned (though we do not expect most of these will be returned with the proper postmark).

All updated results and ward by precinct totals are live on our website here: https://www.chicagoelections.gov/en/election-results.html

Four years ago, which featured hotly contested gubernatorial primaries in both parties, 452,529 voters chose Democratic ballots and 31,535 Chicagoans chose GOP ballots. So, Republican turnout was up this year by about 10 percent and Dem turnout dropped by 33 percent. Also, Chicago voter registration has fallen ever so slightly (0.3 percent). That lack of Democratic enthusiasm is being pointed to by some as a possible warning sign for the Pritzker campaign, but if Darren Bailey doesn’t right his ship soon, he’s gonna deflate his momentum in a hurry.

* And speaking of Chicago, here’s Fran Spielman…

Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas dropped $836,500 into his mayoral campaign fund on Wednesday in the first significant fundraising report filed by any of the seven candidates vying to unseat Mayor Lori Lightfoot. […]

They include $500,000 from prominent Republican donor and golf course magnate Michael Keiser; $100,000 apiece from John Canning and James Perry of Madison Dearborn Partners; $50,000 from Noel Moore, managing partner of Endurance Asset Management; and $25,000 from Edgar Bachrach of Bader Clothing.

Vallas also reported receiving $10,000 contributions from Petco Petroleum’s Jay Bergman; the O’Donnell Family LLC; and Edward J. Wehmer, president and CEO of Wintrust Financial.

After a first-quarter fundraising frenzy — her best since taking office — Lightfoot still had just $1.7 million in cash in her primary political account.

…Adding… Kendall County Republicans…

We are selling raffle tickets for four popular firearms (one raffle per firearm). Cost is $20 per ticket. Click a link below to buy a ticket for that firearm. The drawing (and last date to buy tickets) will be on July 24th at 2 PM at Mike & Denise’s in Yorkville.

To be eligible to buy a raffle ticket, you must be a FOID card holder, at least 21 years old, and legally allowed to own a gun.

• Smith & Wesson 642 38 Special
• Smith & Wesson 5.56/.223
• Glock G19 G5 9MM
• Viper G2 Silver 28 Gauge

*** UPDATE *** That Smith & Wesson 5.56/.223 being auctioned by the Kendall County Republicans is very similar to and the same caliber as the Smith & Wesson M&P15 that was used in the Highland Park shooting. Great move, folks. Sheesh.

…Adding… Edgefield Park is the new Lincoln County?…

.@DarrenBaileyIL said it in his press conference this a.m. and I thought it was just him misspeaking. But it’s in his press release about the press conference just now and in the prepared remarks (https://t.co/lQCiWhZ8hj) so I’ve gotta point out: there’s no such “Edgefield Park.” pic.twitter.com/AkjwxgUQpW

— Hannah Meisel (@hannahmeisel) July 7, 2022

…Adding… Heh…

.@DarrenBaileyIL spox called to tell me "Edgefield Park" was a typo; it was meant to say "Englewood."
(He also pointed out that Pres. Biden last week briefly mixed up Sweden and Switzerland re: NATO membership, to make the point that gaffes happen.) https://t.co/nIMLfN97dz

— Hannah Meisel (@hannahmeisel) July 7, 2022

…Adding… Press release…

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s reelection campaign announced today that it raised more than $1.25 million for the second quarter of 2022, ending the quarter with $2.5 million cash on hand.

“I’m so grateful to the supporters who are Ridin’ with Lori and have joined our reelection campaign,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “When I announced my reelection bid last month, I promised to never back down from the tough fights that lie ahead. I will continue to tackle our biggest problems head on, like continuing to bring down violent crime, standing up for women’s bodily autonomy and access to high quality reproductive care, helping bridge the financial burdens that too many Chicagoans face and continuing investments in neighborhoods that have been neglected for decades. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but we are seeing what happens when we join together and focus on making a difference in people’s lives. I am honored by the support of so many Chicagoans and I will keep fighting everyday for you.”