Congressional earmarks are back! Illinois delegation — except for one member — hauls in federal cash […]
All 13 Illinois House Democrats requested projects. Four of the five Illinois House Republicans also asked for earmarks.
Freshman Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., is the only Illinois member to not apply for any earmarks. She joined her Freedom Caucus colleagues in objecting to the revival of earmarks. Once they became available, she didn’t apply for any.
That denied her district — based in southern Illinois — a lot of federal money for worthy projects. […]
Miller is locked in a June GOP primary with Rep. Rodney Davis. Davis, among other earmarks, got $1 million for security screening improvements at Willard Airport in Champaign and $3 million for the city of Gillespie.
A suburban high school staffer. A former Chicago Police sergeant. A South Side college professor.
None of them believe the 2020 election results were legitimate. Some of them seem to promote the spread of much darker conspiracy theories even more detached from reality — namely, that a global cabal of Satanic pedophiles plotted to prevent former President Donald Trump from winning a second term.
And they all want your vote.
A slate of far-right conspiracy theorists have filed to run in June’s Republican primary for nominations for Illinois public offices ranging from governor to a seat in Congress, aiming to amplify baseless claims of rampant voter fraud and to “take back” the government.
Their website features a slogan and symbol linked to QAnon supporters, although one of the candidates sought to downplay the connection.
McHenry County’s elections this year will include new processes — including counting by hand a randomly selected race — which officials hope will improve both election integrity and voters’ confidence in the system.
County Clerk Joe Tirio, who has come under fire for his office’s handling of recent elections, said he thinks McHenry County is the first to implement such changes.
The changes are meant to address concerns raised by voters about the accuracy of the equipment used in the elections, which they hope to “quell” with the new process.
The hand count will be in addition to the state-mandated audit, Tirio said in a news release.
Illinois Constitutional Convention delegates had a choice of when to put the plan in motion—either 1972 or 1976 would become a two-year term for governor. They chose 1976, meaning 1978 would be the state’s first election where the governor candidates didn’t have to follow the presidential contenders on the ballot.
During the proceedings, however, Constitutional Convention delegate Paul Elward tried to undo the switch. Elward, an ally of then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and a state representative who became a judge the same year as the convention, predicted a drop off of about 20% of voters if Illinois separated its election for governor from the one for president.
“The purpose, quite frankly, is to make sure that we do not downgrade state government into something that is secondary of consideration to the general public,” Elward said during debate.
Delegate Jeanette Mullen of Barrington took the opposite view.
“It seems to combine the state election with a national election does not emphasize state government. At that time, everyone is more concerned with national issues and who is going to be the next president, and I suggest that greater emphasis can be put on our state affairs by electing our state officials in an off year,” she said.
The push to keep things the same failed, with only 30 votes in support to 74 against. One of the delegates voting for the status quo? Michael J. Madigan, who was months away from winning his first term representing a Southwest Side district in the Illinois House on his way to becoming the nation’s longest-serving speaker. He’s now fighting a federal political corruption racketeering charge. […]
Midterm general election turnout hit a low of 48.6% in 2006 following a nasty campaign full of attack ads between then-Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and then-Republican Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. The high point since the split was the close contest in 1982 between then-Gov. Thompson and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Adlai Stevenson III. Nearly 65% of registered voters came out as Thompson was re-elected by just 5,000 votes.
Since then, the state’s biggest turnout percentage-wise was in 2018, when Democrat J.B. Pritzker downed then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. Turnout was 57.2%, a feat notable because polls had Pritzker way ahead and he won by nearly 16 points. Then-President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in Illinois was a big factor in the relative mid-term surge.
Democrats running for a chance to replace U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) in Congress are struggling to excite donors and raise funds, and face a steep uphill climb in the fundraising fight against Republican candidate Esther Joy King.
Federal election records show King has already raised $1.6 million this cycle, while Democratic candidates Jonathan Logemann, Eric Sorensen, Angela Normoyle, Litesa Wallace, and Marsha Williams have combined to raise just $416,011. More than half of those funds sit in the campaign funds for Logemann and Sorensen who each raised just over $100k so far.
Why aren’t donors more excited about backing a Democratic candidate in the primary contest?
“That’s a good question that I’m still trying to figure out as a state central committeeman,” state representative Maurice West (D-Rockford) said.
Host: And, of course, when you’re in a border community like Quincy it’s really easy to slip across the river and get [gas] for, you know, fifty cents cheaper.
Irvin: Exactly right. And there are a lot of borders around the state, the state of Missouri, you know, Indiana, you know, Ohio, you know, all these states right around, Kentucky, you know, and Tennessee. So, it’s easy to go to those other states that don’t have the same tax rate as we do and we have to recognize that.
He was right on the concept, but fabulously wrong on the geography. Ohio and Tennessee are not border states except in this special map drawn by a pal…
*** UPDATE *** Fritz Kaegi…
Recent reporting by the Daily Line shows video of Cook County Assessor candidate Kari Steele handing out cash alongside right-wing Republican Jeanne Ives. The following is a statement from Assessor Kaegi:
“I ran for office as a progressive Democrat because I wanted to make our property tax system transparent, fair and equitable for everyone in Cook County. Progress is hard work, and undoing generations of corrupt politics that put wealthy property owners ahead of middle class families won’t happen overnight—but we’ll never get there by going backwards. And no one in this state is more backwards than Jeanne Ives.”
Below is a statement from Kari Steele’s campaign in response to Fritz Kaegi and the capfax post on the Willie Wilson event from a few weeks ago. Thanks.
Attribute to Kari Steele’s Spokesperson, Isabelle Dienstag:
It’s going to be a long desperate campaign for Fritz Kaegi if he’s spending his time worried about who his opponent is standing next to in a hallway.
He’s had a string of bad press and this is his bumbling attempt to distract from his failed record of botched COVID relief and the fact that he’s raising assessments on homeowners by 26%.
Jeanne Ives’ views are repugnant and do not further polite discourse. Kari was surprised to see her in a room at an event for seniors who she consistently voted to deprive of vital services. The event was about assisting seniors who are living on $2 a day–that was Kari’s sole focus. She cannot control who Willie Wilson invites.
Kari has no interest in appearing at events with Ives, but when there’s a greater purpose–meeting people in need and hearing their stories–she will always put people above ignorant politicians.
Unlike Fritz Kaegi, whose failed policies are hurting the Black community.
* I received a bunch of text messages yesterday claiming that Gov. JB Pritzker didn’t finish the South Side Irish Parade for security reasons. Someone even tweeted about it. The governor participated by invitation of the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, and an aide to Executive Secretary-Treasurer Gary Perinar told me the governor was never on a float (the council didn’t even have a float) and walked the entire parade route to the end.
The video was sent phone-to-phone, so it’s blurry.
…Adding… Maybe now we can turn to the very real and IMPORTANT story of how Chicago FOP President John Catanzara wore orange to the Northwest Side Irish Parade. Kind of a faux pas, unless he’s an Orangeman.
Bond Set at $100,000 for Chicago Man Charged with Threatening State Representative Deb Conroy
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly announced today that a Chicago man has been charged with posting threatening Facebook messages directed at Illinois State Representative Deb Conroy. Cort Chubko, 59 (d.o.b. 7/15/1962) of the 6200 block of S. Whipple Street, appeared in Bond Court this morning where Judge Joshua Dieden set bond at $100,000 with 10% to apply. Chubko has been charged with one count of Threatening a Public Official, a Class 3 Felony and one count of Intimidation, also a Class 3 Felony.
It is alleged that on February 4, 2022, and again on February 12, 2022, Chubko commented on and replied to comments on Representative Conroy’s Facebook page in a threatening manner. It is alleged that some of the comments left by Chubko included “heavy arms are being moved into and distributed across Dupage County. PEOPLE ARE PAST PISSED and READY TO FIGHT.”, “(expletive) is GOING TO get ugly in Dupage County.”, “This woman and all like her is the reason I own AND CARRY guns.”, “You know how I respond to fear Conroy? I move a little lever from SAFE to FIRE.” and “But know this Conroy and I couldnt be more serious… ALL HELL will come down on you, your staff and your office and your PRotection Detail isn’t going to be nearly enough to stop it.”. Through the course of their investigation authorities identified Chubko as the individual who allegedly made the posts. He was taken into custody yesterday afternoon from his residence without incident.
“For government to function properly, public officials must be allowed to perform their jobs without having to worry about retribution or fear for their personal safety,” Berlin said. “My office stands ready to prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, anyone who threatens a public official, their staff or their family. I thank the Illinois State Police for their outstanding work on this case. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Ken Tatarelis and Michael Pingaj for their efforts in preparing a strong case against Mr. Chubko.”
“Anyone contemplating this type of criminal conduct should be forewarned the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation takes threats to public officials of all kinds very seriously,” said ISP Director Brendan Kelly. “The outstanding, professional work of ISP special agents, ISP criminal intelligence analysts and DuPage County prosecutors moved this investigation forward to a swift apprehension of the defendant.”
Chubko’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 4, 2022, for arraignment in front of Judge Daniel Guerin.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
