Campaign notebook
Thursday, Mar 3, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Hmm…
People who do this politics thing all the time don’t always realize that voters have short memories. Yes, primary voters are higher information voters than general election voters, but the 2018 primary was a long time ago to many people.
* Yikes…
* This is interesting because Rep. Willis, like Villegas, is up against a Chuy Garcia-backed primary opponent…
Today, State Representative Kathleen Willis (IL-77) announced her endorsement of Alderman Gilbert Villegas for Congress in the race for the newly drawn Illinois 3rd Congressional District. Representative Willis is a member of the 19 Illinois State Representatives who opposed Mike Madigan’s re-election to Speaker of the House.
“I am proud to support Gilbert Villegas for Congress because integrity matters when it comes to choosing our elected officials. Not everyone has the courage to do what’s right in politics, but Gilbert has served his country as a Marine, working families as a Teamsters, and his community as a public servant. We can trust him to fight for us,” said Representative Kathleen Willis.
“I am honored to receive the support from a leader like Kathleen Willis. Her bravery under fire demonstrates incredible leadership at a time when people need it most,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas. “I look forward to working with her to get things done for the people of Illinois.”
State Rep. Kathleen Willis is currently serving in her fifth term representing Illinois’s 77th House District. A full-time legislator with a strong background in education, Willis has worked tirelessly to make sure her constituents’ voices get heard.
Willis marks the twenty second local official who has come out in support of Alderman Villegas.
* Yesterday…
Today, California’s 40th District Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard announced her support for Delia Ramirez in the newly drawn 3rd congressional district.
“As a non-profit leader and state legislator Delia has kept community and service at the forefront of her work, which has made her effective in passing historic legislation. I enthusiastically support her campaign for Congress because I know Delia is the proven fighter her community needs,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. “I’m excited to support her candidacy as she fights for working families in Illinois.”
Delia Ramirez is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants and the first Guatemalan American to serve in the Illinois General Assembly. Ramirez, a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, has served as the founding executive director of the Center for Changing Lives, former board chair for the Latin United Community Housing Association and Logan Square Neighborhood Association. If elected, Ramirez would be the first Latina to represent a Midwestern state in Congress.
“It is so fitting that we kick off Women’s History Month by earning the endorsement of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who made history by becoming the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress. I am honored to have earned her endorsement and look forward to continuing to fight for immigration reform, an issue close to my heart and which Congresswoman Roybal-Allard has led on in Congress ” said Delia Ramirez.
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard is the latest to endorse Delia Ramirez. Last month, Delia was supported by Congressmen Jesus Chuy Garcia and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, along with EMILY’s List, Pro-Choice PODER PAC, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Cook County College Teachers Union, and the United Working Families and Working Families Party.
* Speaking of Chuy…
During a telephone interview from Washington on Wednesday, Garcia was asked if he’s giving any thought to another mayoral campaign, particularly if his Democratic Party loses control of the House of Representatives in the November election.
“I am not thinking about that whatsoever and I surely haven’t talked with my wife about it. I’ve got to think that she’d be very reluctant for us to do it, and we do everything together. It’s not on my radar right now. … I treasure that [2015] run. But I was a little younger” then, Garcia said.
“If somebody could show me where there’s a significant pot of gold … to usher in a real era of equity in Chicago, that would be really moving and convincing to me. I don’t see that on the horizon right now. The challenges are just so huge for Chicago. … The job is a huge bear and it will continue to be challenging and torturous on a daily basis, especially as [federal] funding dissipates and goes away. It will make it excruciatingly difficult to govern and provide good news to Chicagoans.”
The fact that the mayor’s job is so bad may turn out to be her best political ally.
* Press release…
Today, U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (D-IL) announced he has been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters in his re-election campaign. This is LCV’s first endorsement in a member-on-member primary and highlights the urgent need to keep global climate leaders like Rep. Casten in Congress.
“Whether it was as a scientist, a clean energy entrepreneur, or now as a Member of Congress, I have dedicated my entire life to fighting climate change,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “The IPCC report released earlier this week makes it overwhelmingly clear that climate change is the greatest existential crisis we face as a species. Congress must act to address it with the scale and urgency that science has shown is necessary to save our planet. I’m honored to be endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters and will continue to work hand-in-hand with them to ensure we provide a livable planet to our children and grandchildren.”
“Congressman Sean Casten is a tireless and determined advocate for climate action, and we are so proud to support his campaign for reelection,” said LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “It has never been more important to have leaders in Congress who will fight for the transformational climate progress we so desperately need, and we know nobody will fight harder than Rep. Casten.”
“As the most recent IPCC report makes clear, there is no time to waste for a just and equitable transition to clean energy. Representative Sean Casten has worked relentlessly to fight the climate crisis since his first day in Congress,” said Illinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jennifer Walling. “We are proud to have him leading for our Illinois communities.”
As a member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Rep. Casten has quickly established himself as one of Congress’ indispensable climate leaders. He has represented the United States on the global climate stage multiple times at COP25 and COP26.
Rep. Casten has passed—and President Biden has signed into law—multiple pieces of climate legislation to lower the carbon footprint of the federal government, invest in clean energy battery storage technologies, and expand Illinois’ electric vehicle charging network.
In 2019 and 2020, the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund spent over $115 million in support of pro-climate candidates nationwide.
Rep. Casten has previously been endorsed by pro-climate groups like the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition PAC and 314 Action Fund, as well as climate leaders like Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), the chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
