* The governor is really focused on those wicked DGA TV ads…
Media Advisory: Governor Rauner to Hold Media Availability Tomorrow Morning in Hanover Park
On Monday, Governor Rauner will visit Round Ground Metals in Hanover Park, IL and hold a media availability to address the Democratic Governors Association’s interference in the GOP primary.
* A Kennedy dirty trick? Looks like it. Notice the date of the first tweet…
* You probably won’t be surprised that none of these statewide officials appear on Casten’s endorsements web-page. So, this is yet another candidate mailer designed to make it look like someone has endorsements that he doesn’t actually have…
* Press release…
Congressional candidate Chuy Garcia on Sunday called on Iris Millan and her campaign to cease and desist the unlawful use of his name and image in her campaign materials in the race for Illinois’ 4th House District. This letter was sent by Garcia’s campaign following a mailer misleading voters about Chuy Garcia’s endorsement in this race for State Representative.
Jesus “Chuy” Garcia endorsed Delia Ramirez for State Representative on December 17, 2017 because she has deeps roots in this district and is ready to transform Springfield.
Iris Millan, who according to Illinois Sunshine has received over 50% of her campaign donations from 1st Ward Alderman Proco ‘Joe’ Moreno, has sent misinformation to voters numerous times through an unknown organization called the Social Justice Fund. This is a continuation of the Millan campaign’s dishonesty and willingness to deceive voters for political gain. Ramirez called these tactics “shameful and not in the best interest of voters.”
This is the weirdest election ever. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy’s opponent is now pulling a Bruce Rauner and calling her a Machine Madigan candidiate. While he runs to her left. That’s right I said running to her left. #Twill Make it all stop. pic.twitter.com/bxX3W1Vmeb
* Security of state voter rolls a concern as primaries begin: “It’s not something where you ever feel completely safe,” Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections. “It’s something where you feel like you’re doing your best to protect against what could happen in a cyberattack.”
* Wheeling Township GOP Chair slams Rauner attempt to subvert Ives endorsement: Rauner has sought to use his prodigious checkbook to boost lagging enthusiasm for him among local GOP organizations. Even his hometown, local New Trier Township GOP refused to endorse him over Ives. Of all 30 suburban Cook County townships, Rauner performed best in New Trier in a hotly-contested 2014 primary, carrying 77 percent of the vote in a four-way race against state senators Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard and then Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford.
* Editorial: Voters should do the vetting in primaries: After her primary opponent Lance Yednock entered the race, Bernal said a Democratic state representative asked her to leave the contest. After the holidays, she received a series of calls with the same request. Her answer stayed the same. On Jan. 15, Bernal said she met with Yednock and a high-ranking state official at a Spring Valley attorney’s office. She again was asked to end her campaign. Bernal told The Times on Thursday she would vote against Madigan for speaker.
The frenzied final weekend of in-person campaigning supplements the nearly $65.7 million spent by candidates and interest groups on TV commercials in the governor race so far. The contest could become the most expensive race to be Illinois’ chief executive in state history.
That TV spending total — in just the primary — is more than the record $65.3 million Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent on his entire 2014 campaign.
* JB Pritzker was on Newsradio WJPF the other day and was asked about this now outdated graphic from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform…
Interviewer: And they had it done in a pie chart and yours was all orange, and orange said ’self.’
Pritzker: [Three-second pause] Hehehehehe. Well, you want me to react to that?
Interviewer: Go big or go home, right?
Pritzker: Hehehehe. Well, remember that this whole campaign began in December of 2016 when Bruce Rauner wrote himself a $50 million check into his own campaign account. And then he accepted tens of millions of dollars from the Koch brothers’ right-wing network. And you know, they’re aiming at, uh, destroying labor unions and lower wages in the state, lowering workplace safety. So, I knew when I entered this race that we’d have to go fight fire with fire. Sen. Paul Simon, who is I think a hero to many of us who care about public service, once said, you know, that when you’re fighting for campaign finance reform, which I am, you can’t unilaterally disarm in the middle of it just because you’re in favor of campaign finance reform and the Republicans are spending so much money. So, I really believe that what I’ve tried to do throughout this campaign is to build the infrastructure of the Democratic Party, or at least of my campaign so that going into the general election we can win up and down the ticket for Democrats. So that’s what I’ve been doing and I’m excited about going into this Tuesday primary. I feel good about our chances. And most of all I feel good about our ability to beat Bruce Rauner in the general election.
* That’s not a bad (albeit far too-wordy explanation), but he’s also had to fend off well-funded attacks by Rauner and attacks by his opponents over stuff like this…
How can @JBPritzker say this now? "I haven't moved any money off shore and I don't invest offshore it's not apart of what I do." #ILGov
“I haven’t moved any money offshore” means “my accountant or brother-in-law did it for me” and “I don’t invest offshore” means “Well, my foundation does… and okay, trustees that I assigned also do it for me.” Translating JB’s non-denial denials is a full-time job these days. https://t.co/EWTmmSxuqG
* Meanwhile,not long ago, Chris Kennedy was bitterly complaining about all the money JB Pritzker was handing out to ward, township and county party organizations. On Friday, Kennedy’s campaign gave $2,500 to the 22nd Ward Independent Political Organization.
Ives, who once said she needed $10 million to run an effective race against Rauner, has raised nearly $4 million — including $2.5 million from conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest. In recent days, Vincent Kolber, a transportation asset manager from Chicago, loaned her $250,000 in addition to $410,000 he already had given.
Ives said Saturday she’ll have enough money to keep airing ads through Tuesday despite a fundraising email pitch from her campaign Saturday, seeking money for “our final chance to get on TV.”
* By the way, the Teamsters’ national DRIVE committee gave Speaker Madigan’s 13th Ward Organization a fat $55,400 check yesterday.
* Related…
* Pritzker Now at $70 Million, Rauner Feeling Pressure from Ives: Biss also commented on the matter and said, “JB Pritzker is trying to buy the election because Mike Madigan told him to.” … According to Rauner however, “she’s weak, weak on Madigan, weak on taxes.”
* Recognize these names? Meet the Macon County donors who gave $420,000 to political candidates
* Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day: Democrat for governor Chris Kennedy said he is confident ahead of the vote. “All we have to do is reject big money and politics on Tuesday,” Kennedy said.
Love the responses people from #IL03 are sending back to these ridiculous texts. “Also, I am catholic and will be voting for Marie Newman.” ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/Tu4f6icEri
In a little neighborhood near Midway airport — with “Proud Union Home” signs scattered across tiny front yards — canvassers spread out to talk to voters about Dan Lipinski, a pro-life, Democratic congressman running in a close primary against progressive challenger Marie Newman. […]
Seventy canvassers — nearly all of whom are undergraduate students from the University of Notre Dame, Franciscan University in Steubenville, and Cedarville University — have knocked on about 23,000 doors in the district since Thursday, and they hope to reach another 5,000 before the weekend’s over. […]
Working off of SBA List models, the canvassers have reached out to moderate Democrats across the entire district — which spans much of Chicago’s southwest suburbs — targeting voters who have turned out in Democratic primaries and who are predicted to oppose taxpayer-funded abortion… But, as SBA List canvassers have discovered this weekend when talking to moderate voters, many Democrats don’t share Newman’s support for liberal abortion laws.
Notice they wrote “knocked” on the doors. Those out-of-state students didn’t reach that many people. And, of course they’re going to hear what they want to hear at the doors because they’re specifically targeting voters who are on their side. I call shenanigans on that story.
Also, the SBA List folks said they was spending “six figures” on this GOTV effort. Its last FEC filing showed it had $110,222. It’s close to election day, paranoia is super high, so some are speculating that Rauner bucks may be involved there to divert support away from Jeanne Ives. But that would be a lot of work for a very small universe - traditional Democrats in one congressional district who vote pro-life.
* Speaking of the governor’s race, here’s a Rauner campaign e-mail…
Day 2: Has the DGA Filed an In-Kind Contribution for Ives Yet?
NO.
The State Board of Elections has stated that the DGA should report their ad buy on behalf of Ives as either an independent expenditure or an in-kind contribution.
The Hill: “Dems meddle against Illinois governor ahead of GOP primary”
Politico: “Democrats meddle in Illinois GOP Primary”
Chicago Sun-Times: “Ives also got back-door support last week in the form of a TV ad released Thursday by the Democratic Governors Association”
NBC5: “The Democratic Governors are running ads to help [Ives].”
* This Cook County Board race was destined to get nasty. From Friday…
Today residents across Chicago demanded Alma Anya, Cook County Commissioner Candidate in the 7th district immediately end her campaign following the arrest of her campaign staff member [redacted by me]. [Redacted], who is the boyfriend of Alma’s campaign [redacted], was arrested by the Chicago Police Department Wednesday morning at 1AM in the West Lawn neighborhood and charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing Cook County Commissioner candidate’s Angie Sandoval yard signs. […]
According to the Chicago Police Department report, [redacted] had wire cutters in his hand and his car had more than 50 yard signs for candidate Angie Sandoval inside.
* Same day, same race, different candidate’s press release…
The Cook County Board of Ethics has confirmed that Cook County Commissioner candidate Angie Sandoval repeatedly violated campaign finance laws regarding contribution limits from contractors doing business with the County, according to new information the campaign of Alma Anaya campaign has received via a Freedom of Information Act request.
* From today…
Latino Victory Fund today slammed Angie Sandoval, candidate for Cook County Commissioner, for her desperate attempts to mislead voters and smear her opponent, Alma Anaya. Sandoval has led a concerted effort to convince voters that Jesús “Chuy” García, the frontrunner for Illinois’ 4th congressional district, supports her campaign even though he has endorsed Anaya. In a shocking display of xenophobia, Sandoval has also aired English-language ads that cast Anaya, who immigrated to the United States as a child, as an outsider, saying “she’s not from here.”
U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Deputy Majority and Niles Township Democratic Committeeman Leader Lou Lang will campaign with 8th District Senate Candidate Ram Villivalam at Ram for Senate HQ. Schakowsky will talk about why she endorsed Progressive Democrat Ram to change Springfield, and replace incumbent Ira Silverstein. Leader Lang is publicly endorsing Ram for Senate following his announcement yesterday. In a statement posted yesterday, Lang wrote:
“Friends, In politics, all that matters is your word. So, let’s be clear. A new campaign brochure authored and mailed by Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) claiming that I have endorsed him in his primary election is: False…Today, I endorse Ram Villivalam for the Illinois State Senate as I believe he possesses the integrity becoming of a legislator.”
Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced today that 178 teams of assistant attorneys general and investigators from her office will be monitoring primary elections throughout Illinois on Tuesday, March 20, to ensure that voters’ rights are protected and polling places are accessible.
* Moving right along, a pro-life Republican legislator asked me if I wanted a “copy of the NARAL flyer showing Jeanne as against HB40 and the governor for it at this hard R household?” Seems a bit odd that NARAL would be mailing to such a person, but, sure, I replied, send it over…
Heh.
* If the field office is supposed to be so busy, why does one of his pics show campaign workers playing Uno? I call shenanigans!…
Friends, In politics, all that matters is your word. So, let’s be clear. A new campaign brochure authored and mailed by Senator Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) claiming that I have endorsed him in his primary election is: False.
As a Member of the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission, which oversaw the investigation of Senator Silverstein related to a sexual harassment complaint, I had pledged to the Niles Township Democrats and informed all parties involved in the 8th State Senate district Democratic primary, including Senator Silverstein, that I would remain neutral. Senator Silverstein’s mail piece compromised that neutrality. Now I am no longer neutral.
Today, I endorse Ram Villivalam for the Illinois State Senate as I believe he possesses the integrity becoming of a legislator.
Democratic governor candidate Chris Kennedy on Friday accused rival J.B. Pritzker of “buying off” elected officials, including local African-American leaders as part of an “apology tour” over 2008 remarks about potential black successors to Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. […]
Kennedy’s comments came as Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, has given more than $700,000 to local Democratic organizations and the campaign accounts of officials across the state, State Board of Elections records showed.
* Well, Pritzker is a piker when compared to the other side. Here’s a report today from the Illinois Review…
Quid Pro Quo? Rauner Gives $1.5M to 41 County GOP Orgs Through ILGOP
In an political strategy unprecedented in the Illinois Republican Party, thousands of dollars were transferred from the Illinois Republican Party to county organizations in the last three months leading up to the March 20th IL GOP primary.
State Board of Elections records show that 41 county GOP organizations received gifts from the IL GOP from $5000 to $25,000. Never before has the IL GOP had the resources to distribute funds in such a manner.
Where did the unprecedented party funding come from? County leaders tell Illinois Review they were asked to fill out applications, and checks were sent their ways - no requests or expectations voiced in the process.
Prior to hitting the parade route along Columbus Drive, Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker defended putting another $6.3 million of his fortune into his campaign, a move he disclosed Friday night. It brought the record-setting, self-funding total of the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune to $69.5 million.
Pritzker tried to make light of the latest cash infusion. “We simply are trying to make sure that we’re paying the bills in the campaign, and we’re very excited about the opportunity to simply get our message out,” he said.
Rival Chris Kennedy did some quick math and said the large sum “means he’s spending, I guess, $2 million a day to try to buy this election. And we have to decide whether we want to send a message from Illinois to the rest of the country, the rest of the world, that a democracy can be bought.” […]
“I was sort of confused about where the other half-million was,” Biss said. “I was hoping that J.B. would get to $70 million during the course of the campaign. It’s only, only 69.5. What a cheapskate.”
Kennedy’s donors include real estate developers, attorneys and family members. In 2018, top contributors include former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley with $100,000, Habitat Company CEO Daniel Levin with more than $200,000, and attorney Robert Berner of Baker McKenzie with $250,000.
Biss garnered the most donations under $25 — a total of 70, according to a report for the last quarter of 2017. He also received hefty handouts from a potpourri of wealthy Democrats and attorneys.
Those include Chicago lawyers Gary Elden with $200,000 and Leonard Goodman with $150,000, California software entrepreneur Steve Silberstein with $150,000, Evanston investment banker Charles Lewis with $250,000, and Chicago philanthropist Gail Waller with $300,000.
Compared to Kennedy with more than 258 individual donations and Biss with over 245 this year, Pritzker’s financial disclosures look a little lonely — his only other benefactor is the Illinois Education Association with $14,700.
When asked at a debate this month to name the top five donors to her attorney general campaign, Republican Erika Harold said she couldn’t identify them.
“Obviously I have received support from the party, and I am very proud to receive support of the party,” she said, adding she “couldn’t say an exact amount.”
There was one precise figure, though, that Harold offered: $305,000 she received a day earlier from Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, leading the moderator to ask her whether she could be independent from the governor. […]
“The semblance of impropriety seems to be there, looking at being beholden to the governor,” said Grasso, who is self-funding his campaign.
Harold has reported raising $461K since the start of the year, which she began with $162K. Grasso has raised $366K, mostly from himself. He started the year with $25K.
The controversial soda pop tax that was repealed last year by the Cook County Board amid a public backlash has spawned two fierce Democratic primary election contests fueled by $1.8 million in campaign cash.
Union-backed challengers Brandon Johnson and Bridget Degnen are taking on tax-opposing Commissioners Richard Boykin and John Fritchey, contending layoffs triggered by the pop tax repeal have diminished vital county services. Both cite finding new ways to raise more government revenue as priorities. […]
Campaign contributions to all four candidates this election cycle come to nearly $1.4 million, even though it’s not unheard of to win a County Board seat for $100,000 or less. And political action committees have poured another $442,000 in independent expenditures into the race. Most of the money comes from public employee unions that opposed the repeal of the pop tax and business interests that successfully fought to eliminate it.
At a recent fundraising event in southwest suburban Homer Glen, Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin acknowledged that leading the minority party in a chamber controlled by Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan wasn’t easy.
“I like to think my job is threefold,” said Durkin, a 20-year veteran lawmaker from Western Springs. “I’ve got to work on policy. I’ve got to raise money. But I’m also an unlicensed psychiatrist at times in Springfield.”
Psychiatry isn’t necessary to diagnose an Illinois Republican Party facing deep ideological divides, however. In some respects, the GOP split mirrors the one on the Democratic side — insurgents from a far wing of the party pushing against the establishment.
Tuesday’s election already was unusual, as a sitting governor faces a potentially difficult primary challenge. But rarer still is the year when a longtime legislative leader also faces a well-moneyed challenge in his home district.
So far, Dan Proft’s Liberty Principles PAC has disclosed $1,229,373.72 in independent expenditures against Durkin and for his opponent Mickey Straub. The Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ PAC has disclosed spending about $46K against Straub since March 5th.
Ooh this just happened to me too, thought it was a misinformed wrong number that perhaps I could persuade otherwise… This is a disgusting tactic. pic.twitter.com/An7XGvNEsh
A mailer sent out by the Cook County GOP aggravated already growing divisions in the party over “official” endorsements. A sample ballot Republican voters received reflected endorsements made personally by Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison in February and an endorsement session held later.
Several township committeemen are concerned that the sample ballots sent out by the Cook County GOP contain a note that declares the sample ballot as the only “official” sample ballot for the county, and that any others were to be ignored. Wheeling Township Committeeman Ruth O’Connell said that left down ballot candidates with no endorsements. Wheeling also endorsed Jeanne Ives to be the IL GOP gubernatorial nominee over Bruce Rauner - the “official” Cook County GOP pick.
“That mailer undermines my authority as Wheeling Township GOP Committeeman,” O’Connell told Illinois Review.
Chairman Morrison said his ballot focused only on the top six offices, and left local race picks to local committeemen.
There are five counties in the Metro East: Clinton, Jersey, Madison, St. Clair and Monroe, with a total of 630,000 residents, according to the 2010 US Census. It’s an important part of the state. Plus, according to the News-Democrat and my own checking, this trip was planned in advance. It wasn’t some hastily arranged foray to avoid questions from the Chicago media about a Tribune story that appears to have some factual issues.
Rod Blagojevich won with Downstate votes. Pritzker is trying to do the same thing. The trip most certainly has the benefit of being out of the state’s largest media market during a particularly difficult time, but he was just in the second-largest market and now he’s back in Chicago today with two items on his schedule.
* The Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ PAC is getting downright nasty in the super-crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie. Click the pic for a larger view…
* But the constant whining about money in Biss’ press releases is getting a bit stale…
JB Pritzker and Chris Kennedy reach new levels of absurdity with latest cash dumps
JB Pritzker has now spent $70 million in his attempt to buy the Democratic primary. Yet despite spending more than Donald Trump in his 2016 primary, and now more than Bruce Rauner in his 2014 general election, Pritzker has failed to move out of the 30’s in polls taken over the last 10 months. Chris Kennedy has also dumped another $500,000 into his campaign this week, bringing his total to over $2 million.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Technically, not a true shenanigan, but close enough…
Get your facts straight before you tweet. Sign is from CLPAC Both Chuy and Sandoval asked for and earned the PAC's endorsement. An aAd similar to the sign has been online for weeks. The sign reads CLPAC Proudly Endorses. The only lie is what @MaryAnnAhernNBC is spreading https://t.co/yNd0MqkOdE
* Bernal: Madigan behind Yednock campaign: The La Salle County Board member, who is running for state representative, said party leaders asked whether she supports Chicago’s Michael Madigan, the longtime House speaker and chairman of the state Democratic Party. She said she couldn’t make that promise. “I had never met him and don’t know him, but I certainly would not promise to agree on everything he wanted. They asked me the question three times, and I gave them the same answer,” said Bernal, a registered nurse. “They said they would look for someone to face me in the primary. I feel they wanted me to support the speaker on everything.”
* Slowik: High turnout of fired-up voters expected for Tuesday’s primary election: I’ll be watching to see how many write-in votes Mateusz “Mat” Tomkowiak picks up in his challenge to Madigan’s seat on the state central committee representing the 3rd District. I expect Madigan to prevail, but Tomkowiak’s numbers could be another sign of how many voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the party.
* Madigan backs Dem central committee incumbent in 13th: Friends of Michael J. Madigan has given help in the form of fliers and robocalls valued at more than $40,000 to incumbent Jayne Mazzotti of Taylorville. She was a Democratic National Convention delegate for former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Her challenger in Tuesday’s primary, when Democratic voters will elect one man and one woman from each congressional district to be on the state central committee, is Pamella Gronemeyer, a pathologist from Glen Carbon who was a Bernie Sanders supporter and served on the platform committee of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
* Flaps, flubs and funds — Dem gov primary flush with all of it: For businessman Chris Kennedy — who raised more than $6 million for his campaign — there were immediate expectations. When will the Kennedy family sweep in? Why haven’t they given more money? Why isn’t he on TV? Is he really running this time?
* Governor candidates make final push for votes ahead of primary: Chris Kennedy shook hands at the 95th Street Red Line station, and is bringing in reinforcements this weekend. “So, I’ve relatives coming in from all across the United States to Chicago and they’ll fan out across the state of Illinois. A lot of them have been here through summer and fall, so they’re reacquainting the friendships they’ve made earlier in the campaign,” Kennedy said.
* Jim Nowlan: Let’s get rid of all the political consultants: Recently, on the same day, I received five over-size, glossy political postcards from Gov. Bruce Rauner. The cards told the most outrageous, bald-faced lies about an opponent that I have ever read. As I digested the messages, I became sick to my stomach.
* Depending on how you look at things, the Tribune is being unsportsmanlike by dropping a bombshell a few days before an election, Speaker Madigan is getting some payback a few days before an election, or the Daniel Biss campaign is trying to cover up and flat-out deny legit allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation a few days before an election…
A former staffer for State Rep. Litesa Wallace — the running mate of Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss — says Wallace ignored her sexual harassment complaint involving a community leader and then retaliated against her for making the accusation.
The woman’s complaint closely resembles one of nine recently disclosed by House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has come under fire for his handling of sexual harassment allegations in both the legislature and his own political organization.
Madigan did not release names involved with the cases, but the Tribune learned of Wallace’s dispute with her former aide following an open records request for documents related to pay issues and harassment accusations.
Informed of the staffer’s allegations, a Biss-Wallace campaign spokesman denied any wrongdoing on the representative’s part and blamed Madigan for turning the dispute into a political issue by mischaracterizing it on his list. Madigan’s allies are backing one of Biss’ rivals, J.B. Pritzker.
* The Tribune filed a FOIA on February 27th, hours after Madigan released a list of nine resolved staff cases involving harassment. This one is the only identified case involving payment of state funds, so it was FOIA-able…
“A staffer accused a legislator of harassment, retaliation, and failure to pay wages. The matter was resolved through counsel.”
