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* This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Democratic politics here. The unions have a ton of money. They’re a type of funding source that the Republican Party simply does not have…

“I think probably in the long run, it’s a good development if we’re not relying on one guy, not that we wouldn’t welcome Ken Griffin’s money and are appreciative of it,” [Pat Brady, a former state GOP chairman] said. “But what happens is you get lazy and that’s why I think the Democrats are in that trick bag with Gov. Pritzker. They’ve got a guy who’s going to write all the checks, and that’s not good. Parties are supposed to be bottom-up organizations. That’s how you get people out to vote.”

* But, yeah, spending for the gubernatorial primary has been huge…

For this primary, industry records from the first of the year show, nearly $59 million was spent on TV ads in the governor’s race on Chicago broadcast and cable stations. The spending was led by Pritzker’s $15.1 million, Irvin’s $15 million and the DGA’s $7.45 million.

But the spending has been so pervasive that even in Rockford, the nation’s 139th-largest media market, nearly $8 million was spent on ads, led by $2.8 million by Irvin, $1.9 million by Pritzker and $1.75 million by the DGA.

* From the Chicago Elections Board…

For comparison to the 2018 and 2014 Gubernatorial Primaries:

The 2018 VBM return total 2 days out was 15,250, so combined with the EV total (2 days out: 89,213), the full vote tally for 3/18/2018 was 104,463 ballots cast.

The 2014 VBM return total 2 days out was 5,467, so combined with the EV total (2 days out: 36,707), the full vote tally for 3/16/2014 was 42,174 ballots cast.

And Primary 2022 is currently 98,512 ballots cast for two days out (6/26/22).

So, running a bit behind 2018. Things seem to have improved.

* VoteVets parked a video truck in front of one of those early voting locations and had its Gil Villegas ad running on a loop…

* President Biden endorsed US Rep. Danny Davis…

“Representative Danny Davis has always been an effective leader and lawmaker who is deeply rooted in his community. He serves with passion and integrity, and that’s why I’m endorsing him in his upcoming primary,” Biden said in a statement released by Davis’ campaign. “So much is at stake, and we have more work to do to bring costs down for families and keep our communities safe. I know Rep. Davis will continue to be an essential partner in getting it done.”

Davis said he was “grateful for President Biden’s support in this race and for his partnership in Washington, as we work to solve the pressing problems that families in Chicagoland face each and every day.”

But Collins said the endorsement was an example of Davis, who has served in Congress since 1997, “using his resources to call in favors to save himself” rather than assisting the district’s residents.

“He knows that voters are ready for a new generation of people-powered leadership, unbought by corporate PAC dollars, that will put our community above everything else. Time’s up on self-serving absentee leadership,” Collins said in a statement.

Oddly enough, it looks like some anti-Collins oppo was shopped to Fox News…

Collins is supported by Justice Democrats, a far-left organization that has helped to elect progressive candidates, such as “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. In addition, she has received endorsements from the Center for Racial and Gender Equity and the Illinois Youth Climate Movement.

Offering support for several controversial ideas in recent time, Collins has called for defunding the police and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Collins was front and center filming a Facebook Live video of a “Defund the Police” rally in July 2020 and marched with protesters chanting to “defund the police” in a separate Facebook Live video the same day.

Claiming in multiple Facebook posts, some of which are no longer viewable, that “immigrant families are constantly living in a state of fear,” Collins called for an end to ICE.

* Speaker Welch out campaigning with some of his members…

* Politico…

State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz took heat over the weekend for posting a controversial image criticizing the Supreme Court decision overruling Roe v. Wade. The sketch portrayed the image of a pope pointing a pistol at Lady Liberty. The Chicago GOP was outraged and called for Feigenholtz to resign.

“The posting of this disgusting cartoon has finally, but now openly exposed the deep contempt held by Senator Feigenholtz and her liberal woke colleagues toward not only the Catholic Church, but towards Christian religion in general,” Chicago GOP Chairman Steve Boulton said in a statement.

In a statement to Playbook, Feigenholz said, “Friday was an incredibly traumatic day — not just for me but for women around the country in the aftermath of the SCOTUS decision to overturn a woman’s right to choose. I posted an image that spoke to the moment and then later learned it offended people of faith. I immediately removed the post as I meant no ill will toward anyone who found it offensive, and am sorry. I have and will continue reaching out to friends and community members with the hope of healing.”

* Ms. Daniels is also a candidate for her party’s state central committee, so she got a nice little local press pop ahead of Donald Trump’s visit…

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood blasted Republicans and Donald Trump right before the start of the former president’s rally Saturday at the Adams County Fairgrounds.

The second-term Democratic congresswoman from the 14th District covering outer western and northern suburbs of Chicago was the featured speaker at the rally at Clat Adams Bicentennial Park. […]

Katherine Daniels, chairman of the Adams County Democratic Central Committee, told the crowd of about 100 that “Donald Trump and his circus” weren’t needed in Adams County

“Donald Trump needs to get back on his plane and go back to Mar-a-Lago, because we’ve got work to do joining people together, working together supporting working people, supporting mothers, supporting children and supporting working people all across the United States, Adams County and (Illinois 15th District),” Daniels said.

But her state central committee opponent, Pritzker-backed Liz Brown-Reeves, blanketed the Quincy and Jacksonville area with thousands of dollars in radio ads starting last Friday…

* More…

* Leaders gathered in Cairo for updates on the Alexander-Cairo port project: Mendoza promised Friday morning that the Alexander-Cairo port project is going to happen. “So far I have paid out 11 vouchers totaling 1 million dollars from the department of commerce and economic opportunity. And 43 vouchers totaling nearly 1.7 million from the Illinois department of transportation for architectural and design expenses related to the project,” said Mendoza.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:49 pm

Comments

===This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Democratic politics here. The unions have a ton of money. They’re a type of funding source that the Republican Party simply does not have…===

You would think Brady would’ve grasped this concept when the RaunerS first bought the ILGOP brand then dismantled the entire party, only to leave it as a shell of itself.

Why? Money.

Griffin wanted to buy the brand on the cheap but bailed out even before an election *was complete*.

It’s not like a “Med Society” or Local 150 are gonna say “we need to dump $100 mil in races to get the super minority ILGOP to a Post-Trumpian minority that has its base constantly angry at us”

Like I said… After Tuesday…

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 1:58 pm
Whoever is running the Democrats for Illinois House’s TikTok is clearly not the age group that a majority of the app’s users are.

Comment by AU Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:06 pm
I love, love, love the Welch video. Great to see a Democratic leader project a sense of confidence and even fun. Time to get past the era of octogenarians who only know how to mumble jargon and beg for mercy.

Comment by vern Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:07 pm
Absolutely right Willy. But GOPers - even non-Trumper GOPers like Brady - don’t understand that there are big differences between the GOP and Dems. First off, Dems have cultivated and continue to cultivate multiple major funding sources so the addition of Pritzker is not a make or break situation. But in today’s IL GOP, there were three large funders: Rauner, Griffin and Uhlein. With two down that party is really screwed because they haven’t developed the kind of broad base other Republican parties in other states have. So when they lost one, it was bad. When they lost two and the second one was the biggest, it was catastrophic. Gidwitz and Jennifer Pritzker aren’t funding at the level those other three are.

Second difference is Rauner tried and succeeded in creating a dependency thinking the money was equivalent to control. Pritzker saw that and deliberately chose a different direction. Does that mean he doesn’t write checks? Of course not - he spreads it around. But I’m not sure he’s quite as controlling of those reps as Rauner was. And no, you can’t point to the State Central races to show that he requires total control - that’s the party. I’m talking about legislator/constitutionals. For this gov, it’s different.

Comment by New Day Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:11 pm
== Griffin wanted to buy the brand on the cheap but bailed out even before an election *was complete*. ==

It hadn’t occurred to me until reading that line, but Grif’s bail out last week is a little reminiscent of Rauner in 2018. When he saw how bad things were going he tried to dump the nomination on someone else and when that didn’t work kinda mailed it in the last few weeks of the campaign. Then off to Florida. When the going gets tough, they just go.

Comment by Roman Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:15 pm
“The Chicago GOP was outraged”

Were they? Or were they just waiting for something like this, and jumped the gun a little bit in starting the outrage part.

For those curious, the Chicago GOP response, was long ago laid out in category III of Project Blitz. It is how they have planned to react to the public pushback against their religious policies into government - by surprise surprise, by playing the victim.

That pushback is then a prerequisite part of the next stage of the plan to start introducing and passing state laws(first) protecting members of the church and giving them more rights than average citizens.

If you think I’m making any of this up, this was all posted by the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, before it was quickly taken down after it was noticed to be publicly available. You can find mirrors of the original document if you search for Project Blitz.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:23 pm
From the Cairo article:

===“We have a lot of work to do. There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes and we’re just so thankful for the administration and the governor for making this a priority and everyone involved,” said Fowler.===

Dale Fowler might be the most competent state legislator in the Illinois GOP at this point.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:26 pm
Note to Steve Boulton, most Illinois Catholics are pro-choice.

Comment by Terry Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:31 pm
- Roman -

Not coincidences?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:44 pm
I understand why Biden would want to keep a politician even older than him in D.C. but living under this gerontocracy is getting really… well… old.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:44 pm
==Dale Fowler might be the most competent state legislator in the Illinois GOP at this point.==

On the video my jaw literally dropped when I saw him actually praise the governor… didn’t use his name, but … baby steps to adulthood.

Comment by Vote Quimby Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:45 pm
Hey Steve Boulton, you know what offends me? women being held back. so good luck with supporting that.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:46 pm
==This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Democratic politics here. The unions have a ton of money.==

And indeed, Pritzker has lost some big intra-party fights.

Comment by Arsenal Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 2:47 pm
Senator Feigenholz had to learn the cartoon of the Pope pointing a handgun at Lady Liberty was offensive to the 2.1 million Catholics in the Chicago Archdiocese as well as other people of faith?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 3:06 pm
LP -

Are you REALLY that clueless about history?

Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 5:14 pm
===Gidwitz and Jennifer Pritzker aren’t funding at the level those other three are.===

And in today’s GOP, Jennifer Pritzker would be labeled a “RINO” or a libertarian. Her foundation is funding ACLU in opposing anti-trans laws. In 2020 she donated to the the GOP anti-Trump Lincoln Project with smaller amounts to the Libertarian, Buttigieg, and Biden.

Comment by Goodson Oddman Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 5:49 pm
There is an article in the WaPo on the primary that includes this gosh-awful comment: “Nothing illustrated this change more than the 2020 general election when President Biden beat Trump by one percentage point by carrying just 14 of the state’s 102 counties.”

The article is here: https://wapo.st/3A6kJej

Comment by G'Kar Monday, Jun 27, 22 @ 8:03 pm