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Morning campaign stuff

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* A quick roundup to start your day…

Prodded by Pritzker to step down, Southland Sen. Michael Hastings faces first general election foe in a decade:

* Battle between Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Thomas DeVore shifts from courtroom to polling booth: [Raoul’s] campaign said it plans to spend $2.8 million to run the ad online and on broadcast and cable television in the Chicago and Champaign-Springfield-Decatur markets, evidence of the wide funding gap between Raoul and DeVore, whose campaign has an active social media presence but hasn’t done any broadcast advertising.

* Illinois Supreme Court Race could impact abortion, gun rights: Republicans last held control of the state’s highest court in 1969. Any potential shift could impact major social issues like abortion and gun rights. Political Science Professor Constance Mixon is Director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University. “If the partisan make up of the court changes, we might get different interpretations of the law of the state constitution and different decisions,” said Mixon. “Beyond abortion and guns, a new partisan make up of the Illinois Supreme Court could have broad reaching impact on numerous issues like unions, public pensions, climate change, redistricting the list goes on.”

* Stuart, Korte vie for 112th House District seat: “As a student at SIUE, I volunteered with a local sexual assault victims advocacy center,” Korte said. “During this volunteer experience, I would meet with survivors of sexual assault in the Emergency Department to offer them advocacy, support, and resources. “I also have served as a volunteer at a local pregnancy care center, at my children’s schools and our church,” she added. “Most recently, I have worked as an advocate for parental rights and, in August 2021, I joined Speak for Students as a leader.”

* Sen. Tammy Duckworth holds giant fundraising lead over GOP challenger Kathy Salvi: Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., seeking a second term, holds a giant fundraising lead over Republican challenger Kathy Salvi — about $18 million to some $1 million — according to the new Federal Election Commission reports posted Sunday. FEC campaign fundraising figures through Sept. 30 reveal that national Republicans have abandoned Salvi when it comes to sending substantial campaign cash her way, the result of brutal political triage whereby meaningful financial help only flows to candidates deemed to be within striking distance of winning.

* Crime, SAFE-T Act loom large in attorney general race: During the hourlong debate organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and Capitol News Illinois, DeVore stated his opposition to the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity Today Act — better known as the SAFE-T Act — saying he believes it is unconstitutional. […] Raoul acknowledged that components of the law need clarification. Legislators are in touch with state’s attorneys, chiefs of police and others, he said, and “there could be some language changes to people who may be a threat to the public at large or to an individual.”

* IL District 76 candidates Yednock, Haskell sound off on abortion, union amendment, SAFE-T Act: Both candidates used the forum to share what’s motivating them to run for elected office. “Springfield, it’s a mess right now,” Haskell said. “We’ve been doing the same thing over and over and over again for decades, and it’s proven not to work. We haven’t had people in office that wanted to take on the elephant in the room, which is our pension crisis.” Yednock said he believes more bipartisanship could help move the state forward.

* Budzinski, Deering face off in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District: Though the party twice came exasperatingly close — 1,002 votes in 2012 and 2,058 votes in 2018 — to defeating Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, in the neighboring Central Illinois-based 13th Congressional District, that effort proved futile amid a shifting political terrain. But after a decade of tough losses, false starts and unfulfilled hopes, Democrats believe 2022 is the year and Nikki Budzinski is the candidate to finally return a downstate Illinois congressional seat to the blue column.

* GOP state Rep. Tom Demmer questions Democratic tax, spending policies in race against Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs: Democratic incumbent Michael Frerichs and Republican Tom Demmer are competing for an office that deals primarily in dollars and cents, but issues from abortion to the failed graduated-rate income tax amendment have also found a way into the campaign for Illinois treasurer.

More later.

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Oct 17, 22 @ 8:05 am

Comments

So far this has been a very sleepy election season in beautiful DuPage County. Very few yard signs for any candidates. No one knocking on the door. There have been several mailers but who reads those?

I guess this means everyone has made up their mind already?

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Monday, Oct 17, 22 @ 9:46 am
From that Hastings story:

== Neither candidate responded to multiple requests for interviews to discuss the campaign. ==

You can see why Hastings would avoid talking to a reporter, but this is malpractice for a challenger, particularly one who is short on cash. The Senate Repubs have a shot at an unexpected pick-up here, but if they’re blowing off free media coverage I don’t like their chances.

Comment by TR Monday, Oct 17, 22 @ 10:09 am
===So far this has been a very sleepy election season…===
Same here in Madison County. I assume this is due to living in a part of the county that doesn’t have a contested race for Congress, State Rep or State Senate. There are also few contested races at the County level.

Comment by Highland IL Monday, Oct 17, 22 @ 10:50 am