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* Democrat Renato Mariotti, who’s probably best known for several appearances a week on cable news shows, will announce his campaign for Illinois attorney general tonight on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes” program. He said he will begin touring the state this weekend.
His campaign website is here. In our conversation earlier today and on his website, Mariotti plays up his blue collar roots…
Renato is a Chicago native, born into a blue-collar family on the South Side. His father, a first-generation American who didn’t graduate from high school, worked as a barber and a newspaper deliveryman to help support his family while his mother answered phones at a local insurance agency. After moving to the suburbs Renato excelled in school and was accepted into the University of Chicago. He and his parents worked extra jobs to help afford his college tuition and he graduated with honors in 1998, earning entry into Yale Law School.
Mariotti eventually became a federal prosecutor in Chicago and was the first to convict a high frequency trader. He went into private practice about a year ago. He’s a partner at Thompson Coburn along with Senate President John Cullerton. One of Cullerton’s members, Sen. Kwame Raoul, is also running for AG, so partner meetings might get a bit awkward.
* Mariotti says he makes 5-10 appearances a week on MSNBC and he’s built a strong following on Twitter. He said he plans to use that social media presence to help him raise money.
“I have a good base of support financially,” Mariotti claimed. Hundreds of people, he said, have already reached out to him about the race. He’s filed A-1’s totaling about $82K so far. He has a goal of $3 million, which would be impressive if he reaches it. Mariotti claimed that MSNBC had made him a pretty good offer, but he is passing it up to run statewide. This period we’re in is a lot like spring training. Everybody’s hopes are high that they’ll make the team and go on to win the World Series with a walk-off grand slam.
Mariotti said he plans to use Periscope, Facebook Live and other social media to run a “more modern” campaign that will allow “tens of thousands of my fans” to get involved. He said he will focus more on Downstate than the other current candidates, with a specific emphasis on economic justice.
* Here’s a list of Democrats who’ve filed D-1’s to run as AG…
Scott Drury, Sharon Fairley, Aaron Goldstein, Renato Mariotti, Kwame Raoul, Nancy Rotering and Jesse Ruiz
Republicans Erika Harold and Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon have also filed as well as independent candidate South Jacksonville resident Tyson Manker.
I count ten, with perhaps more to come.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:35 pm
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Has every name that was floated in the early going said either yes or no? The only one outstanding I can remember is Spyropoulos.
Comment by Grand Avenue Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:42 pm
Is he related to the obnoxious former Sun-Times sportswriter Jay Marriotti?
Comment by Mann Horace Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:43 pm
Same spelling, no relation.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:44 pm
A crowded field I would think helps Kwame. Most of the regulars & especially the black establishment are getting behind him, so I think he has at least 25% of the vote baked in, which might be enough by itself to win.
Comment by Grand Avenue Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:50 pm
Yeah I think we’re just about full up on the Dem side.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:03 pm
All the Dems are from Chicagoland, right? With 7 splitting Cook County, a downstater could slip by in a primary with consolidated support. Ah, one can dream.
Comment by I'mDone Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:18 pm
== will announce his campaign for Illinois attorney general tonight on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes” program. ==
Man, nice free advertising for his candidacy. Will the BGA call out Chris Hayes if they don’t file an In-kind contribution report? I’m sure Andy Shaw will be watching:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chicagoinc/ct-chris-hayes-andy-shaw-convention-weed-20170321-story.html
Comment by Roman Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:28 pm
To the Chicagoland issue - I’m surprised a self-funding Millionaire Madison County Plaintiff’s attorney hasn’t gotten into the fray. A few of them have Trumpian egos so you’d think at least one would figure that as the one downstater versus 8 Chicagolanders they’d have a good shot at winning.
Comment by Fax Machine Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:33 pm
That’s 3 former federal prosecutors. The annual former AUSA Christmas party could be awkward this year.
Comment by Keyrock Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:43 pm
“Vote for me. I use Twitter and go on MSNBC a lot. I’m kind of the Illinois Dem version of Donald Trump.”
Comment by Shytown Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:46 pm
Shytown:
“Except for being a self-made person, graduating from Chicago and Yale, and have a decade’s worth of experience prosecuting high profile and complex federal cases.”
Give me a break.
Comment by Anon Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:53 pm
Key question for all of them: What are the primary roles of the Attorney General’s office? If their answer does not include “investigate and root out state and local government corruption,” I will bid them good day.
Comment by JB13 Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:03 pm
===If their answer does not include “investigate and root out state and local government corruption,” I will bid them good day.===
You are utterly ignorant of what the constitutional duties are of the Illinois Attorney General.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:07 pm
Exactly what we need: an AG who will emphasize the emotional hot button cause of the moment: ‘economic justice’, rather than ‘equal justice under the law’.
Comment by Horst Cabal Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:25 pm
Hard to handicap this early, especially since the field could look different in March. Raoul and Ruiz will have money and natural support bases, which the others do not. If Fairley raises money (and Rotering drops out), she could be up there with the two favorites. I don’t see a
path for the others to get the nomination, but it is early.
Comment by orzo Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:32 pm
His website bio is longer than the collected works of James Joyce.
Comment by Kerner Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:43 pm
He kinda looks like Ted Cruz. Eew
Comment by LakeEffect Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:49 pm
Hey maybe they could all take turns and share the AG office. You know, everybody take a month and then pass it on. This is all getting beyond ridiculous.
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:54 pm
Mariotti will win hands down. His social media presence dwarfs the others and he will have a name id advantage with MSNBC viewers. Look at his twitter feed. People already are calling for him to be POTUS. He has more talent that anyone else in the field.
Comment by Chicago politics Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:26 pm