Good Monday morning, Illinois. Shana Tova to everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah.
Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey won the endorsement of Donald Trump in the GOP primary, but he’s all but ignored the former president as he heads into November’s General election.
The big pivot: Bailey has “largely avoided answering reporter questions about the former president,” Mark Guarino writes in The Washington Post. There’s a reason, of course. Bailey knows that Chicago and its collar counties lean more to the left than Trump and his acolytes.
The Republican state senator who once pushed Illinois to secede from Chicago, has also pulled back from his anti-abortion claims, acknowledging he can do little to change the state’s laws supporting abortion rights.
The question is whether Bailey’s pivot away from far-right rhetoric is enough to help down-ballot Republicans. State GOP leaders aren’t so sure. They set out on the election season hoping to gain seats in the General Assembly but concede it will still be an uphill climb.
“The intention was to reestablish credibility, increase numbers in the Legislature, and rebuild their funding base. I don’t think having Bailey on the top of the ticket is helping with that,” Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus with the University of Illinois and the Institute for Government and Public Affairs, told Guarino. “Now, Republicans are in a place where instead of being in expansion mode, it may be survival.”
Latching onto crime: The one issue that Bailey and other Republicans hope will resonate with Chicago-area voters is crime. In an interview with Fox’s Maria Bartiromo, Bailey said “Chicago is in jeopardy.”
On the other side of the aisle: Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s political calculation to elevate Republican Darren Bailey’s conservative views in the primary over the more moderate Richard Irvin so far is seen as a success.
Pritzker is all over the airwaves while Bailey has yet to go up on TV, though a conservative PAC’s ads continue to go after the governor.
It’s a political move that’s been played out across the country, and it’s raising concerns among Democrat donors and some anti-Trump Republicans that it could backfire, as this NBC News report notes.
Defending the move: Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee, “made no apologies,” according to NBC. “The goal is to win elections… and this is a way to make it happen.”
Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who bowed out of running this year and is a member of the House Jan. 6 committee and a staunch foe of Trump, said: “It’s tough to swallow people saying that the No. 1 fight is democracy survival and then playing with fire here. It may help retain more seats, but there are going to be two or maybe three of these election-denier candidates who actually win. And that’s really dangerous.”
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No official public events.
At the Rookery Atrium at 1:30 p.m. for an announcement on the future of the LaSalle Street Corridor.
No official public events.
— Another Pritzker has jumped into politics:Adam Pritzker is cofounder of the States Project, “a Democratic-aligned group is investing nearly $60 million in state legislative races” in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine and Nevada. Pritzker is a Democratic donor and part of the Pritzker family. His father is John Pritzker, a businessman who restored the Chicago Athletic Association hotel. And his uncle is Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The New York Times reports.
— Also from The New York Times, a profile of Jennifer Bonjean, the lawyer who represented R. Kelly and Bill Cosby. Bonjean (pronounced bon-JEEN) is from Valparaiso, Ind., and once worked at a rape crisis center in Chicago, advocating for victims of sexual violence — a stint, she said, that some might now see “as ironic.” That job led her to study at Loyola University Chicago’s law school.
— Rev. Jesse Jackson makes an appearance in the Netflix drama about the Jeffrey Dahmer case titled “Monster.” Along with outrage at the horrific nature of the 17 murders, there was anger that Milwaukee police ignored complaints about Dahmer. Jackson highlighted “the double standard in how law enforcement looked at Black and white citizens,” writes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in its review of the series.
— In a Q&A, Dick Simpson talks about retiring and reveals he’ll still work on campaigns, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s reelection bid, he tells Tribune’s Darcel Rockett.
— Pritzker announces new billion-dollar deal to sell soybeans, corn to Taiwan: “This is the second multi-billion-dollar agricultural deal between Illinois and Taiwan since 2019,” via Fox 32.
— Parents, advocates want special education classroom assistants in required meetings, by Better Government Association’s Jewél Jackson
— State Sen. Emil Jones III pleads not guilty in bribery case: “He remains free on an unsecured bond of $10,000, meaning he would only have to pay that amount if he fails to show up at any court proceeding. Prosecutors said Friday that there is ‘voluminous’ evidence that Jones’ defense team is entitled to review. He is also running unopposed for reelection from the 14th District,” by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock.
— Collective bargaining amendment brings national labor fight to Illinois ballot: “Known as the ‘Workers’ Rights Amendment’ by supporters and ‘Amendment 1’ by opponents, the proposal up for voter ratification that would give workers a ‘fundamental right’ to organize is an outgrowth of former single-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s unsuccessful attempts years ago to curb union power that led to an unprecedented two-year state budget stalemate,” by Tribune’s Jake Sheridan.
— Republican state Rep. Amy Elik of Alton has been endorsed by the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, the Sheriffs of Illinois PAC and Troopers Lodge #41.
— Retired General Michael Flynn appeared at Sheridan Church over the weekend, via WIPO’s Michael McKenna
— Pritzker v. Profit: Gov. JB Pritzker will participate in the Daily Herald’s forum now that its publisher has dropped conservative operative Dan Proft’s “faux” newspapers. Profit, meanwhile, tweeted that he’s found a “bigger” operation to distribute his controversial work.
— Chicago police joining national wave of encrypting radio communication, raising transparency concerns, by Tribune’s Paige Fry
— Lightfoot to Biden administration on environmental racism claims: See you in court, by Sun-Times’ Brett Chase reports.
— Freshly appointed Ald. Timmy Knudsen to install security cameras across ward as one of his first moves, by Block Club’s Jake Wittich
— Chicago’s newest City Council member: Just call him ‘Timmy,’ by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman
— Bears eke out a win, by Tribune’s Colleen Kane
— Tony La Russa will not return to manage this season, reports Tribune’s LaMond Pope
— STREET TALK: A historical marker on Chicago’s Far South Side commemorates an Underground Railroad site, by Tribune’s Stephanie Casanova. And a Street outside CTU headquarters will be renamed for late former union president Karen Lewis, by Sun-Times’ Nader Issa
— The real Harold Washington is captured in the film ‘Punch 9:′ The film has been shown at a few film festivals and premiers at the Gene Siskel Film Center as part of the Chicago International Film Festival before settling into a longer run on Oct. 7 at AMC theaters, writes Tribune’s Rick Kogan.
— Will the municipal election push the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus further left? “With Chicago’s municipal election season now in full swing, the aldermanic shakeup comes as self-styled progressive alders appear ascendant in a City Council that is still finding its identity after decades of lockstep allegiance to Machine bosses in the mayor’s office,” writes The Triibe’s Tonia Hill.
— Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner wants to fund Chicago Public Schools based on need, not enrollment, by Chalkbeat’s Mauricio Peña and Becky Vevea
— Brandon Johnson, the Cook County commissioner, has received nearly $60,000 from the Chicago Teachers Union, according to the Board of Elections. Johnson is planning to run for mayor, though he hasn’t officially announced.
— Westchester Park District commissioner Daniel Maldonado announces run for village mayor, via Village Free Press
— Four on the front lines recall the Tylenol killings 40 years ago: “In an era before the internet and social media, police and firefighters in Arlington Heights and other suburbs went up and down streets using loudspeakers to warn people not to take the pills. Similar announcements were made at schools,” writes Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek.
— A cold case, but not a forgotten one: How suburban cops continue to hunt the Tylenol killer, by Daily Herald’s Barbara Vitello
— Waukegan voters tired of pols who sail into their harbor city before elections then leave them adrift: “Residents want public officials to take a holistic approach to the problems facing their lakefront city,” reports Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.
— Budgeting error lands DuPage County school district in financial distress, Tribune’s Karen Ann Cullotta reports.
— Oak Brook Village president asks governor to order corruption-linked red-light cameras removed, by Chuck Fieldman for Pioneer Press
— Critics protest conservative political training session in Des Plaines: “The protesters particularly were concerned about the groups promoting Saturday’s event, Moms for Liberty and Awake Illinois, [which] have railed against mask mandates, police reform legislation, new sex education standards and suburban drag events,” by Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau.
— Lawsuit in horrific downstate electrocution was secretly settled by ComEd in 2020: “The utility’s quiet settlement in the death and injury of Comcast contractors appears to have approached the $200 million it paid the feds after admitting to nine years of corruption in Springfield,” by Crain’s Steve Daniels.
— 3-year-old allegedly pushed into Lake Michigan by aunt has died, by Tribune’s Shanzeh Ahmad
— 1871 to launch cannabis program: “Weed is part of a broader effort to offer industry-specific training as the startup incubator adapts to a world changed by Covid,” by Crain’s John Pletz.
We mistakenly plugged a Trivia question into Reader Digest (Hey, Fridays are crazy.), but readers still had thoughts about what the Elks National Memorial on Lakeview Avenue is all about:
“My Father was an elk. The memorial honors Americans whose profound sacrifices for the nation can never be recognized by mere words,” Janice Anderson wrote.
Your favorite fall activity? Email [email protected]
— Pollsters fear they’re blowing it again in 2022, by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard
— DeSantis is not stopping his migrant charters. And Biden world can’t do a thing about it, by POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk
— Abortion upends the battle for a dozen key governorships, by POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro and Megan Messerly
— Why Iranian women are risking everything by burning their hijabs, via Vox
— Steve Warmbir is joining the Better Government Association as its investigations editor, the BGA has announced. Warmbir was the Sun-Times’ interim editor in chief and has more than two decades of experience as a reporter and editor. He was part of the team that produced the Hired Truck series about corruption in Chicago city government.
— Natalie Bauer Luce has been named president of the public affairs firm she runs with Dennis Culloton. In the new role, Bauer Luce will continue to focus on issues advocacy, corporate reputation and crisis management clients in the healthcare, energy, gaming, manufacturing, tech and sports sectors.
— State Rep. Kam Buckner, who is running for mayor of Chicago, and Bernardette Salgado, a brand manager at Bacardi, were married Saturday in New Orleans. Video clip!
— Tanya Solov, who recently retired as director of the Illinois Securities Department, was honored by the North American Securities Administration Association with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Solov served for 23 years as Secretary of State Jesse White’s head of the Securities Department.
— Lori R. Anderson, former president of the Illinois Association of Nurse Anesthetists, has been awarded the designation of fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, which recognizes expertise, service, and commitment to the profession.
— Tuesday: Law professor Fred Cate kicks off the “Privacy and Consent in the Digital Age” lecture series at Lake Forest College. Details here
FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Kevin Conlon and John Straus for correctly answering that Hillary Clinton and Harrison Ford have been denied statues in Park Ridge, which they both called home.
H/t to Dave Sullivan who notes that Park Ridge named the corner where Clinton grew up at Wisner and Elm streets Rodham Corner.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Which Chicago-based social organization counts a governor, U.S. senator, and five Chicago mayors over the years as chairmen? Email [email protected]
Former state Rep. Tim Schmitz, Republican operative Matt Butcher, Stricklin & Associate partner Jessica Fuentes O’Neill, PR pro Debra Baum, Ipsos senior research analyst Charlie Rollason and Katie Holmes, deputy campaign manager for Laura Faver Dias state rep race.
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