Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. Election night never disappoints, though the heartburn of 1 a.m. pizza always does.
In a stunning primary result, veteran Rep. Rodney Davis was unceremoniously defeated by freshman Rep. Mary Miller, a MAGA supporter who won an endorsement from Donald Trump. And speaking of MAGA, Darren Bailey didn’t just win, he clobbered his competition.
Or as the Sun-Times put it: ‘Downstate farmer’ plows through the field.
As battle for Illinois governor shapes up, it is class warfare versus culture war, by Tribune’s Rick Pearson and Jeremy Gorner
By the numbers: Bailey, who also had a Trump endorsement in his pocket, won 57.5 percent of the Republican vote, with 98 percent of precincts reporting — miles ahead of Richard Irvin, the establishment candidate who came in third place after being backed by billionaire Ken Griffin to the tune of $50 million. Irvin had 15 percent of the vote to second-place finisher Jesse Sullivan’s 15.7 percent.
Pritzker’s prize: This wasn’t so much an Irvin loss as it was also a victory by Gov. JB Pritzker, who along with the Democratic Governors Association, funneled some $34 million in ads propping up Bailey, who Democrats see as easy pickings in November.
In the Miller v. Davis race, Miller won 57 percent of the vote to Davis’ 42 percent even though Davis was better funded, had the endorsement of party leaders and was in line to lead a House committee if Republicans took back the House in November.
The takeaway: The strength of Trump’s endorsement has been dicey in many places but it still has currency in Illinois.
Some races are still undecided as election officials wait for mail-in ballots to be returned. Sun-Times has a good results listing here. In the meantime, here are some updates and takeaways.
In IL-06: Rep. Marie Newman lost to fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Casten in a race that sputtered in the end after both sides pulled back on ads when Casten’s daughter died suddenly. The numbers: Casten 68.1 percent to Newman 28.8percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
Incumbent showdowns: Casten declares victory over Newman, while Davis concedes to Miller, via Tribune
In IL-07: Danny Davis won reelection but upstart Kina Collins significantly narrowed the race compared to her last run, signaling that political outsiders aligned with the Justice Democrats still pose a threat. By the numbers: Davis 52.2 percent to Collins 45.4 percent, with 95 percent of precincts reporting.
In IL-01, Jesse Jackson’s son clinches nomination for Congress, by Tribune’s John Byrne, William Lee and Gregory Pratt. By the numbers: Jonathan Jackson 19 percent to Pat Dowell 13 percent.
In IL-03, state Rep. Delia Ramirez defeats Ald. Gil Villegas in newly drawn district, by Sun-Times’ Lauren FitzPatrick and Elvia Malagón. This was a win for Rep. Chuy Garcia, who endorsed Ramirez. By the numbers: Ramirez 65.8 percent to Villegas’ 23.7 percent.
Alexi Giannoulis, the former state Treasurer who lost a bid for Senate in 2010, defeated Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia in a bitter battle for the secretary of state race. Valencia had secured the endorsements of Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin and longtime Secretary of State Jesse White, but her campaign suffered a setback when she acknowledged she failed to report her husband’s lobbying business on city disclosures. By the numbers: Giannoulias 53 percent, Valencia 34 percent, David Moore 9 percent.
From the Sun-Times:Giannoulias scores a political comeback.
In the GOP SOS race: State Rep. Dan Brady cruises to the nomination, by Sun-Times’ Nader Issa.
Thomas DeVore earns GOP nomination in attorney general race, via NBC 5
Kathy Salvi wins GOP race for U.S. Senate nomination to take on Tammy Duckworth: “In a video posted to Twitter a few hours before the polls closed, Salvi told her supporters she was ‘the only Republican who can defeat Tammy Duckworth in the fall,’” by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel
State Rep. Mike Zalewski conceded to progressive Abdelnasser Rashid in a high-profile legislative race. Zalewski’s family is tied to the old Democratic machine, and Abdelnasser played that up in the campaign. By the numbers: Rashid 52 percent to Zalewski 48 percent.
Similarly, state Rep. Kathy Willis, who was on the leadership team of former House Speaker Michael Madigan but also rejected his re-election bid as speaker in 2021, lost to challenger Norma Hernandez. By the numbers: Hernandez 52 percent to Willis 48 percent.
Former state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen defeated Rep. Sam Yingling for the state Senate seat held by Melina Bush. Bush backed Edly-Allen but it wasn’t until the governor threw in an endorsement to Edly-Allen that she really pulled ahead. By the numbers: Edly-Allen 55 percent to Yingling 50 percent.
And state Sen. Win Stoller defeated Brett Nicklaus in the Republican state House race in the 37th District. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin had given money to Nicklause, which raised eyebrows. By the umbers: Stoller 51 percent to Nicklaus 49 percent.
In the 98th House District, Travis Weaver defeated Mark Luft.
The Tribune has more insight on legislative races here. And the Sun-Times lists the races here.
Fritz Kaegi defeats Kari Steele in bid for a 2nd term as Cook County assessor, by WTTW’s Heather Cherone
In MWRD races, Mariyana Spyropoulos, Patricia Flynn and Yumeka Brown won six-term seats, and Elizabeth Joyce won the two-year seat.
More Cook County results, via WGN 9
— Only 1 in 5 Chicago voters cast ballots in primary, an 8-year low: “About 20% of registered Chicago voters had turned out by Tuesday evening, an unofficial total that would mark the lowest rate for the city since 2014,” by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.
— Chicago voters cast ballots with the help of local students, by Chalkbeat’s Eileen Pomero
Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: [email protected]
No official public events, but he’ll be doing one-on-one interviews with reporters through the day.
No official public events.
No official public events.
Companies offering travel benefits for employees seeking abortions, but will those efforts be challenged? Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat reports.
— When it comes to Black politics, the changing of the guard can feel like a betrayal: “The 1st Congressional District primary to replace the retiring U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Illinois had 17 challengers, while one strong opponent was trying to upend the legendary U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis,” column by Sun-Times’ Mary Mitchell.
— Catanzara blasts Lightfoot over comments about officers’ ‘incredible amount’ of time off: “The mayor contends the amount of ‘respite baked into’ the police contract makes Catanzara’s ‘narrative’ about cops being worked ‘like mules’ false,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.
— Youngest Chicagoans focus of latest vaccination push: “The Chicago Department of Public Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois are teaming up to open family vaccination clinics on the South Side throughout the summer, “ by Sun-Times’ Mariah Rush.
R. Kelly in uncharted territory, facing lengthy sentence in New York, by Tribune’s Megan Crepeau and Jason Meisner
We asked what you wrote about in your first letter to the editor: Urban Strategies Group’s Ray Hanania: wrote to the Southtown Economist Newspapers in 1976 asking the paper to provide balance on the Middle East and Palestine issues. “Southtown editor Marlin Landwehr liked my writing so much he eventually hired me as a reporter.” … Walgreens’ Donovan Pepper: “was in college when I was student body president during the time Sangamon State University was merging with the U. of I. and the letter was published in the student newspaper. I wrote supporting the merger, but ensuring that priority projects for students (campus safety, student-life programming and healthcare) remain top priorities for the university!” …
Gail Schnitzer wrote to the Daily Illini in 2007 “that was critical of an activist who chalked ‘KKK EST. 1906 AT UIUC’ all over the quad.” … Janice Anderson wrote a letter explaining why Roger Claar should be elected mayor of Bolingbrook… Mark O’Brien wrote in response to an issue in a Woodside Township election…. John Straus wrote the Galesburg Register Mail in 1970 in support of legislation creating the Illinois EPA … And Jim Montgomery wrote to the State Journal-Register in 1990 responding to an article that described the crowd at Democrats Day at the Illinois State Fair as “unimpressive.” “I said that the reporter must have been standing behind me or a tree and could not see the capacity crowd at the Director’s Lawn that day.”
What items have you thrown in anger? Email [email protected]
State lawmakers are shaping the future of abortion. We talked to eight lawmakers who will decide the extent of access to abortion. “In states with split legislatures, the future of abortion policy could come down to just one or two key lawmakers, like in Virginia, where Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, a Democrat, is expected to play an instrumental role in ensuring no abortion legislation advances from the Republican-controlled House of Delegates to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk,” according to our report headed by POLITICO’s Megan Messerly.
— ‘Ketchup on the wall…dishes everywhere’: How the Jan. 6 panel’s star witness drew a roadmap for Trump’s culpability, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu
— Ginni Thomas lawyer has ‘serious concerns’ about Jan. 6 committee fairness, by POLITICO’s Betsy Woodruff Swan and NIcholas Wu
— Eastman drops bid to block phone records from Jan. 6 committee, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney
— Trump made 17 endorsements in recent primaries. Here are the winners, by POLITICO’s Marissa Martinez
— The G-7 turns out to be Swiss cheese in the German mountains, by POLITICO’s Ryan Heath
Nia Odeoti-Hassan: She worked in the Illinois State Senate for 36 years as a policy and budget analyst
TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Jon Maxson, senior adviser to the House speaker, for correctly answering that there were 177 legislators in the Illinois State House of Representatives until then-law school student Pat Quinn in1980 pushed the “cutback amendment” to reduce the number to 118.
TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the East Coast media giant who got his start as “circulation manager” for the American, a Hearst newspaper in Chicago? Email [email protected]
State Sen. Dave Syverson, Illinois Education Association comms director Sarah Antonacci, lobbyist and frequent Playbook Trivia contestant John McCabe, former Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, and PR pro Katie Breen.
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