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* Click here for some background. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate campaign…
Today, U.S. Senate Candidate Juliana Stratton released a new video, calling on her opponents, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Robin Kelly to join her in refusing corporate PAC money in the Senate race.
During their time in office, Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Kelly have accepted a combined sum of more than $7 million dollars from corporate special interests. So far, Juliana is the only viable candidate in the race to reject corporate PAC money, a clear differentiator between her and the rest of the field.
Transcript…
Corporate greed is squeezing Illinois families at every turn, from our health care system to our housing market to the halls of Congress.
Corporations don’t care about the middle class. They don’t care if your family can afford a home, put food on the table, or afford your medication. They only care about their bottom line.
And for too long, DC politicians have let these corporate overlords go unchecked – looking the other way while pocketing money from these same special interests.
Let’s call that system what it is: broken.
My opponents have taken millions of dollars each from corporate PACs. How are Illinoisans supposed to believe that politicians have their best interest at heart when they’re benefiting from this broken system?
It’s time for that to change. I’m not taking a cent of corporate PAC money in this race because I answer to Illinoisans, not special interests.
Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Kelly, I’m challenging you to join me in rejecting corporate PAC money in this Senate race.
Let’s put Illinoisans above corporate interest.
* SEIU is backing Anthony Driver Jr., the SEIU Illinois State Council director, in his campaign for the 7th Congressional District. Sun-Times…
Anthony Driver Jr., a community organizer and head of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, has garnered the support of a powerful union in the 7th Congressional District race, his campaign announced Saturday.
The Illinois branch of the Service Employees International Union endorsed Driver in his run for the 7th Congressional District seat. The district encompasses Chicago’s West Side, and stretches from west suburban Hillside into the Loop and down to the South Side. SEIU Illinois represents more than 150,000 janitors, healthcare, childcare and other public employees.
Driver is currently the executive director of the SEIU Illinois State Council.
An Oak Park resident who owns his own law firm, Richard Boykin announced his candidacy [for the seventh Congressional District seat] on Sept. 6, hoping to take over the position of the man whose congressional career he helped launch.
Boykin was Davis’ chief of staff from 1997 to 2006, starting when Davis was first elected to the position. Boykin was responsible for 22 staff in Chicago and Washington D.C. and served as Davis’ liaison to federal and local officials.
“All of his legislative activities and successes for the first 10 years, I helped lay a foundation for his 30-year career in Congress,” Boykin said. […]
He also worked for Carol Moseley Braun — the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the first female U.S. senator from Illinois — and Bobby Rush, a congressman from 1993 to 2023 who co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. Boykin has worked with members and staff of the Congressional Black Caucus on multiple issues.
* Evanston Now…
Chicago community organizer Miracle Jenkins, one of nearly 20 candidates vying to replace Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Congress next year, suspended his campaign Sunday evening, announcing he’s endorsing Bushra Amiwala of Skokie in the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary.
Jenkins, who helped lead Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in Illinois, is the first candidate to back out of the crowded primary, netting Amiwala a key endorsement ahead of November’s deadline to gain ballot access. He launched his campaign in mid June, when just a handful of candidates had joined the race. He previously served as a community organizer for Schakowsky after graduating from Evanston Township High School.
Amiwala, a member of the Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education, announced the endorsement Sunday evening, just days after she joined two other high-profile candidates, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and content creator Kat Abughazaleh, in Broadview for a protest against the federal immigration processing facility Friday, which led to agents tear gassing the candidates along with dozens of other demonstrators.
“Jenkins ran a laudable campaign that challenged the status quo of gross economic inequality in our district,” Amiwala said in a news release Sunday night, writing she was “honored to accept his endorsement.”
* More…
* WJHL | Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly Endorses Neil Khot for U.S. Congress at Campaign Office Grand Opening: At the grand opening of Neil Khot’s new campaign office in Schaumburg on September 14, Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly announced his endorsement of Neil Khot, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District. […] Neil Khot expressed gratitude for the Mayor’s support: “I’m honored to have Mayor Dailly’s trust and endorsement. Schaumburg is a cornerstone of this district, and I’m committed to fighting for working families, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and ensuring government works for the people — not just the political elite.”
* WGLT | U.S. Army veteran wants to continue oath of service in 16th Congressional District: Despite the 16th Congressional District having no Democratic candidates in the 2024 general election, there is no shortage of candidates clamoring for the nomination in the 2026 midterms. Brendyn Morgan of Chicago is a U.S. Army veteran and one of three Democratic candidates running in the district. […] “I took an oath to this country … I’m still young, like I said I just turned 30, and in my eyes that oath, I’m not finished serving it,” he said. “Right now, I see people living in poverty, I see people living in distress and I see, quite frankly, a lot of inaction from Congress, specifically in Illinois’ 16th district with our current representative Darin LaHood.”
* Journal Courier | Bowlby announces run for Mary Miller’s congressional seat: Judy Bowlby of Riverton held a news conference Thursday to announce her intent to seek the Republican nomination for Illinois’ 15th Congressional District. She made the announcement in the House of Representatives chamber at Springfield’s Old State Capitol State Historical Site. Bowlby is the fifth person to declare a run for Miller’s seat and the first person to challenge her as a Republican. Bowlby invoked Abraham Lincoln’s “A House Divided” speech, which he delivered in the Old State Capitol, to explain why she is running for office. She described the state of the nation as divided against itself, decrying the “absence of cooperation” between government officials and saying most people are “stuck in the middle” between far-right and far-left stances, not identifying with either the Democratic or Republican parties.
* Patch | ‘These Workers Do Their Jobs, But Dist. 130, You Need To Clean Up Your Act Today.”: State Sen. Willie Preston (18th District), who is running for an open seat in the Illinois 2nd Congressional District, said he started his career as a union janitor. “So I know what it feels like to go to work, work hard and have no respect at the end of the day,” Preston said. “Let me be clear to Dist.130. These workers do their jobs, but you need to clean up your act today.”
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 10:43 am
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I hope they have a staffer digging deep into the millions of dollars that Krishnamoorthi has collected from special interests so they can start painting a clearer picture over the next few months.
Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 10:48 am
“Reject corporate money”
Says the candidate with the endorsement of JB Pritzker and Chris Welch.
Sure, I mean, what could go wrong for Raja?
Comment by JB13 Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:26 am
Phil Andrew, one of the many candidates in the 9th congressional district has a surprising number of signs out in my neighborhood. He is a candidate that because of his resume , in my opinion deserves a look, but has not said anything substantive. He has a had a career in the FBI, so I would be interested in what he says about federal law enforcement and immigration. But so far, nothing that I can see.
Comment by Banish Misfortune Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:28 am
Whether your benefactor is a billionaire or a corporate PAC- money is the problem in this country’s political system.
Comment by jolietj Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:29 am
==join her in refusing corporate PAC money in the Senate race==
Translation: Juliana isn’t attracting any support from corporations.
Comment by City Zen Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:32 am
Amiwala gives all the right answers for a Democratic Socialist. It will be interesting to see the direction the voters go in this district.
Comment by Center Drift Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:40 am
We need to get all outside money out of these races not just the money your opponents can raise but you can’t.
Comment by Pundent Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:47 am
==Jenkins ran a laudable campaign==
For three months.
Comment by City Zen Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 12:13 pm
== Phil Andrew ==
Andrew better have one heck of a 3rd quarter fundraising for IL-09 if he wants to be seen as viable (he filed his FEC papers on July
. Deadline is Tuesday, September 30 for 3rd quarter and FEC Form 3 campaign disclosures due by October 15.
So far, Evanston Mayor Dan Biss is leading fundraiser at $702K through June 30, and Kat Abughazaleh had most cash-on-hand with $667K.
Given the fundraising boost Biss, Abughazaleh and Skokie School Board Member Bushra Amiwala will get from their publicity stunt appearances at ICE Broadview last week, expect seven-figures YTD totals for the leading fundraisers which will make them the leading candidates in the Democratic primary.
Comment by Marc Avelar Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 12:34 pm
===For three months. ===
Hey now — when the number of candidates resembles the number of players on a rural high school football team we should praise the folks that have seen the writing on the wall and gracefully bowed out.
That in of itself is laudable.
Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 12:46 pm
===join me in rejecting corporate PAC money in this Senate race.===
This message would have been better coming out of the gate and it would be stronger if it was all PAC money.
There’s also the specter of 501(c)4s and 527 groups looming over the race.
Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 12:49 pm
=Let’s put Illinoisans above corporate interest.=
Yet no problem taking money from at least eight Pritzkers. I wonder where their money comes from. A quick search shows 3 Pritzkers make the top 16 list of richest in Illinois. BUt yes, she is somehow different from her competitors.
Comment by maybe Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 1:01 pm
Which has a bigger $ amount in Illinois politics: corporate or public sector unions or pritzker deep pockets?
Comment by 44 Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 1:29 pm
Phil Andrew only really has signs out in Wilmette and also got kicked out of a farmers market this weekend because he showed up with too many volunteers.
Marc Avelar, leading the fundraising game should come with caveats. Kat may have the most money, but has next to 0 name ID for the district and needs more money than Biss or Fine who already have significant name ID in the area. Bushra has some name ID, but not out in the suburbs outside of Skokie.
I still think this is really only a choice between Fine or Biss at the end of the day and that is reflecting what I’m hearing in the district.
Comment by 9th Enthusiast Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 1:34 pm
===Which has a bigger $ amount in Illinois politics===
This is a US Senate race. A completely different animal than a state and local race.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 2:25 pm
===what I’m hearing===
Likely because you hang around people with similar views. That’s why anecdotes are not data.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 2:26 pm
= Likely because you hang around people with similar views. That’s why anecdotes are not data.=
Anecdotes are not data, true, but I’ve attended over 15 petition events this cycle in different parts of the 9th, and heard this numerous times.
Comment by 9th enthusiast Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 2:34 pm
=but I’ve attended over 15 petition events this cycle in different parts of the 9th, and heard this numerous times.=
The appeal of Kat, much like Trump, is the ability to get people to vote who might not otherwise. And doing so in very unconventional ways. I’m not sure you can get an accurate read on that by attending petition events.
Comment by Pundent Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 2:51 pm
Always great to see how things are handled in a one party rule state
Comment by Hank Sauer Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 2:53 pm
=That’s why anecdotes are not data=
Do as I say, not as I do. Great sound bite, but pure hypocrisy.
Comment by maybe Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 5:20 pm
=Do as I say, not as I do. Great sound bite, but pure hypocrisy.=
Silence is usually a sign of acceptance, or at best acknowledgement.
Comment by Well Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 8:02 pm