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* WGLT…
A Bloomington state senator is pushing back against former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s view that Illinois will not be a top-tier state next year for funding in Republican races for governor and U.S. Senate.
Christie made the remark in Chicago, during a speech at the Chicago Union Club. Christie was promoting his new book about how to get the Republican Party past former President Donald Trump.
State Sen. Barickman, R-Bloomington, said Christie should wait a bit on his conclusion that Illinois is not competitive in those statewide races.
“I don’t think the answer on that issue is fully yet known. Whether we are a top-tier state for funding largely depends on who the candidates are,” said Barickman. […]
“Suburban voters I think are not going to be overly motivated by social issues per se. I think they’re going to be driven by property taxes, crime, high quality schools. We can’t do it if our candidate is a non-starter with the suburban households where there are so many votes,” said Barickman.
* What Christie said…
As for Republican chances in Illinois in next year’s midterms, when Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth are seeking reelection, Christie likened the situation to a famed “Peanuts” cartoon.
“Sometimes Illinois is a little bit like Charlie Brown and the football and Lucy, and how you think you’re gonna get it and then you wind up on your back,” said Christie, who as head of the Republican Governors Association was actively involved in the election of one-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2014.
“I think there could be Republican gains here but it’s not a top-tier state in terms of where Republicans are targeting money,” he said, referring to lower-ballot races such as those for Congress. “If we’re spending money in Illinois in October of next year, we won the House and Senate already. That’s called piling on once you do that.”
Thoughts?
* Zero surprise here…
Democrat Nikki Budzinski of Springfield, a labor activist who worked in President Joe Biden’s administration until earlier this summer, has secured an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield in her run for U.S. Congress in the 13th District.
The announcement came Sunday at Durbin’s Springfield home. […]
Democrat David Palmer, 35, a Champaign resident who is a Country Financial Insurance broker and financial planner, lives in the 13th District.
Palmer, who is Black, said the new 13th District would include majority Black East St. Louis which would be a boost to his election chances.
Still waiting to see what Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) plans to do.
…Adding… A commenter claims Rep. Ammons announced her re-election campaign today. Checking.
…Adding More… Rep. Ammons got back to me just now to confirm that she’s running for reelection.
* Meanwhile, on to a press release…
Michael Rabbitt, business transformation leader at Argonne National Laboratory, and a community activist, who is seeking the appointment to replace retiring State Representative of the 15th House district in Illinois, John D’Amico, has received the endorsement of 39th Ward Neighbors United, an independent political organization that fights for racial, social, and economic justice in Chicago’s 39th ward. Rabbitt’s strong performance yesterday’s People’s Candidate Forum, coupled with this key endorsement, gives him momentum heading into Tuesday’s appointment meeting.
The ward with the most weighted vote is the 39th and Sen. Ram Villivalam is the committeeperson. Contrary to what you might have read elsewhere, Villivalam had nothing to do with the Neighbors United endorsement.
* Russ Stewart…
State law mandates the area committeepersons of the party of the resigned incumbent meet within 30 days to pick the replacement, which means in D’Amico’s case by Dec. 8. The selection is by weighted-vote, based on the turnout in the 2020 Democratic primary, which was 35,637. The apportionment is as follows 38.2 percent in the 39th Ward, 32.6 in Maine Township, 17.7 in Niles Township, 9 in the 41st Ward, and the rest scattered. Joe Cook, the 41st Ward committeeperson, has said he won’t seek the job. The choice will serve through the end of 2022 and have an edge in the June 28 primary.
Michael Rabbitt of Wildwood was in the race before D’Amico quit. He works for Argonne Laboratories as a manager. He is an advocate of police reform and affordable housing. He models himself after Will Guzzardi, Lindsay LaPointe and John Arena, and is waging a door-to-door campaign. He will be the leftmost candidate.
Others in the contest, who will likely seek selection, are Dan Cotter, an attorney from Edgebrook and former LSC president and CBA past president, Casey Smagala of Albany Park, a 2019 39th Ward aldermanic candidate who is close to Villivalam, Mike Kelly of Mayfair, a firefighter who is the football coach at St. Edward’s parish school, Liam Kelly, who ran for subcircuit judge in the 2020 primary, and whose brother Eamon is Evanston Township committeeperson, and Dean Alonistiotis, who works for MWRD commissioner Kim Du Buclet.
Mike Kelly is close to former Rep. D’Amico.
…Adding… Candidate list courtesy of the 39th Ward…
-Dr. Christina Brophy (Triton College; Professor of History & Humanities)
-Daniel Cotter (Howard & Howard PLLC; Attorney)
-Vince Fattore (Lexington Group; Chief Information Officer)
-Judy Kehoe (AAIA/A.C.E.S., Inc.; Contracting Specialist)
-Michael J. Kelly (Chicago Fire Department; Firefighter/EMT)
-John Melaniphy III (Village of Niles; Director of Economic Development)
-Michael Rabbitt (Argonne National Laboratory; Business Leader)
* Related…
* Illinois Comptroller visits Arcola mayor
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:36 pm
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Carol Ammons announced her re-election campaign in an email to supporters today, Rich.
Comment by The Real Downstate Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:43 pm
===Carol Ammons announced her re-election campaign ===
Thanks! I didn’t get that. I reached out to her over the weekend and heard nothing back.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:44 pm
Christie and Barickman are both correct.
Illinois is not going to be a top tier state for GOP funding. Why should it be?
And, Illinois Republicans need to run a quality candidate who can appeal to suburban voters, a la Youngkin in Virginia, if they stand any chance at winning a statewide race.
What’s the disagreement? I mean, other than Barickman acting like a homeowner who just got told by a realtor that they can’t list their $250,000 home for $300,000?
Comment by JB13 Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:53 pm
Some proof for ya: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ammons2022
Comment by The Real Downstate Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:53 pm
“Whether we are a top-tier state for funding largely depends on who the candidates are”
It’s amazing how someone can be so right and so wrong at the same time.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:55 pm
I tend to agree with Barickman here, or at least I’d trust his take over Christie’s. State-level elections have a higher variance than federal ones, even big statewide races. There are Republican governors in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Weird things happen for reasons that aren’t immediately obvious from the sets of national cable news.
On the money front, Christie should have been briefed that there’s a deep-pocketed Chicago resident who’s deeply committed to electing Republicans in Illinois. Ken Griffin, at the very least, will be targeting money here.
Comment by vern Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 2:58 pm
“Ken Griffin, at the very least, will be targeting money here.”
I do wonder about that. If Bailey is the nominee for Governor and Peggy Hubbard for the Senate…. I don’t know.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:02 pm
Some other minor campaign notes:
Of the remaining Republican challengers to Adam Kinzinger in the current IL-16:
Teresa Pfaff refiled with the FEC to run in IL-17
Geno Young is running in IL-01, per his appearance last night with David Lombardo and Gretchen Fritz On Target Radio Show
Jack Lombardi just announced he will now run in IL-14, with eastern border just outside of his hometown of Manhatten
No word on Michael Rebresh, and Catalina Lauf is long-rumored to be running in IL-11, where her parents’ home is located in southwest Woodstock though no announcement, or refiling with the FEC yet.
Comment by John Lopez Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:08 pm
Marsha Williams of Channahon, who originally planned to run against Kinzinger in the old 16th before LaHood was moved into it in the remap, has just announced she will instead run as a Democrat in the new 17th:
https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/fifth-democrat-announces-intention-to-succeed-cheri-bustos-in-congress/
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:17 pm
Griffin didn’t get that rich throwing money away. He will likely try to influence the primary but if the candidate he backs loses and the nominee is someone like Bailey my guess is he pivots to trying to elect suburban R’s to the GA. Folks like say Barickman, not folks like Bailey.
Comment by IL Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:21 pm
==Marsha Williams of Channahon, who originally planned to run against Kinzinger in the old 16th before LaHood was moved into it in the remap, has just announced she will instead run as a Democrat in the new 17th:==
If Williams moves in the 17th to seek Bustos’ seat I wonder if David Gill will soon follow? (Even though he lives in the new 16th by about a mile). Might as well take his Perennial Candidate tour to the likes of Peoria, Galesburg, Macomb, the Quads, Rockford, etc.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:29 pm
I don’t read Barickman as disagreeing with Christie so much as saying “For the love of god PLEASE let’s not nominate Bailey.”
Comment by Arsenal Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:37 pm
===I wonder if David Gill===
Nobody wonders about David Gill any longer.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 3:47 pm
Marsha Williams now running in IL-17 as a Democrat?
Remembering what she said in her statement from March 8 of this year about the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act the U.S. House passed this year, and last year, wonder if she still stands by her statement given she’s now running in the new IL-17, with emphasis added:
“We live in a free market, and with that said, we should be free to negotiate better wages, safer working conditions, and benefits. If an individual or a group of individuals wish to organize a labor union to achieve that, no law should prevent them from doing so. The working class is the backbone of America and keeps our country moving. No one should have to work more than one full-time job to support themselves and their families.
“However, I do not support a requirement for freelance workers, small business owners, gig workers, and independent contractors to be forced from a 1099 worker to a W-2 employee. This will further hurt women, people of color, and individuals over the age of 55.
“I would encourage legislators to remove the ABC test from this bill and allow for 1099 workers to work how they chose to work.”
Comment by John Lopez Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 4:05 pm
Russ Stewart. As accurate as he is - and he IS accurate - he had more interesting topics to cover in the era of Donald Stephens, Ralph Capparelli, & Roger / Mike McAuliffe …
Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 5:57 pm
People’s Candidate Forum sounds perfect for the candidate on the far left.
Comment by Amalia Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 8:59 pm
==Michael Rabbitt, business transformation leader at Argonne National Laboratory==
Any relation to Eddie Rabbitt?
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Monday, Nov 22, 21 @ 9:11 pm