THE ILLINOIZE: Have Democrats given up on rural Illinois?...Latest gun law challenged...Potential GOP battle shapes up downstate

August 15, 2023

Good morning, Illinois.

Don’t forget, it’s the overwrought political rally week at the State Fair. Democrats gather tomorrow with Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada speaking to the Democrat County Chairs’ brunch with the rally and a scaled down rally and concert at the fairgrounds at noon. Republicans hold their rally Thursday.

There are still 448 days to the November election, so let’s not lose our breath just yet.

There is nothing on Governor Pritzker’s public schedule today.

Let’s get to it.

CAN DEMOCRATS PLAY IN RURAL ILLINOIS?

Sipping coffee in a diner just outside of the Quad Cities Monday, former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos ponders the future for downstate Democrats.

While Democrats won two downstate congressional districts, and a handful of legislative seats in 2022 thanks, in no small part, to gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps drawn to elect more Democrats, the divide between urban centers and rural outposts were possibly more stark than ever.