THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Bailey's uphill climb...Details on the latest Madigan charges...Advantages for congressional incumbents
October 24, 2022
Good morning, Illinois.
We are 15 days from the November 8 General Election. Governor Pritzker holds early voting rallies on the south side, Peoria, and Urbana. The Bailey campaign has not released a public schedule.
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Darren Bailey’s uphill candidacy for farmers, cops and Illinoisans who feel ‘pushed aside’ (Chicago Tribune)
In his thick country drawl, Darren Bailey stood at a lectern clutching a microphone, trying to convince a crowd in his rural home base of southern Illinois that he speaks their language.
“I’m a farmer. This is an agricultural fair. How many farmers do I have out here with me today?” Bailey asked in late August at the Du Quoin State Fair as several people raised their hands. “All right. You guys get it … agriculture is the backbone of this nation. Agriculture is the backbone of this state. And we’re getting pushed aside. Our futures are getting pushed aside and ignored. And we must stand up and say, ‘No more.’”
In his run for governor, Bailey has offered himself up as a herald for those he considers to be the overlooked in Illinois, those he believes have been ignored, forgotten and excluded from a Chicago-driven plan led by Pritzker for the state to thrive. It’s a religion-rooted regional crusade that has made Bailey the most conservative major nominee for the highest elected office in Illinois, a state where all three branches of its government are controlled by Democrats.
Related: Pritzker adds $2 million to the pot for Illinois Democrats (Crain’s Chicago Business)
As Bailey seeks to weaken Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Black support, governor launches new ad with endorsement from former President Barack Obama (Chicago Tribune)
Pritzker interview with Quad Cities TV station (WHBF)
Inside AT&T’s alleged ‘conspiracy’ to bribe power brokers at the Illinois Capitol (Chicago Sun-Times)
For more than a decade, Brian Gray was AT&T’s top executive in Illinois for a critical area — dealing with politicians in a state known for its corruption.
As the director of legislative affairs, he oversaw a stable of lobbyists, and in recent years he also headed the telecom giant’s political action committee in Illinois.
Gray had joined AT&T in 2000 after serving as a military pilot and rising to the rank of commander in the Navy, according to his online professional networking profile.
But Gray was one of two longtime executives who stopped working for AT&T in Springfield last month after many years as lobbyists, records show.
And sources close to the ongoing federal investigation into political corruption at the Illinois Capitol say Gray was one of the three unnamed and unindicted employees referred to by authorities in the case filed last week against their one-time boss, the former AT&T President Paul La Schiazza.
La Schiazza pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts Friday in his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Prosecutors say AT&T arranged $22,500 in payments for a retired state lawmaker and Madigan ally, whom the Chicago Sun-Times has identified as Edward Acevedo. That deal was ostensibly for consulting, but allegedly Acevedo did no actual work, prosecutors say, and in exchange AT&T got approval in 2017 of a proposal lifting the requirement that the phone company continue providing landline service in Illinois.
Related: Ex-AT&T President Pleads Not Guilty to Charges He Tried to Illegally Influence Michael Madigan (WTTW)
Redrawn Illinois congressional map gives most incumbents an election edge over newcomers, but issues such as economy, crime, abortion could also play a factor (Chicago Tribune)
With the control of Congress up for grabs in this fall’s election, Democrats and Republicans can ill-afford to lose any House seats — and issues from the economy to abortion could help decide which way voters break in Illinois and elsewhere.
In the states they control, each party has gerrymandered election boundaries to protect their own officeholders, with salaries of $174,000, and target their opponents. In the Chicago area, that means most districts are heavily Democratic with longtime incumbents, often facing Republican challengers who’ve never held office.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report reports many districts in the Chicago area are rated “safe” for incumbent Democrats.
Related: Regan Deering takes on Nikki Budzinski (Illinois Times)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stumps for US Rep. Sean Casten, with focus on reproductive rights (Chicago Tribune)
Underwood has big financial lead over Gryder in 14th Congressional District race (Daily Herald)
How will eliminating bail affect counties' finances? (Daily Herald)
Cash bail is being eliminated throughout Illinois next year as part of a criminal justice reform bill called the SAFE-T Act, a piece of legislation that has become a hot-button issue ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
Lake County distributes about $3 million from cash bonds annually. The majority of that money is divided among county, state and municipal agencies, as well as victims and attorneys. When defendants are convicted or plead guilty to crimes, the bond money is used cover fines, fees and other restitution.
Without cash bonds, that money may go away, some worry.
"The first use of bail bond money that comes into the county is for victim restitution and that's where you're trying to make those victims whole," said Hawthorn Woods state Sen. Dan McConchie, the chamber's Republican leader. "They're not sure how they'll handle victim restitution going forward."
Related: SAFE-T Act concerns or making political hay? McHenry County Board sends resolutions opposing act on party-line vote to Springfield (Shaw Media)
Advocates and opponents of Pretrial Fairness Act in Illinois spar in local town hall (State Journal-Register)
Opinion: I'm a pastor, policy advocate and mom, and I support the Pretrial Fairness Act. (Rockford Register Star)
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Survey: Tammy Duckworth, candidate for U.S. Senate (Daily Herald)
Survey: Kathy Salvi, candidate for U.S. Senate (Daily Herald)
Bobby Rush Doesn’t Have Any Regrets, Man (Chicago Magazine)
Endorsement: Schneider for U.S. Rep from the 10th District (Daily Herald)
Editorial: Final US House endorsements. Budzinski, Underwood, King (Chicago Tribune)
Endorsement: Lewis for Illinois Senate District 24 (Daily Herald)
Endorsement: Murphy for Illinois Senate in 28th District (Daily Herald)
Hamilton, Turner spar in heated race for Decatur-Springfield state Senate seat (Decatur Herald & Review)
Southland candidates for Illinois House seats say increased state school funding could help ease property tax burden (Daily Southtown)
Endorsement for Illinois House District 45: Deanne Mazzochi (Daily Herald)
Endorsement: Nizamuddin for Illinois House District 48 (Daily Herald)
Endorsement: Mussman for state rep in 56th District (Daily Herald)
Endorsement for Illinois House District 65: Ugaste (Daily Herald)
Endorsement for Suzanne Ness in Illinois House District 66 (Daily Herald)
Harry Benton endorsed for Illinois House District 97 (Daily Herald)
Survey: Mike Marron 104th District (Champaign News-Gazette)
Survey: Cynthia Cunningham, 104th District (Champaign News-Gazette)
Editorial: Pivotal Illinois Supreme Court elections, fueled by Big Money, are on the docket (Chicago Sun-Times)
As candidates fill the airwaves, spending on campaign ads hits a record pace (Crain’s Chicago Business)
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