THE ILLINOIZE: Monday Free for All...Illinois GOP 'teeters on the edge of irrelevance'..."Illinois voters rejected us"..."Unacceptable" medical care for foster kids
November 14, 2022
Good morning, Illinois.
If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you missed a lot at the end of last week. We had for you first that Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) had the votes to depose Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie, we had Rep. Tim Butler’s planned resignation first Friday morning, and we had the details on Rep. Tony McCombie’s potential takeover of the House Republicans.
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A couple of updates on close races for you…
Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) now trails her Democratic challenger, Jenn Ladisch Douglas by 175 votes in the DuPage and Cook County district. It certainly isn’t trending Mazzochi’s way.
Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort) has extended his lead to 394 votes over Republican Patrick Sheehan. I think there are still some Will County votes out there, but I don’t know how many. I’ll call the Clerk today to find out what I can. You can’t help but think Hastings holding on so far is going to cause some awkwardness in the Senate Democratic Caucus after the Governor and (privately) many suburban female members are pretty unhappy he’s still around.
It also looks like the Worker’s Rights Amendment is going to pass. The committee sent me their numbers Friday which check out so far (if your mother says she loves you, check it out), but I need to get some numbers today because there are counties (in 2022!) that don’t post results online. I’ll have more in the newsletter tomorrow.
Let me know what’s on your mind. Drop me a note at patrick@theillinoize.com.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR MONDAY FREE FOR ALL
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Illinois GOP, suffering from Trump factor and right-wing ideology, teeters on edge of irrelevance (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois’ Republican Party teeters on the edge of irrelevance from the shellacking it received Tuesday when voters backed a blue wave of Democrats and rejected the GOP’s further rightward movement that has been accelerated by former President Donald Trump and its lockstep ideology.
Nominating the most conservative candidate for governor in modern times, state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, proved too much for general election voters in Illinois. Bailey’s rural, regional and evangelical Christian campaign theme to challenge progressive Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker was soundly repudiated, particularly in the suburbs, where voters rejected his opposition to abortion and gay rights, support of gun rights and labeling of Chicago as a “hellhole.”
Bailey’s losing coattails helped Democrats, who retained both U.S. Senate seats, took a 14-3 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation, kept all statewide elected offices, enhanced their majority on the Illinois Supreme Court and cast Republicans further into minority status in the Illinois General Assembly.
(note: Republicans had a +1 outcome in the Senate)
Moreover, the collar counties that were once the home of bedrock Republicanism as a contrast to Democratic Cook County and Chicago became more solidly Democratic, and the partisan evolution is beginning to sweep into exurban counties like DeKalb and Kendall McHenry County remained the one regional Republican exception, though barely.
The GOP losses symbolize a political party that has failed to adapt to the changing diverse demographics of the suburbs, moving from a message of social moderation and fiscal conservatism to a rigid-right ideology that is aging along with its dwindling base.
Former Gov. Jim Edgar, the state’s last two-term Republican governor, pins the blame on GOP primary voters fielding the far-right Bailey to effectively lead the ticket.
“We need more moderate candidates preferably at the top of the ticket. I mean, you had some good (GOP) people that just got kind of wiped out because the top of the ticket just wasn’t in sync with where the voters of Illinois are. We just can’t keep doing it and ever hope to be a viable party again,” said Edgar, who served from 1991 to 1999.
“We’re gonna have to realize there’s some issues that we’re going to have to be a little more tolerant on. We’re gonna have to figure out how we can diversify the party base. I mean, old white people is not a way to build long-term success in American politics, particularly in Illinois,” he said.
As usual, Jim Edgar nails it.
Related: 'We got shellacked': Election results put spotlight on Illinois GOP's future (Daily Herald)
In Illinois, the red wave hit a blue wall as Dems stay dominant and GOP looks for answers (State Journal-Register)
Editorial: Illinois GOP needs to seek middle ground (Daily Herald)
Editorial: After state GOP’s disastrous midterms, the way forward is clear. Break free from far right politics. (Chicago Tribune)
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Illinois governors — mostly the corrupt ones (Chicago Tribune)
'Illinois voters rejected us'—and a top statehouse Republican blames Trump (Crain’s Chicago Business)
As he exits his role leading statehouse Republicans, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin joined other critics blaming former President Donald Trump for the poor showing in Tuesday's midterm elections.
"Donald Trump, I believe, is really responsible for the shrinking of the party. He's turned off more people in areas where we have to compete, and that's mainly in the suburbs and the collar counties," Durkin told Illinois Public Media in an interview yesterday. "And the more that he sticks his nose into this process, getting involved with state elections, but also what he's doing at a national level, it turns people off. And they naturally associate the Republicans with Donald Trump."
"Look at the . . . last Republicans that were able to win statewide races: Judy Baar Topinka, Mark Kirk, Jim Edgar, all considered moderates," Durkin said. "And if they were around today in office, they would be considered RINOs, they would be vilified. And I've been called a RINO. And you know what? That's a major part of the problem with the party. If you don't go along with 100% of the conservative way, if you don't abide 100% by the party platform, you're of no good."
Related: Syed's defeat of Bos in 51st House District bucked trend of incumbent victories in Northwest suburbs (Daily Herald)
Illinois elects first Muslim, Indian woman to state legislature (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Haas earns 2nd term, overwhelms Slone (Kankakee Daily Journal)
Democrats fare well in state House and Senate races in DuPage, Will counties (Daily Herald)
Joyce gets by Nagel, retains state Senate seat (Kankakee Daily Journal)
Collective bargaining amendment outcome still unknown, but supporters express confidence (Chicago Tribune)
The outcome of a vote on a state constitutional amendment that would solidify labor rights in Illinois was still unclear Wednesday.
Ballots continued to be tallied on the measure, referred to as Amendment 1 or the Workers’ Rights Amendment, and while supporters expressed confidence in its passage, opponents said they are not ready to concede until more votes are counted.
Constitutional amendments are difficult to pass by design: The amendment needed the approval of 60% of the voters casting ballots on the measure or a simple majority — 50% plus one vote — of the total number of ballots cast statewide.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the proposed amendment was falling short of the 60% threshold, according to unofficial results reported by The Associated Press, and the other measure for success might not be known until the vote is certified by the State Board of Elections.
As mentioned above, I have some checking to do today to confirm, but it looks like it will match 50% + 1 of all ballots cast.
Related: Democrat Alexi Giannoulias seeking ideas as he announces transition team days after secretary of state win (Chicago Tribune)
O’Brien wins; Democrats, women increase high court majority (Associated Press)
Top Illinois Medicaid contractor Centene Corp. failed foster kids with ‘unacceptable’ medical care (Chicago Sun-Times)
Illinois’ top Medicaid contractor has repeatedly failed to deliver basic medical services to thousands of foster children, from dental visits to immunizations to well-being checks, leaving foster parents to scramble to find health care, wait months for appointments and pay medical expenses out of their own pockets for the abused and neglected children they take into their homes, an Illinois Answers Project investigation has found.
Since 2020, the state of Illinois has paid nearly $370 million to the for-profit insurance powerhouse Centene Corp. to manage health care for 36,700 current and former foster children as part of the state’s YouthCare program.
These payments were made even as Centene repeatedly failed to meet common benchmarks, government records show.
The failures have forced foster parents — people who take in abused or neglected children frequently in need of urgent medical care — to grapple with a health care program that’s often underperforming and in disarray. That’s according to state data obtained through a lawsuit and interviews with foster parents, medical providers and state officials.
During the first quarter of this year, Centene produced what’s called an individualized plan of care for fewer than 2% of the Illinois foster children who had the greatest need, records show. The state said Centene later corrected the number — to 8%.
Related: Report Finds 'code of silence' at mental health facility where staff abused and neglected patients (Capitol News Illinois)
SOME TOP LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
Democrats Hold U.S. Senate Seat, All Competitive Congressional Seats
Pritzker Dominates to Win Second Term, Ramps up National Speculation
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