THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Legislative races...Congressional seat breakdown
November 7, 2024
Good morning, Illinois.
I hope you’re getting your rest. Veto session kicks up next week.
We went through our post-election feelings on our The Ground Game Podcast yesterday. You should watch here.
I’m scheduled to be a guest on my friend Collin Corbett’s “Smoke Filled Room” podcast today. The episode will come out tomorrow here. I’ve been promised fireworks.
Governor Pritzker holds a media availability at 10 a.m. in Chicago.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets, because good journalism isn’t free)
Democrats maintain control of state legislature, while GOP sees hope in not losing ground (Chicago Tribune)
Democrats will maintain their historic supermajorities in the Illinois General Assembly after Tuesday’s election, but legislative Republicans tried to take a positive view of the outcome by noting the opposition party appeared to be unable to expand its advantage, according to preliminary results.
“They did everything they could to get more seats and they didn’t,” House GOP leader Tony McCombie said Wednesday. “Of course I wish we were able to flip a few seats but I think this election cycle overall is starting to, at least I hope in Illinois, show that … people (are) voting with their pocketbooks and they want some structural reform.”
Going into the election, Democrats held 78 of the 118 House seats, giving them the largest supermajority over Republicans in modern state history. Two years ago, the House Democrats gained five seats but while votes were still being tabulated Wednesday, and some races remained close, it appeared the margin would remain the same.
While some thought Donald Trump would be a drag on the GOP ticket in a deeply blue state, the former president lost Illinois by just 8 points, according to unofficial results, after falling short by 17 percentage points in each of the last two presidential elections.
Democrats also had a hefty financial advantage in state legislative races, with the House Democrats’ campaign organization and the state party funneling millions of dollars to candidates facing potentially tough Republican competition.
Together, the state Democratic Party and the Illinois House Democrats’ campaign arm reported $5.56 million in their campaign coffers through September after spending $7.67 million in the past quarter, according to the State Board of Elections. The state Republican Party and the House Republicans’ campaign group had $1.07 million on hand combined after together spending $3.35 million in that quarter, records show.
“Our goal, first and foremost, is always to defend Illinois’ Democratic majority. In a national environment we knew would be challenging, the gains Republicans saw across the country did not come to Illinois,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Hillside Democrat, said in a statement.
Other races: Democrats to maintain supermajorities in Illinois General Assembly (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Trump's win doesn't help Illinois Republicans' numbers in Springfield — but GOP touts 'massive strides'(Chicago Sun-Times)
Incumbents leading in five suburban state legislative races (Daily Herald)
Hastings, Joyce lead state Senate races as incumbents lead in House (Daily Southtown)
Joyce defeats Nagel, again (Kankakee Daily-Journal)
State Sen. Patrick Joyce holds Illinois Senate seat over Republican challenger Phil Nagel (Chicago Sun-Times)
Walker of Arlington Heights poised to hold onto state Senate seat (Daily Herald)
State Rep. Nabeela Syed retains Illinois House seat over Republican Tosi Ufodike (Chicago Sun-Times)
McLaughlin narrowly leading in 52nd District while Syed appears headed to new term in 51st (Daily Herald)
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin locked in close race with Democrat Maria Peterson in 52nd Illinois House District (Chicago Sun-Times)
Canty and Grasse hold large leads in Arlington Heights-area state rep races (Daily Herald)
More than 1,600 mail-in ballots uncounted in counties that take in Briel-Bishop state rep. race (Shaw Media)
State Rep. Nicole La Ha wins full Illinois House term over Democrat Suzanne Akhras in 82nd District (Chicago Sun-Times)
Chung defeats Anderson, wins reelection in 91st House District (Bloomington Pantagraph)
Schmidt holds onto 114th State House District. What does that mean for southwest Illinois? (Belleville News-Democrat)
Illinois advisory questions on ‘millionaire’s tax,’ IVF coverage pass easily (Chicago Tribune)
Eric Sorensen defeats Joe McGraw in Illinois' crucial 17th Congressional District election (Chicago Sun-Times)
Eric Sorensen, a Democrat from Moline, retained his seat in Illinois’ most-watched congressional race — a battle with former judge Joe McGraw for the 17th District seat that has been solidly blue for all but two years since the 1980s.
Sorensen had 53.8% of the vote to McGraw’s 46.3%, with 88% of expected votes counted, according to the Associated Press, which declared the former Quad Cities meteorologist the winner shortly before 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Sorensen had seen enough to claim victory late Tuesday night. He thanked his family, friends and supporters for landing him a second term in Congress. He said his job is to “keep you safe and prepared for what was ahead, and that’s what I’m doing in Congress.”
McGraw, who retired from 20 years on the bench to run for Congress, had left his watch party at Franchesco’s Ristorante on Rockford’s east side without conceding. There, State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) was confident earlier in the evening even though he said the deck was stacked against them thanks to the last redistricting process.
Sorensen’s win in 2022 was narrow, so the race has garnered some national attention plus out-of-state fundraising as one of a handful of districts that could impact the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Illinois‘ delegation (in which Sorensen, 48, is the only openly gay member) leans heavily Democratic — 14 to 3 — by design as state Dems long holding a super majority in the General Assembly redrew district lines before the 2022 election to favor their own party.
Illinois’ 17th District is vast and includes some or all of 14 counties. It wraps around Chicago’s suburbs in a C-shape from Rockford in the northwest, touching the Quad Cities on the state’s western border, and runs through Downstate Galesburg, Pekin and Peoria before ending in Bloomington, a good two hours south of Chicago.
Other races: With 17 races up for election, Illinois Democrats keep a lock on majority of state’s congressional seats (Chicago Tribune)
Illinois Democrats defend US House seats from GOP challengers across the state (Associated Press)
Quigley declared winner of 5th Congressional District race (Daily Herald)
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten defeats challenger Niki Conforti in battle over Illinois' 6th Congressional District (Chicago Sun-Times)
Krishnamoorthi declared winner in 8th District reelection bid (Daily Herald)
Schakowsky declared winner in 9th District race (Daily Herald)
Schneider projected to defeat Carris in 10th Congressional District (Daily Herald)
Foster defeats Evans, wins reelection to Congress (Daily Herald)
Budzinski holds slim lead over Republican challenger Loyd as numbers trickle in (State Journal-Register) [note: after the technical glitch AP called the race for Budzinski Wednesday]
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood defeats Republican Jim Marter in Illinois 14th Congressional District (Chicago Sun-Times)
Sorensen defeats McGraw to win Illinois 17th District battle (Peoria Journal-Star)
TOP STORIES THIS WEEK ON THEILLINOIZE.COM
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
Pritzker’s budget office projects $3.2B deficit in early look at upcoming fiscal year (Capitol News Illinois)
Support for Donald Trump in Chicago has nearly doubled since his first presidential bid (WBEZ)
‘They were being paid as a favor to Mike Madigan’: Feds’ star witness takes stand (Capitol News Illinois)
Editorial: Springfield faces a brutal year of reckoning (Chicago Tribune)
Hinz: With D.C. clout gone, Chicago and Illinois enter a new era. So does the CTU. (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Opinion: Make sure election winners know you’ll be a vocal constituent (Shaw Media)
Opinion: Revenue shortfall complicates Pritzker's plans for next year's budget (Champaign News-Gazette)
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