THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Recapping the Primary
June 30, 2022
Good morning, Illinois.
I’m going to eschew our regular format for the Free for All and lay out some top election stories and some thoughts on where we stand today.
I was on WDWS in Champaign for an hour yesterday. You can listen to the podcast here.
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Let’s get to it.
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It's Bailey vs. Pritzker in November
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) completed his takeover of the Illinois Republican Party Tuesday night. The small town farmer from around 30 miles south of Effingham who served two years in the Illinois House and has served 18 months in the Illinois Senate became the GOP nominee for Governor scoring nearly 60% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary.
Bailey led his nearest competitor, Springfield-area venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan with around 440,000 votes to around 120,000 votes with around 84% of votes reported early Wednesday morning.
“Tonight, our movement sent a clear message to the establishment and the political elites: we will not be ignored,” Bailey said to cheers at his victory party in Effingham.
Bailey’s insurgent campaign bucked the traditional party establishment, which fell in line behind Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who received $50 million from billionaire Ken Griffin but finished a disappointing third in the race.
Kicking off his own fall election campaign Tuesday night, Governor JB Pritzker gave a fiery speech taking direct aim at Bailey and playing to a potential national audience as he reportedly eyes a run for the White House in 2024.
Pritzker criticized Bailey’s appearance with former President Donald Trump last weekend, an appearance where Trump endorsed Bailey after polling had made it clear Bailey was in position to win the primary.
“Let me be clear, someone who seeks out and accepts the endorsement of a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic, twice impeached former president does not deserve to come anywhere near this state’s highest office,” Pritzker said. “Darren Bailey cannot side with the insurrectionists at the Capitol, assert that the 2020 election was stolen, and say that women and their doctors should be jailed for having an abortion even in cases of rape and incest and expect to be handed the keys to the Governor’s Office.”
Bailey took aim at Pritzker, too, starting what is likely to be a war of words in the fall campaign.
“Here’s a tip and some advice for JB Pritzker: start packin’, friend,” Bailey said. “Because on November 8th, you’re fired.”
Related: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP nominee Darren Bailey come out swinging after primary election wins (Chicago Tribune)
Bailey pledges to bring ‘common sense solutions to the table’ — but not copies of his income tax returns (Chicago Sun-Times)
How Darren Bailey won the GOP primary -- and the suburbs -- to face Pritzker (Daily Herald)
Kathy Salvi Will Challenge Senator Tammy Duckworth in November
Lake County attorney and former U.S. House candidate Kathy Salvi, a late entrant into the Republican field for U.S. Senate, defeated a field of far-right GOP candidates Tuesday for the right to take on incumbent Sen. Tammy Duckworth in November.
With around 95% of the expected vote counted Wednesday, Salvi led Peggy Hubbard by around 37,000 votes. Salvi had around 212,000 to Hubbard’s 175,000. The Associated Press called the race for Salvi just after midnight Wednesday.
“The people of this great state want a fighter in Washington, D.C.,” Salvi told supporters gathered at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lake Zurich, according to the Sun-Times. “They want a common-sense leader who will defend American families, restore American prosperity, and protect the American dream for our children and grandchildren.”
Salvi finished second in a primary for Congress in 2006. Her husband, Al, was the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in 1996, losing to Sen. Dick Durbin.
Related: My conversation with Salvi last week on WMAY (WMAY)
Salvi claims victory in crowded GOP primacy race to face Tammy Duckworth (Daily Herald)
Brady, Giannoulias to Square Off for Secretary of State
A moderate downstate Republican lawmaker and a former State Treasurer and banking executive will square this fall in hopes of replacing longtime Secretary of State Jesse White.
Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) defeated former Sangamon County State’s Attorney and former U.S. Attorney John Milhiser by a 74% to 26% clip. Milhiser was part of a slate of GOP candidates supported by billionaire Ken Griffin and gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin.
Brady, 60, who lagged behind Milhiser in fundraising for much of the campaign told supporters Tuesday night his victory shows money isn’t everything.
“Tonight has shown hard work still stands for something in Illinois politics,” Brady said to a crowd assembled in Bloomington Tuesday night. “This is an office I’ve aspired to. I was not recruited for this. It’s not an office about public policy or prosecuting people. It’s about service to the public, which I have done my entire career, both politically and professionally.”
But to be the first Republican elected Secretary of state in 28 years and first statewide elected Republican since 2014, Brady will have to defeat former Democratic State Treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias. He defeated Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia by a 53% to 34%.
“What I am running to do is make Illinois a great example for the rest of this country,” Giannoulias told supports in Chicago Tuesday night. “I love this state. It is the state that made me who I am.”
Giannoulias served as State Treasurer from 2007-2011 and lost a race for United States Senate in 2010 to Republican Mark Kirk.
Related: Brady speaks to supporters Tuesday in Bloomington (Pantagraph)
Bloomington state Rep. Dan Brady cruises to GOP nomination for Illinois secretary of state (Chicago Sun-Times)
Brady, Giannoulias celebrate victories in secretary of state primaries (Daily Herald)
Giannoulias scores political comeback with Democratic nomination for secretary of state (Chicago Sun-Times)
Multiple Legislative Incumbents Defeated or Trailing in Primary
No fewer than four incumbent state lawmakers have been defeated in primaries and a handful of others are perilously close to defeat as we wait for final votes to be counted.
In one of the most shocking results of Tuesday’s primary, Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), who was potentially in line to take over as House Majority Leader next year, was defeated by left-leaning challenger Abdelnasser Rashid.
With 95% of the expected vote in, Rashid leads by 317 votes, but Zalewski conceded Tuesday night.
“I loved this job, gave my all for the people of the district and the state, and did it the best I could,” Zalewski wrote on Facebook Tuesday night. “The voters of the district made their voices heard, and that’s democracy.”
Two House Republicans were also defeated Tuesday. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) lost to Darren Bailey-backed challenger Jed Davis. Davis led Welter by more than 1,000 votes Wednesday with 95% of the expected vote in. Rep. Mark Luft (R-Pekin) fell to Travis Weaver, the son of former Sen. Chuck Weaver. With about 95% of the expected vote in, Weaver led Luft by a total of around 7,400 to around 4,200 votes.
Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) trails Norma Hernandez by 196 votes with 95% of the expected vote in Wednesday, meaning the race could be decided by late arriving absentee ballots.
Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie) trails Kevin Olickal by 542 votes with 95% of the expected vote in Wednesday. Appointed Sen. Eric Mattson (D-Joliet) is on his way out after being appointed to the Senate just a few weeks ago. Will County Board Member Rachel Ventura leads with around 7,200 to around 5,300 votes with 95% of expected votes in.
Some incumbents held on by a thread, though. Appointed Rep. Mike Kelly (D-Chicago) appears to be holding off progressive Michael Rabbitt. Kelly by around 700 votes with 95% of the expected vote in Wednesday. Incumbent Sen. Win Stoller (D-East Peoria) leads Dixon real estate agent Brett Nicklaus by around 500 votes with around 95% of the expected vote counted.
Related: Rashid stuns Zalewski to win Dem nomination in 21st District (Riverside-Brookfield Landmark)
Challenger Davis [defeats] incumbent Welter in 75th District State House Race (Shaw Media)
Travis Weaver tops incumbent Mark Luft to win GOP primary for 93rd Illinois House District (Peoria Journal Star)
Ventura wins Democratic primary for 43rd state Senate seat; Republicans locked in tight race (Daily Herald)
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