Courting Cook County power

Politico

17-07-2025

Happy Thursday, Illinois. Reader Digest gets saucy today, with contributors dishing on how political parties top their pizza.
🎤🌈 Playbook is live at the Hideout today at 6 p.m. with Brian Johnson, and LGBTQ+ trailblazer. Details here
TOP TALKER
ABOUT TO GET REAL: There's a reason the top Illinois U.S. Senate candidates have been hyping their endorsements. Some of their big-name backers are voting members of the Cook County Democratic Party — the same body meeting today and Friday to decide which candidate gets officially slated for Senate in 2026.
The stakes are high: With three notable names running, it's possible that the nearly 80 party leaders won't be able to agree on endorsing any one candidate during Friday's session. But party rules require a simple majority — 50 percent plus one — to award the coveted endorsement, which comes with campaign advertising and field workers. If no single candidate clears that bar in the first round of voting, the process continues until a consensus is reached. If that can't be reached, no one will be endorsed.
Hyping support ahead of the vote may help Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Juliana Stratton put party leaders on the record and nudge others to vote their way, too. It's the 'bandwagon' strategy — put enough party leaders on record, and others may follow.
Congressman Krishnamoorthi just announced endorsements from Cook County Democratic Party leaders including Chicago Alds. Pat Dowell (3rd), David Moore (17th) and Chris Taliaferro (29th) and some suburban committeemen, including Frank Avino of Norwood Park and Larry Dominick of Cicero, among others.
Lt. Gov. Stratton, meanwhile, has lined up support from House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch and state Reps. Kelly Cassidy and Tracy Katz Muhl — all with seats at the slating table.
And Congresswoman Kelly has staked her claim, announcing support from Chicago Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th), committeemen Bob Rita of Calumet Township and Vernard Alsberry of Bremen Township.
Money, of course, matters in a race like this, but early maneuvering could tip the balance for a big party endorsement.
Today's slating schedule.
Friday's slating schedule.
MONEY MATTERS | Thanks to their congressional accounts, Krishnamoorthi and Kelly have the most cash in US Senate race: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton raised nearly $1.1 million, spent $417,286, and began July 1 with $666,416 in cash available, according to campaign reports. 'But a closer review of her fundraising shows that about $185,000 of that amount must be used for the Nov. 3 general election and is unavailable for her use in the March 17 primary,' by the Tribune's Rick Pearson.
NEW: Krishnamoorthi is out with a second statewide TV ad pushing the 'underdog' theme and showing him as a teen in a football uniform. Watch here
THE BUZZ
TEARS, TRIBUTES: Wednesday was a big day for goodbyes in Illinois politics as two longtime fixtures in the political landscape took their curtain calls.
First up: State Comptroller Susana Mendoza fought back tears to announce she won't seek re-election in 2026. After a decade keeping the state's checkbook balanced — and prior stints in the Illinois General Assembly and at Chicago City Hall — Mendoza is ready to turn the page.
Mayoral musings: She'll finish her term but acknowledged she doesn't know what her next chapter will be, saying she'll be taking a listening tour.
Mendoza side-stepped a reporter's question about whether she might run for mayor of Chicago in 2027, and then she slammed Mayor Brandon Johnson's leadership, as the Sun-Times' Mitchell Armentrout reports.
Over at City Hall, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. held back his emotions while giving his final report to the City Council — his last after a 30-year run. Council members then took turns heralding his work and camaraderie over the years.
'Statesman,' is how Ald. Pat Dowell described Burnett. 'A lion,' added Ald. Andre Vasquez. And Ald. Jessie Fuentes said Burnett has had the keen ability to 'simmer down the room' and guide aldermen to 'lighten up a little bit and have a few conversations' to find consensus.
Don't be surprised if Burnett reappears in another strategic role. In the political world, when one door closes, a new seat at the table opens up.
If you are Bob Rita, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: [e-mail]
WHERE'S JB
No official public events
WHERE's BRANDON
At Daley Plaza at 5:30 p.m. for the John Lewis Day of Action
Where's Toni
At IBEW local headquarters at 9 a.m. for slating
Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email [e-mail]
SPOTTED
REUNION TIME: Nearly 200 former staffers from Rahm Emanuel's two terms as Chicago mayor gathered at Harry Caray's in River North earlier this week for what was billed as a reunion but felt, in some corners, like something more.
It was the first time many had been in the same room since Emanuel left City Hall in 2019, and the mood — described by one attendee as 'happy and full of laughs' — also struck a balance between nostalgia and intrigue.
Emanuel, never one to miss a mic or a moment, delivered the night's biggest laugh by quipping that the event was really a fundraiser for Ald. Walter Burnett Jr., who just announced his retirement.
The gathering had the reunion-kind-of jabs about graying hair and thicker waistlines, but beneath the banter was a subtle hum of political intrigue. Emanuel, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Japan, is after all, mulling a 2028 presidential run.
In the crowd were many of Emanuel's old guard: Michael Sacks, the GCM Grosvenor CEO and longtime confidant often dubbed the 'Rahm whisperer;' Lisa Schrader and Joe Deal, once Emanuel's top lieutenants and now, not coincidentally, on Sacks' payroll; former Deputy Mayor Andrea 'Andy' Zopp; Ald. Pat Dowell; former Ald. Will Burns; former Chicago Park District CEO Rosa Escareño; former city Budget Director Samantha 'Sam' Fields, who now works with Chicago CRED; former Department of Buildings Commissioner Mike Merchant, who's now executive director of the Illinois Commerce Commission; and White House Treasury alum Bill Doerrer and Hire360 CEO Jay Rowell, who worked on Emanuel's campaign side. And Brian Thompson, who headed Emanuel's security detail and is affectionately called the 'Mayor of Rush Street,' was there, too.
BUSINESS OF POLITICS
— Candidates file financial reports in crowded congressional races as Jesse Jackson Jr. lays groundwork for comeback effort, by the Tribune's Dan Petrella
— IL-09: Nick Pyati has joined the crowded Democratic primary race for the open seat now held by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who's not seeking re-election. 'It's time for a vision and a plan that expands our economy, inspires innovation, and rebuilds America — an America we are proud to leave to our kids,' Pyati said in a statement announcing his campaign.
Pyati was a prosecutor in President Barack Obama's Justice Department and earlier a public school teacher. He most recently led innovation efforts in Microsoft's Windows division. Today, his campaign is reporting he's already raised $130,000. Watch his launch video here.
— In IL-10: U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider outraises, outspends Democratic challenger Morgan Coghill, by the Daily Herald's Russell Lissau
— SCOOP: Cook County assessor candidate Dana Pointer has received $100,000 from Commissioner Larry Rogers Jr. 'with more to come,' according to a spokesman for Rogers, who has a long-running feud with incumbent Assessor Fritz Kaegi.
— In IL-08: Democratic candidate Junaid Ahmed raised nearly $350,000 in the second quarter, outpacing his competitors in the Democratic primary race for this open seat.
— State House race: Republican Leslie Collazo announced she's running for the seat now held by Democratic state Rep. La Shawn Ford, who has announced he's running for Congress. Collazo was the lead plaintiff in the successful 2024 awsuit against the slating ban that made its way to the Illinois Supreme Court — when her campaign got cut short by rules at the time. Collazo, who has worked for Illinois Policy, now runs a small business.
— State Rep. Jason Bunting, a Republican, announced he's running for reelection in the 106th District so he can 'continue to fight for the common-sense reforms Illinois desperately needs.'
THE STATEWIDES
— Gov. JB Pritzker pens letter urging President Trump's education secretary to unfreeze $6.8B in grants: 'The letter to Secretary Linda McMahon comes just days after 24 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the funding freeze in education grants for K-12 schools and adult education,' by the Sun-Times' Tina Sfondeles.
— Illinois bet on solar to meet its climate goals. Trump has the industry in his crosshairs, by Capitol News' Andrew Adams
— ComEd's $10M relief fund running out after 60,000 customers apply in first week, by the Tribune's Robert Channick
— Another 107 former detainees allege sexual abuse in Illinois and Cook County youth detention centers, by the Tribune's Sophie Levenson
— Intoxicating hemp remains unregulated in Illinois following legislative inaction, by Capitol News' Isabella Schoonover and Simon Carr
CHICAGO
— City Council fails to override Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's snap curfew veto: 'The Council fell six votes shy of overriding Johnson's veto of an ordinance allowing the Chicago police superintendent to enact a curfew targeting gatherings of young people anywhere in the city with 30 minutes' notice,' by the Sun-Times' Fran Spielman.
— As Burnett exits City Council, the mayor is in a bind to find a new Zoning chair: 'Unless the mayor lands on a nominee who can quickly muster support, the vacancy could overshadow the work of an important committee that considers both routine zoning changes and citywide land use policy,' by Crain's Justin Laurence.
— Rush Medical Center halts gender-affirming care for new patients under 18, by the Sun-Times' Mary Norkol
COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS
— Naperville may increase local sales tax to offset grocery tax repeal, by the Daily Herald's Alicia Fabbre
— 3 Chicago suburbs are some of the wealthiest nationwide, study finds, by NBC 5's Hannah Webster
Reader Digest
🍕🍕🍕We asked if the two major political parties were pizza, what toppings would they have.
Kirk Dillard: 'Lots of red sauce but skim mozzarella cheese.'
Donna Gutman: 'Sausage because you never really know how they make it.'
Ed Mazur: 'Everything but the kitchen sink — all promises and no substance.'
Marilynn Miller: 'Dems would have tomato sauce, generous sausage, onions, sweet peppers and lots of cheese. GOPs would have scant tomato sauce and scant cheese, and that's all. They've got to hold down the cost!'
Andy Shaw: 'Durian for the Republicans, white rice for the Dems.'
Alison Pure-Slovin: 'Bologna and fake meat!'
Tim Steil: 'Democrats would have extra pork and the concoction from Alinea that smells like food but is really overpriced air. And Republicans would serve Velveeta with a side of corruption as dipping sauce.'
James Straus: 'Pork and pork.'
Alex Sutton: 'Republican Pizza has extra cheese, is topped with copious amounts of bacon and slices of hot dog, and has a stuffed crust. Democrat Pizza uses gluten-free cauliflower dough, substitutes cheese for a tofu-based alternative and is covered in spinach, mushrooms and artichokes.'
NEXT QUESTION: Which politicians' comments would you like to see in a group chat text chain?
THE NATIONAL TAKE
— Mamdani turns on the charm, meets his critics head on, by POLITICO's Emily Ngo
— Maurene Comey, daughter of James Comey and prosecutor of Jeffrey Epstein, is fired, by POLITICO's Erica Orden
— Loomer delivers searing warning: Epstein could 'consume' Trump presidency, by POLITICO's Adam Wren, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Gregory Svirnovskiy
IN MEMORIAM
— Donald Cameron Findlay III, an Illinois attorney who was deputy assistant to President George H.W. Bush, has died. Details here
— Kristine Farra, a Chicago real estate entrepreneur active on the civic scene, has died. Details here
TRIVIA
WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering that former Michigan Gov. Harry Kelly, who was born in Ottawa, was the LaSalle County state's attorney before his Michigan stints.
TODAY's QUESTION: What Chicago government agency was created as the result of a war? Email [e-mail]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Former Ald. Leslie Hairston, PsiQuantum head of marketing and government affairs Maurice Green, political consultant Art Turner, campaign consultant Alaina Hampton, JPMorgan Chase's Melanie Beatus Ettleson and Tribune Political Editor John Chase
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