Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorses state Sen. Robert Peters for Congress
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Monday announced her support for state Sen. Robert Peters, a South Side progressive, in the March Democratic primary to replace Kelly, who is forgoing a reelection bid for the 2nd Congressional District seat to run for the U.S. Senate.
Peters worked as an activist on economic and criminal justice issues with both Preckwinkle and another of her protégés, former Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Preckwinkle also backed Peters for an appointment to the Illinois Senate in 2019 to replace Kwame Raoul after Raoul's was elected the state's attorney general.
Preckwinkle's endorsement comes as the potential entry of former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. into the race could dramatically alter the landscape in the 2nd Congressional District primary.
Preckwinkle described Peters in a statement Monday as one of her 'most trusted partners in the state legislature.'
'There is no stronger advocate for working people, for social justice and for economic fairness than Robert,' Preckwinkle said. 'I've watched him grow from a hard working young organizer, to an accomplished state legislator. All the while, he's never shied away from the tough conversations necessary to build the coalitions needed to win difficult fights.'
Peters acknowledged the four-term County Board president as 'a mentor for me throughout my time in organizing and in public service.'
'I know she will continue to be a trusted ally and coach as I campaign all throughout the 2nd District, and as I take on the big fights in Congress, like fighting cuts to Medicaid, (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and the (Department of Veterans Affairs),' Peters said in a statement.
Peters, who already has a big-name endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has an early fundraising advantage over six other Democrats who've officially declared their candidacies, a group that doesn't include Jackson.
From entering the race in mid-May through the end of June, Peters raised more than $415,000, and he entered July with nearly $375,000 in his campaign account, Federal Election Commission records show. That's more than all the other candidates combined, though two of them, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller of Lynwood and state Sen. Willie Preston of Chicago, entered the race after the end of the previous reporting period.
After forming an exploratory committee, Jackson told the Tribune last week that it's his 'intention to secure a place on the ballot' in the primary for his former seat in Congress. Jackson resigned in 2012 amid a corruption probe and later went to federal prison for conspiring to defraud his reelection campaign of about $750,000 that was used to pay for personal expenses such as home renovations, two mounted elk heads and high-end merchandise, including mink clothes and a Michael Jackson autographed guitar.
Jackson's family has rallied behind Preckwinkle in the past. When she was overwhelmingly defeated in her 2019 bid for mayor, Jackson's father, civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson, hosted her and Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot at his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and told those in attendance not to abandon Preckwinkle in her moment of defeat. He enjoined the crowd to repeat after him: 'Toni is the president of the Cook County Board and of all Democrats. We shall fight to maintain her gain.'
The 2nd Congressional District stretches south along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana border from 43rd Street in Chicago to Danville. Major party candidates for the March 17 primaries can begin collecting petition signatures on Aug. 5 to get their names on the ballot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Intercept
24 minutes ago
- The Intercept
DNC Leadership Pressured Gen Z Member to Kill Resolution on Banning Arms to Israel
When it comes to Israel's handling of the war on Gaza, Democrats are nearly united. Only 8 percent of party members support Israel's military actions, according to a Gallup poll from last month. A vote at the Democratic National Committee meeting later this month could once again expose the yawning rift between the party's base and its leaders, who are lining up to oppose a resolution against arms for Israel. Allison Minnerly, the 26-year-old committee member sponsoring the measure, told The Intercept Thursday that Democratic leaders risk further alienating party members — especially young voters — if they kill the symbolic resolution. 'Our voters, our base, they are saying that they do not want U.S. dollars to enable further death and starvation anywhere across the world, particularly in Gaza,' said Minnerly, a first-term DNC member from Florida. 'I don't think it should be a hard decision for us to say that clearly.' Minnerly's resolution has reopened a simmering debate in the party's top ranks over the war. In August 2024, Democratic National Convention delegates approved on a carefully worded platform that backed giving Israel a 'qualitative military edge' while pursuing a two-state solution and a 'durable end to the war in Gaza.' The party platform outraged the delegates with the Uncommitted movement who had hoped to pressure Vice President Kamala Harris into breaking with President Joe Biden and supporting an arms embargo on Israel. The pressure from rank-and-file party members has only grown in response to the unfolding famine in Gaza. In a first, most Senate Democrats voted last month in favor of a resolution to block offensive arms sales to Gaza. Those Democrats, many of them senior citizens, were catching up with the sentiment of younger voters regardless of party. In February 2024, only 16 percent of adults under 30 supported giving military aid to Israel versus 56 percent of people 65 and older, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Minnerly's proposed resolution cites the Senate vote and public polls in calling on Democratic elected officials to support an immediate ceasefire, enact an arms embargo, suspend military aid, and recognize Palestine as a state. After Minnerly put forward her resolution on August 4, she said, representatives of DNC Chair Ken Martin reached out to propose a compromise. But the proposal they offered did not go far enough in calling for pressure on Israel, she said. 'Ultimately it was clear to me the conversation they're having is different from the reality today,' she said. In response to Minnerly's resolution, Martin and other party leaders have offered one of their own that largely mirrors the 2024 party platform and does not call for the suspension of military aid to Israel, according to a copy obtained by The Intercept and reports from multiple outlets. (The DNC did not respond to a request for comment.) Pro-Israel Democratic groups have come out swinging against Minnerly's resolution, focusing on its lack of language condemning Hamas and calling for the language to include the release of Israeli hostages. 'Should it advance, it will further divide our Party, provide a gift to Republicans, and send a signal that will embolden Israel's adversaries. As we get closer to the midterms, Democrats need to be united, not continuing intra-party fights that don't get us closer to taking back Congress,' said Brian Romick, the head of Democratic Majority for Israel, a pro-Israel group aligned with right-wing groups that get Republican funding. Minnerly said the resolution focuses on Israel because that is where the U.S. has leverage. 'The U.S. government directly interacts with the Israeli government,' she said. 'We do not have a direct line of communication with Hamas, or the ability to necessarily influence their decisions.' Read our complete coverage Minnerly's resolution is co-sponsored by DNC members from Maine, California, and Florida, according to a copy she shared with The Intercept. Still, that support pales in comparison to the influential party members who lined up behind the Martin-backed resolution. Minnerly acknowledged that winning the vote would be a 'challenge.' 'I am optimistic that people are willing and open to have this conversation. It's just going to take political courage,' she said. A DNC committee is set to vote August 26 on the competing resolutions, Minnerly said. Regardless of which symbolic resolution the DNC supports, individual elected officials will be free to vote how they choose in Congress or elsewhere. Still, Matt Duss, a former foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, said 'the position of the DNC does matter. It sets the tone for the entire party.' 'I look at these two resolutions, and the first one is simply just regurgitating the same old language used by the Biden administration. It's basically meaningless,' Duss said. 'What has been missing all along in the Democratic Party's approach is consequences for human rights abuses when Israel commits them.'
New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
DC sues to block Trump's ‘unlawful' takeover of police department as crackdown intensifies
The nation's capital sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court on Friday, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb sought an emergency restraining order in the federal court lawsuit, which argues the Trump administration is going far beyond the president's legal powers. 'The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it,' Schwalb said. 5 The nation's capital sued to block President Trump's takeover of its police department in court on Friday. AP The lawsuit comes after Trump Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday night that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume 'powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.' The Metropolitan Police Department 'must receive approval from Commissioner Cole' before issuing any orders, Bondi said. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Pamela Smith, who works for the mayor. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back, writing on social media that 'there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official.' The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Chief had agreed to share immigration information Schwalb had said late Thursday that Bondi's directive was 'unlawful,' arguing it could not be followed by the city's police force. 5 The lawsuit comes after AG Pam Bondi said Thursday night that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume 'powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.' He wrote in a memo to Smith that 'members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor,' setting up the legal clash between the heavily Democratic district and the Republican administration. The D.C. attorney general is an elected position that is the city's top legal officer and is separate from Washington's federal U.S. attorney, which is appointed by the president. The U.S. attorney general is also appointed by the president and not elected. 5 Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith speaks on Trump's plan to place Washington police under federal control and deploy National Guard troops, on Aug. 11, 2025. AP Bondi's directive came even after Smith had told MPD officers hours earlier to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody, such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chief's directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of 'sanctuary policies,' which generally limit cooperation by local law enforcement with federal immigration officers. Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other MPD policies limiting inquiries into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authorities to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the U.S. illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major U.S. cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the administration has portrayed. Residents are seeing a significant show of force A population already tense from days of ramp-up has begun seeing more significant shows of force across the city. National Guard troops watched over some of the world's most renowned landmarks, and Humvees took position in front of the busy main train station. Volunteers helped homeless people leave long-standing encampments, to which was often unclear. Department of Homeland Security police stood outside Nationals Park during a game on Thursday between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. DEA agents patrolled The Wharf, a popular nightlife area, while Secret Service officers were seen in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Bowser, walking a tightrope between the Republican White House and the constituency of her largely Democratic city, was out of town Thursday for a family commitment in Martha's Vineyard but would be back Friday, her office said. 5 Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (right) wrote on social media that 'there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official.' AP The uptick in visibility of federal forces around the city, including in many high-traffic areas, has been striking to residents going about their lives. Trump has the power to take over federal law enforcement for 30 days before his actions must be reviewed by Congress, though he has said he'll re-evaluate as that deadline approaches. Officers set up a checkpoint in one of D.C.'s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. Troops were stationed outside the Union Station transportation hub as the 800 Guard members who have been activated by Trump started on missions that include monument security, community safety patrols, and beautification efforts, the Pentagon said. 5 Members of the DEA and police patrol near Nationals Park after a baseball match at the Navy Yard after Trump's announcement of the federal takeover. REUTERS Troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control, National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said. National Guard troops are a semi-regular presence in D.C., typically being used during mass public events like the annual July 4 celebration. They have regularly been used in the past for crowd control in and around Metro stations.
Atlantic
25 minutes ago
- Atlantic
Trump Gains When Elites Downplay D.C. Crime
As I listened this week to liberal politicians and journalists wave off talk of Washington, D.C.'s heartbreaking violence as mere Republican demagoguery, I was struck by many progressives' dispiriting inability to talk candidly about the plague of crime afflicting working-class and poor Americans. This denial opens a door for President Donald Trump to speak in a language, however cynical, that resonates with those voters. Responding to Trump's takeover of policing in the nation's capital, Senator Tim Kaine, a liberal Democrat from Virginia, stated this week that crime 'is at a 30-year low in D.C., making these steps a waste of taxpayer dollars.' Although that's true of violent crime in general, the city's murder rate was lower throughout the 2010s. The Guardian acknowledged that 'violent crime is higher in Washington DC than the national average' but reassured readers that the capital is 'not among the most violent large cities in the United States today.' Jim Kessler, a think-tank executive who previously worked as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer's legislative and policy director, went on Fox News to advise Americans to stifle their fears. 'If people are afraid to come to D.C.,' he said, 'go to Disney World, get fat, eat French fries.' I am loath to defend Trump's takeover of policing in D.C. Reassigning FBI agents as beat cops is a dubious crime-fighting practice, as agents know little of the District's neighborhoods and how to distinguish between the good folks and those who are pure trouble. National Guard soldiers, to state the obvious, have little training in police work. Charles Fain Lehman: Trump is right that D.C. has a serious crime problem And some of the nation's most violent cities— such as Memphis, Cleveland, and Little Rock, Arkansas—are found in pro-Trump states. That doesn't mean the city is safe, or that it's politically wise to dismiss concerns about crime. Trump's opponents this week made much of the fact that homicides in the District fell from 287 in 2023 to 187 in 2024. That improved number in the District is equivalent in per capita terms to 2,244 homicides in New York City. The actual count there last year was 377—slightly more than twice as many homicides as in D.C., but New York has more than 12 times as many people. When I worked for The Washington Post in the late 1990s—not long after the period when D.C. was the nation's murder capital—I reported on the city's tragically high homicide rates. Both then and now, that problem, like so many other aspects of life in Washington, was de facto segregated by race and class. The Post recently published a map of 2024 homicides, with tiny circles for the name and location of everyone who was killed. This becomes clear: To wander the predominately white, upper-middle-class neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park and the thoroughly gentrified areas of Capitol Hill and the Navy Yard is to pass through neighborhoods with homicide rates closer to Copenhagen's. But across the Anacostia River in the majority-Black Wards 7 and 8, where more than 40 percent of the children live in poverty, reality is far grimmer. More than half of the District's homicides last year occurred in these wards. Four years ago, the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform released a report on gun violence in D.C. Well in excess of 90 percent of the victims and suspects were Black males, the report found, 'despite Black residents comprising only 46 percent of the overall population in the District.' Jonathan Chait: Donald Trump doesn't really care about crime When I arrived in Washington in 1996, the Post would print at the beginning of each week a news brief that reduced the preceding weekend's death toll to a terrible agate of victims' names and addresses. What I recall most from that time was talking with young men who had seen friends killed, and some of whom possessed terrifying armaments and body armor. Mothers described to me how they trained their children to roll off their bed and hit the floor at the sound of gunfire. A grieving father told me maybe it was just as well that his son, a drug dealer, had died. 'If he'd made it,' he said, 'the first thing that would have come to his mind was revenge.' The intensity of that bloodletting was not easily explained at the time—and that remains the case today. The D.C. police force still has more officers per capita than New York City or Chicago, and that does not include the federal police forces patrolling Capitol Hill and the parks. Something remains terribly wrong in too many neighborhoods in the District, and no one should dismiss that just because Trump appears to be making cynical use of that misery. I have no doubt that Trump enjoys targeting Democratic-controlled cities for embarrassment. I also have little doubt that a mother in Ward 8 might draw comfort from a National Guard soldier standing watch near her child's school. And I try to imagine having the audacity to insist to her that the homicides and the danger that are her daily reality are somehow a phantasm.
