Preckwinkle is running
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Good Monday morning, Illinois. Say hello to Danny Nguyen, who will be shepherding the newsletter this week while your Playbook host takes a bit of a break.
Programming note: Reader Digest and Trivia are paused this week, but we'll have plenty of news to fill the rest of your time.
TOP TALKER
SCOOP: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is running again, she told your Playbook host in an exclusive interview.
'I'm running for reelection, and I'm looking forward to another four years serving the people of the county,' said Preckwinkle, who celebrates her 78th birthday today.
Age is not a number as long as you're up for the fight, she added. 'I feel good. I work hard at my job, and I'm gonna do that.'
Preckwinkle will be running on successes, including expanding health care for county residents, advocating for the pretrial Fairness Act that eliminates cash bail based on a judge's decision on safety and risk and submitting year-after-year balanced budgets 'without any new taxes. ... I'm proud of that work,' she said.
The Democratic board president was first elected to the job in 2010 and earlier served 20 years on the Chicago City Council. She meets regularly with Gov. JB Pritzker to talk about the state of government and for a time had similar meetings with Mayor Brandon Johnson, too. 'I've got my own lane,' she said.
Looking ahead, Preckwinkle's big worry is how the Trump administration's government cutbacks will affect county residents, especially when it comes to health care.
Health care hassles: 'The county is a provider of Medicaid services and we have a Medicaid managed care program, so if there's a reduction of the size of the program as a result of federal cuts, we're going to be heavily impacted. Residents would lose coverage, and there is no way around it,' she said. The county has retired $455 million in Medicaid debt with the help of strategically allocated dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act that's benefited more than 288,000 people, she said.
The uncertainty of what's happening in Washington could impact Medicaid and infrastructure projects, she said. 'I am not going to predict what's going to happen in Washington, but the uncertainty and the sort of brutality of the kinds of things they are talking about is very, very concerning.'
About the campaign: It's headed by her political adviser, Scott Kastrup. And a fundraising reception will be held Tuesday to ramp up the campaign. Details here
THE BUZZ
MEMORY LANE: During an event Friday honoring former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch shared a story about the first time they met. He was an intern at WGN, and she was the Cook County recorder of deeds at the time and running for U.S. Senate. Moseley Braun stopped by WGN for an interview, and Welch stood with her for a photo that he's kept ever since. He shared it on stage during a tribute to Moseley Braun's career.
History in the making: Moseley Braun would become the first Black woman senator, and Welch went on to become the first Black Illinois House speaker. Here's the picture that Welch saved.
Friday's event at RPM Seafood in Chicago drew a large crowd for the speaker's Black Excellence in Bleu foundation.
Also honored: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke, Ald. Pat Dowell, Chicago Sky Co-Owner Nadia Rawlinson and America Scores Executive Director Kimberly Townsend.
WHERE'S JB
No official public events
WHERE's BRANDON
No official public events
Where's Toni
No official public events
Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
THE STATEWIDES
— Immigrant families scramble as state health insurance for some noncitizens faces the axe in Gov. JB Pritzker's budget plan, by the Tribune's Laura Rodriguez Presa and Dan Petrella
— How life changed when Illinois' pandemic lockdown began five years ago — here's what you told us, by WBEZ's Isabela Nieto and Araceli Gomez-Aldana
— New campaign: Americans for Prosperity-Illinois is launching a statewide video campaign opposing House Bill 2827, the Homeschool Act that would require oversight requirements for homeschooling families.
— Illinois votes on a new state flag design — and chooses the current one, by The Associated Press's John O'Connor
CHICAGO
— Chicago wants city contractors to share in budget pain: 'The city is asking city vendors to take a 3 percent haircut on their existing contracts,' by Crain's Justin Laurence... The request drew criticism from Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a statewide office holder who is mulling a potential bid for mayor.
— Trump administration targets University of Chicago over DEI, by Crain's Brandon Dupré
IN MEMORIAM
— Marian 'Cindy' Pritzker, the aunt of Gov. JB Pritzker and the matriarch of one of Chicago's wealthiest families, died Saturday at 101, the Chicago Tribune reported. She's been a force in the city's public library system, working to increase the public library system's book budget in the late 1900s. She also brought to the Chicago Public Library Foundation a library commissioner instrumental in overseeing the construction of dozens of libraries from 1994 to 2012. Her service will be private. The obit is here.
SPOTTED
— IRISH EYES: It was a see-and-be-seen weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day. At the American Partnership's annual breakfast at the Union League Club, we spotted Alds. Walter Burnett Jr. and Brian Hopkins, Clerk of the Court Mariyana Spyropoulos and former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson. The Irish Fellowship Club dinner at the Michigan Avenue Hilton on Friday evening also drew a crowd, including Chicago parade Chair Jim Coyne, Illinois Attorney Gen. Kwame Raoul, state Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Commissioner Bill Daley and Ald. Bill Conway.
Business and political movers and shakers packed the St. Patrick's Day Party at Gibsons. It was hosted by Neal Zucker and Marko Iglendza and Ashley and Pam Netzkey. Gov. JB Pritzker and MK Pritzker were spotted swaying along with the bagpipers who entertained. Also in the room: Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke, County Treasurer Maria Pappas, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, state Rep. Margaret Croke, Alds. Timmy Knudsen and Bill Conway, former Mayor Richard M. Daley and former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley (who held their annual party on Saturday).
Sen. Dick Durbin made it back from Washington, D.C., to attend the Saturday service at Old St. Patrick's Church. And Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson were front and center for the Chicago St. Pat's parade.
TAKING NAMES
— Museum founder Peggy Montes helped establish Chicago's Women's History Month — and still is a 'lady in motion,' by the Sun-Times' Mariah Rush
— PERFECT GAME: William Duff Jr., who recently retired as executive director of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association, was inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Illinois State Hall of Fame on Saturday. And Keith Hamilton, the new executive director of the Illinois association, is being inducted into the National USBC Hall of Fame in Las Vegas in May. Hamilton was inducted into the International Bowling Media Association Hall of Fame in 2021.
THE NATIONAL TAKE
— White House seriously considering deal from Oracle to run TikTok, by POLITICO's Dasha Burns, Megan Messerly, Brendan Bordelon and Meredith Lee Hill
— 'Beyond my wildest dreams': The architect of Project 2025 is ready for his victory lap, by Michael Hirsh for POLITICO Magazine
— Liberal group calls for Schumer to step down as minority leader after spending bill vote, by POLITICO's Jessica Piper
Transitions
— Federal judge Jim Shadid to become Bradley University's next president: 'Shadid currently serves as a senior U.S. District Judge for the Central District of Illinois, appointed to that position by President Barack Obama,' by CIProud's Andy Kravetz.
— Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications CEO Mary Patrick is retiring after working at the firm for 40 of its 44 years of business. Starting July 1, senior VP Jessica Smith, who's also a managing partner, moves up to CEO. And COO Lauren Foley takes on a managing partner title, too. Founders Jim Terman and Rick Jasculca aren't going anywhere.
EVENTS
— Tonight: State Rep. Bob Morgan is holding a town hall with a guest speaker: Congressman Brad Schneider. Details here
— March 26: Immigration is the subject of a Working Women's History Project forum featuring University of Illinois professor Xóchitl Bada, Southside Together's Dixon Romeo and Chicago Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto. Your Playbook host is moderating. Details here
— April 12: Dave Kohn, Chicago Water Management deputy commissioner by day and rock drummer at night, hits the stage with Kitty Devine and the Big Whoop at Montrose Saloon in Albany Park. Details here
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Wayne Township Supervisor Randy Ramey, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, Invariant exec and former U.S. Senate policy adviser Joe Bushong, political consultant Chris Shaffer, MBM Advantage Managing Partner Mark Peysakhovich, public affairs pro Larry Farnsworth, real estate guru Kathleen Weiss Boyle, Assistant AG Jake Leahy and journalist Maureen O'Donnell.
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