Latest news with #CityClubofChicago
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Rep. Jonathan Jackson not endorsing colleague Robin Kelly in her bid to succeed Dick Durbin in Senate
After U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly said this week that Rep. Jonathan Jackson was among 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus endorsing her Democratic primary bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Jackson announced he is not backing Kelly and instead remaining neutral in the race. Despite having 'deep respect and admiration' for Kelly, whom he described in a statement late Wednesday as 'thoughtful, hardworking, and a strong advocate for the people of Illinois,' Jackson said, 'As a general practice, I have decided it is better not to make endorsements during Democratic primaries.' Who will fill Dick Durbin's US Senate seat in Illinois? Here are the candidates. The Jackson nonendorsement comes at an inopportune time for Kelly as she attempts to ramp up her bid in what is expected to be a hard-fought race to succeed Durbin, who is retiring at the end of his term. Kelly's campaign declined to elaborate on what led to the errant announcement, which her team issued Monday morning ahead of an hourlong fireside chat before the City Club of Chicago. 'We're proud of the support we've received from so many of Robin's Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and the strong coalition she is building among voters and leaders across Illinois,' Kelly's political director, John Moore, said in a statement. Aside from Kelly, a seven-term congresswoman from south suburban Matteson, the declared candidates for the March 17 Democratic primary to replace Durbin include five-term U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of northwest suburban Schaumburg and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, who has the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois' other senator, Tammy Duckworth. 'I understand that this primary season may have raised questions, and I sincerely apologize for any confusion that may have occurred,' Jackson, a two-term congressman from Chicago and a son of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said in a statement. A spokesman for Jackson chalked it up to 'a misunderstanding between the members.' Jackson 'was expressing his general support and admiration for Congresswoman Kelly, which may have been interpreted as a full endorsement,' spokesman Robert Patillo wrote in an email. Despite Jackson's 'general practice' of not making Democratic primary endorsements, he did publicly back Rep. Danny Davis for a 15th term last year when the veteran West Side politician faced four challengers in the Democratic primary. The decision to back Davis 'was deeply personal' and 'reflected both personal loyalty and a shared vision rooted in a lifetime of movement-building and mutual respect,' Patillo wrote. 'Congressman Davis isn't just a colleague, he's a longtime family friend and civil rights ally,' Patillo wrote. 'He marched and worked alongside Rev. Jesse Jackson for decades, fighting for equity, justice, and investment in underserved communities. Jonathan grew up seeing that leadership firsthand.' The seat Kelly would give up in pursuit of the Senate seat has ties to the Jackson family. Jackson's brother, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., resigned the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2012 before pleading guilty the following year to conspiring to defraud his campaign fund of roughly $750,000. Kelly won a special primary and general election for the seat in 2013 and has held it since. In 2023, Kelly supported her predecessor's unsuccessful effort to win a pardon from President Joe Biden, a spokeswoman told the Tribune last year.
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
US Rep. Jonathan Jackson not endorsing colleague Robin Kelly in her bid to succeed Dick Durbin in Senate
After U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly said this week that Rep. Jonathan Jackson was among 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus endorsing her Democratic primary bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Jackson announced he is not backing Kelly and instead remaining neutral in the race. Despite having 'deep respect and admiration' for Kelly, whom he described in a statement late Wednesday as 'thoughtful, hardworking, and a strong advocate for the people of Illinois,' Jackson said, 'As a general practice, I have decided it is better not to make endorsements during Democratic primaries.' The Jackson nonendorsement comes at an inopportune time for Kelly as she attempts to ramp up her bid in what is expected to be a hard-fought race to succeed Durbin, who is retiring at the end of his term. Kelly's campaign declined to elaborate on what led to the errant announcement, which her team issued Monday morning ahead of an hourlong fireside chat before the City Club of Chicago. 'We're proud of the support we've received from so many of Robin's Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and the strong coalition she is building among voters and leaders across Illinois,' Kelly's political director, John Moore, said in a statement. Aside from Kelly, a seven-term congresswoman from south suburban Matteson, the declared candidates for the March 17 Democratic primary to replace Durbin include five-term U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of northwest suburban Schaumburg and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Chicago, who has the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois' other senator, Tammy Duckworth. 'I understand that this primary season may have raised questions, and I sincerely apologize for any confusion that may have occurred,' Jackson, a two-term congressman from Chicago and a son of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said in a statement. A spokesman for Jackson chalked it up to 'a misunderstanding between the members.' Jackson 'was expressing his general support and admiration for Congresswoman Kelly, which may have been interpreted as a full endorsement,' spokesman Robert Patillo wrote in an email. Despite Jackson's 'general practice' of not making Democratic primary endorsements, he did publicly back Rep. Danny Davis for a 15th term last year when the veteran West Side politician faced four challengers in the Democratic primary. The decision to back Davis 'was deeply personal' and 'reflected both personal loyalty and a shared vision rooted in a lifetime of movement-building and mutual respect,' Patillo wrote. 'Congressman Davis isn't just a colleague, he's a longtime family friend and civil rights ally,' Patillo wrote. 'He marched and worked alongside Rev. Jesse Jackson for decades, fighting for equity, justice, and investment in underserved communities. Jonathan grew up seeing that leadership firsthand.' The seat Kelly would give up in pursuit of the Senate seat has ties to the Jackson family. Jackson's brother, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., resigned the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2012 before pleading guilty the following year to conspiring to defraud his campaign fund of roughly $750,000. Kelly won a special primary and general election for the seat in 2013 and has held it since. In 2023, Kelly supported her predecessor's unsuccessful effort to win a pardon from President Joe Biden, a spokeswoman told the Tribune last year.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Congresswoman Robin Kelly embraces underdog status in bid to succeed US Sen. Dick Durbin
Despite having more years in public office than other candidates in the Democratic primary race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly on Monday embraced her underdog status in the nascent campaign against a pair of opponents expected to be flush with campaign cash. To take on Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom will still be in office when Durbin's successor is seated after next year's election, 'you need a fighter, someone that's not afraid,' the seven-term congresswoman from south suburban Matteson said during an hourlong appearance before the City Club of Chicago. It was Kelly's first major public event in Illinois since joining the race last week. 'I've been in tough fights my whole political life. I've been given nothing,' said Kelly, recounting a resume that includes defeating a longtime incumbent to win a seat in the Illinois House in 2002 and emerging victorious from a Democratic free-for-all in a 2013 special primary for her current seat representing the state's 2nd Congressional District. While the field for the Senate seat is still taking shape for the March 17 primary, declared Democratic candidates Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi are not expected to be wanting for campaign resources. Stratton is being backed by billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker and is also endorsed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and Krishnamoorthi is a five-term congressman from Schaumburg sitting on more than $19 million in campaign cash. Kelly had more than $2 million in her campaign war chest at the start of April, campaign records show. 'I just hope that voters can look past the money, they can look past some endorsements … and see the policies of my work and what I have done and what I will do,' Kelly said. 'I've always been the underdog and underestimated, but most of the time, I come out OK.' Underscoring the potential challenge Kelly faces in the money race, Stratton supporters on Monday announced a newly formed political action committee, Illinois Blue, a super PAC that under federal election law is prohibited from coordinating with her campaign but can receive and spend unlimited sums backing her. Along with Stratton's previously formed Level Up PAC and the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which has promised to spend seven figures supporting her candidacy, the new committee gives Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotels heir, another avenue to put some of his vast wealth behind his two-time running mate. Kelly has faced off against Pritzker before, defeating his chosen candidate to become chair of the state Democratic Party in 2021 only to abandon a reelection bid a year later when she couldn't round up the votes from party leaders needed to beat the governor's new choice. The congresswoman downplayed the importance of big-name endorsements in the race, even as her campaign announced the backing of 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson of Chicago, who represents the neighboring 1st Congressional District. 'If I can get to enough voters and if they're making the decision based on effective leadership experience, getting stuff done … then I'm their person,' Kelly said in a brief interview after the City Club event. During her time on stage, Kelly emphasized both her advocacy against gun violence, including a sit-in on the U.S. House floor with civil rights icon U.S. Rep. John Lewis and other Democrats after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, and her record of bipartisan legislative accomplishments, such as a 2018 measure Trump signed into law that expanded access to dental health grants. Although Kelly said she 'hate(s) to look at his signature,' a copy of the legislation signed by the president during his first term hangs in her office. That experience working across the aisle is important because when an Illinois Democrat comes to Congress, unlike in Springfield where the party holds all statewide offices and has supermajorities in the legislature, in Washington, 'it's not any veto-proof nothing,' Kelly said. But at a time of deep partisanship and with congressional Republicans looking at cuts to safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, it's also important for Democrats to fight for their constituents, Kelly said. 'I'm going to fight like hell to make sure they aren't successful, and I know I'm not alone,' she said of Republicans, noting that more than one-third of residents in her district could lose access to health care under GOP proposals. The nature of that district, which runs south along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana border from 43rd Street on Chicago's South Side to Danville in central Illinois, could be a factor in the race to succeed Durbin as each candidate vies for downstate credibility. The retirement of the longtime senator from Springfield risks ending a decadeslong tradition of the state's two Senate seats being split by someone from the Chicago area and someone from downstate. All of the candidates for the seat so far are from the Chicago area and Duckworth is from suburban Hoffman Estates. Pitching her statewide appeal, Kelly emphasized the blend of urban, suburban and rural communities — including 4,500 farms — in her district and the relationships she's forged with leaders in redder areas, including some she said told her they weren't sure at first if they were going to like her. 'It's very important to me that people feel included and seen and heard,' said Kelly, who moved to Illinois to attend Bradley University in Peoria and lived in the central Illinois city on and off for two decades. Krishnamoorthi was raised in Peoria and attended public school there, while much of Stratton's downstate experience stems from her time in the lieutenant governor's office, including leading the governor's Rural Affairs Council. Kelly said she's 'all in' for the Senate race and doesn't plan to circulate nominating petitions later this year for the 2nd District seat. While she's giving up seniority and a chance to rise in the ranks of leadership, Kelly said if she didn't run now for the Senate, 'I think I would always question myself.'
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Congresswoman Robin Kelly embraces underdog status in bid to succeed US Sen. Dick Durbin
Despite having more years in public office than other candidates in the Democratic primary race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly on Monday embraced her underdog status in the nascent campaign against a pair of opponents expected to be flush with campaign cash. To take on Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, both of whom will still be in office when Durbin's successor is seated after next year's election, 'you need a fighter, someone that's not afraid,' the seven-term congresswoman from south suburban Matteson said during an hourlong appearance before the City Club of Chicago. It was Kelly's first major public event in Illinois since joining the race last week. 'I've been in tough fights my whole political life. I've been given nothing,' said Kelly, recounting a resume that includes defeating a longtime incumbent to win a seat in the Illinois House in 2002 and emerging victorious from a Democratic free-for-all in a 2013 special primary for her current seat representing the state's 2nd Congressional District. While the field for the Senate seat is still taking shape for the March 17 primary, declared Democratic candidates Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi are not expected to be wanting for campaign resources. Stratton is being backed by billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker and is also endorsed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and Krishnamoorthi is a five-term congressman from Schaumburg sitting on more than $19 million in campaign cash. Kelly had more than $2 million in her campaign war chest at the start of April, campaign records show. 'I just hope that voters can look past the money, they can look past some endorsements … and see the policies of my work and what I have done and what I will do,' Kelly said. 'I've always been the underdog and underestimated, but most of the time, I come out OK.' Underscoring the potential challenge Kelly faces in the money race, Stratton supporters on Monday announced a newly formed political action committee, Illinois Blue, a super PAC that under federal election law is prohibited from coordinating with her campaign but can receive and spend unlimited sums backing her. Along with Stratton's previously formed Level Up PAC and the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, which has promised to spend seven figures supporting her candidacy, the new committee gives Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotels heir, another avenue to put some of his vast wealth behind his two-time running mate. Kelly has faced off against Pritzker before, defeating his chosen candidate to become chair of the state Democratic Party in 2021 only to abandon a reelection bid a year later when she couldn't round up the votes from party leaders needed to beat the governor's new choice. The congresswoman downplayed the importance of big-name endorsements in the race, even as her campaign announced the backing of 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson of Chicago, who represents the neighboring 1st Congressional District. 'If I can get to enough voters and if they're making the decision based on effective leadership experience, getting stuff done … then I'm their person,' Kelly said in a brief interview after the City Club event. During her time on stage, Kelly emphasized both her advocacy against gun violence, including a sit-in on the U.S. House floor with civil rights icon U.S. Rep. John Lewis and other Democrats after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, and her record of bipartisan legislative accomplishments, such as a 2018 measure Trump signed into law that expanded access to dental health grants. Although Kelly said she 'hate(s) to look at his signature,' a copy of the legislation signed by the president during his first term hangs in her office. That experience working across the aisle is important because when an Illinois Democrat comes to Congress, unlike in Springfield where the party holds all statewide offices and has supermajorities in the legislature, in Washington, 'it's not any veto-proof nothing,' Kelly said. But at a time of deep partisanship and with congressional Republicans looking at cuts to safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, it's also important for Democrats to fight for their constituents, Kelly said. 'I'm going to fight like hell to make sure they aren't successful, and I know I'm not alone,' she said of Republicans, noting that more than one-third of residents in her district could lose access to health care under GOP proposals. The nature of that district, which runs south along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana border from 43rd Street on Chicago's South Side to Danville in central Illinois, could be a factor in the race to succeed Durbin as each candidate vies for downstate credibility. The retirement of the longtime senator from Springfield risks ending a decadeslong tradition of the state's two Senate seats being split by someone from the Chicago area and someone from downstate. All of the candidates for the seat so far are from the Chicago area and Duckworth is from suburban Hoffman Estates. Pitching her statewide appeal, Kelly emphasized the blend of urban, suburban and rural communities — including 4,500 farms — in her district and the relationships she's forged with leaders in redder areas, including some she said told her they weren't sure at first if they were going to like her. 'It's very important to me that people feel included and seen and heard,' said Kelly, who moved to Illinois to attend Bradley University in Peoria and lived in the central Illinois city on and off for two decades. Krishnamoorthi was raised in Peoria and attended public school there, while much of Stratton's downstate experience stems from her time in the lieutenant governor's office, including leading the governor's Rural Affairs Council. Kelly said she's 'all in' for the Senate race and doesn't plan to circulate nominating petitions later this year for the 2nd District seat. While she's giving up seniority and a chance to rise in the ranks of leadership, Kelly said if she didn't run now for the Senate, 'I think I would always question myself.'
CBS News
05-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Lori Healey, who served as Daley's chief of staff, headed MPEA and Obama Center project, dies at 65
Lori Healey, an urban planner and Chicago civic leader who served as chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley, chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, and most recently leader of the Obama Presidential Center project, died last week. Healey's family announced Sunday that she died Saturday, May 3. She was 65. Lori Healey Family Photo Healey was born in New Orleans and grew up moving around with her family as a self-described "Army brat," according to published reports. After earning a bachelor's in economics and a master's in public administration from the University of Kansas, she began her career as a policy aide to Kansas Gov. John Carlin in 1983, according to the City Club of Chicago. In Chicago, Healey served as commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development under Mayor Richard M. Daley, and was appointed his chief of staff in 2007 — replacing Ron Huberman, who moved to head up the Chicago Transit Authority and later the Chicago Public Schools. In 2009, Healey was appointed president of Chicago 2016, where she co-led Chicago's ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Healey also coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago as executive director of the NATO Host Committee, the City Club of Chicago noated. Healey later served as chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority — MPEA or McPier for short. McPier owns McCormick Place and the 1,258-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. In her role with McPier, Healey oversaw the development and construction of the Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis Chicago, the City Club noted. In 2019, Healey became the president of the Chicago regional business unit at Clayco, a Chicago-based development and design firm. In that position, she led enterprise activity for Clayco's development, design, and construction-related activities in the Chicago area, the City Club noted. In December 2020, Healey joined the Obama Foundation as senior vice president and executive project officer for the Obama Presidential Center. She was at the helm of the project to develop the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center campus in Jackson Park, which is still under construction. Healey's family called her "a remarkable woman— a deeply devoted mother and grandmother who found her greatest joy in time spent with her adoring family."
