June 28, 2023
GARDINER'S DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEEPERSON RE-RUN IS A RISKY PROPOSITION
There is an old proverb which says that it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it. That encapsulates the political predicament of embattled 45th Ward alderman Jim Gardiner. He just won a second term as alderman in the April runoff with 53.6 percent and now he is running for a second term as ward Democratic committeeperson in 2024. Gardiner won the mostly powerless party post in 2020 with 51.9 percent. It’s a risky proposition. If he loses on March 19 – and that is a real possibility – his credibility for the rest of his aldermanic term, which runs through May 2027, may be shattered. Gardiner might want to consider that it is better to not run and be thought a loser by his legion of Woke/Left detractors than to run and be proven a loser. “I’m not going to let those nitwits push me out” as committeeperson, said Gardiner. Also analyzed are developing Dem committeeperson races in the 41st and 38th wards and a vote CHART of past contests. Full Article...
June 21, 2023
DEMOCRATS ALREADY EYEING DURBIN'S SENATE SEAT IN 2026
Getting put out to pasture is a wonderful experience for livestock but not so much for politicians.
It means transitioning from powerful and relevant to inconsequential and irrelevant. The process can be voluntary, as in getting too old, or it can be involuntary, as in getting defeated in an election. Illinois’ U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D), whose current fifth term expires in 2026, may soon experience the joys of grazing in the grass. If he serves through the end of 2026, he will tie two Illinois senatorial records: (1) That of longevity, now held by Shelby Cullom (R), who served 30 years from 1883 to 1913, when he was defeated in the 1912 primary. That was the first election when senators were elected by popular vote, not by the state legislature. Cullom, then governor, was elected in 1883 and then re-elected in 1888, 1894, 1900 and 1906, all Republican years which brought in a Republican legislature, And (2) that of being the oldest. So the Durbin seat is a much-coveted prize, either in 2026 or 2032, and the next occupant will have a lock on it for a generation, well into the 2040s and even to 2050 (which would be 4 6-year terms). The already-formed Democratic field includes state Attorney General Kwame Raoul, age 58 ,U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-3), age 49, and Lauren Underwood (D-14) age 36, and state comptroller Susana Mendoza, age 51. House speaker Chris Welch is a possibility. All would have to give up their current posts to run for senator. Full Article...
June 14, 2023
"KAMIKAZE MIKE" KELLY IS BEATABLE FOR STATE REP IN 2024
There is a difference between going to Springfield and having “gone Springfield.” State Representative Michael Kelly (D-15) is both. Who knows, he may even lose the March 19, 2024 Democratic primary and be permanently gone if he doesn’t get his ground game up. Kelly, the first-term 15th District state representative, was appointed to replace John D’Amico in November of 2021, won an unexpectedly tight primary with 53 percent in June 2022. And in 20 quick months, it seems Kelly has absorbed the Springfield mindset, believing, in my opinion, like almost all of his 78 Illinois House Democratic colleagues, that he’s somebody unbeatable, and somebody who need not concern himself with the wishes of his constituents, even though he seems to be well-liked in the district. Also, an update on state sen Pacione-Zayas's non-resignation and a preview of county Democrats' pre-slating farce. Full Article...
June 7, 2023
NO COLUMN THIS WEEK
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