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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | With help from Olivia Olander Happy Election Day, Illinois! The polls opened at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. — and anyone in line at 7 p.m. can still cast a ballot. POLITICO will have the election results here .
|  | TOP TALKER | | Here we are, finally. It’s been a turbulent ride after state lawmakers in Illinois and across the country redrew maps on a deadline that was hampered by the Census, which was thrown for a loop by the Covid-19 pandemic. And, oh yeah, Jan. 6. But we made it. Most Illinois races will be called by late tonight, though some here and across the country won’t be decided for days. Expect the governor’s race to wrap up early in favor of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker over Republican Darren Bailey. And the other statewide races are likely to fall in line quickly, too. The stakes are high and the political landscape could change. Will the economy or crime drive the election? Or abortion rights? The most consequential races in Illinois are for the Illinois Supreme Court. With two seats open, the court could swing from a 4-3 Democratic majority, as it is now, to 4-3 Republican majority if Republican candidates win both seats. We’ll also be watching the outcomes of five big congressional races: Rep. Sean Casten (D) v. Keith Pekau (R) in IL-06; Rep. Bill Foster (D) v. Catalina Lauf (R) in IL-11; Nikki Budzinski (D) v. Regan Deering (R) in IL-13; Rep. Lauren Underwood (D) v. Scott Gryder (R) in IL-14; and Eric Sorensen (D) v. Esther Joy King (R) in IL-17. Will we see a “wave?” Or is it just a typical midterm in which the president’s party loses seats? “The modern average is a loss of 27 House seats. Three of the last four presidents did much worse in their first midterms: Bill Clinton lost 54 seats, Barack Obama lost 63 seats, and Donald Trump lost 40 seats,” noted POLITICO’s national Playbook. Closer to home, we expect Democrats to keep their majorities in the Illinois General Assembly, though there are still seats that could shift Republican, changing the dynamics in Springfield. Farther down the ticket, the DuPage County Board chair race between state Rep. Deb Conroy and board member Greg Hart is also one to watch. And thanks to Donald Trump, precedent has been set for post-election challenges and claims of fraud. Be careful about what you read on social media. At POLITICO, we have a robust political staff to report fairly and accurately the results and what they mean. We’ll have all the latest here. And feel free to email directly at skapos@politico.com if you have questions. I’ll be following the results all night. RELATED — More than 1.1 million Illinois voters had voted as of Monday morning, according to the State Board of Elections — Pritzker, Bailey make last pitch to voters before Election Day, by ABC-7’s Craig Wall — On election eve, Dems champion workers' rights; GOP warns of Covid-19 vaccine mandates, by State Journal-Register’s Patrick Keck — GOP activists and candidates set stage to claim elections they lose are stolen, by POLITICO’s Heidi Przbyla
| | THE BUZZ | | CHICAGO HAS A BUDGET: The Chicago City Council passed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $16.4 billion budget, 32-18, Monday, giving her momentum as she heads into the mayor’s race. Still, the vote was closer than it should have been, given last year’s budget was passed by a greater margin, 35-15, and included a property tax levy, notes Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. What it means for you: This year's budget keeps the property tax rate flat and increases police spending, explains WBEZ's Mariah Woelfel . Lightfoot was unfazed by the close-ish vote. “I have been saying to you and others that I don’t buy votes. I manage to 26, which is a majority. Anything over 26, to me, is gravy,” she told reporters after Monday’s vote. Tension before the vote: Some of the council members who voted "no" on the budget, said they’re concerned the plan doesn’t do enough to fight crime. But Ald. Scott Waguespack pushed back at that line of criticism, saying Lightfoot’s plan would help the city get on better financial footing, as the Tribune reports. Bipartisan attacks: The budget drew criticism from the left as well as the right on the council, reports WTTW’s Heather Cherone. Some support came from aldermen who had voted against the budget in committee but changed their minds when it came to the final vote. And Ald. Jeanette Taylor, who had voted against Lightfoot's three previous budgets gave this year’s budget a thumbs up, noted Crain’s Justin Laurence. Politics behind some votes: Alds. Raymond Lopez and Sophia King, who are both running for mayor, voted against the budget, and so did Ald. Tom Tunney, who is also considering a run for mayor. Ald. Roderick Sawyer, another mayoral candidate, voted in favor of the budget. If you are Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Playbook would like to sit down to talk about how you negotiated this budget. Email skapos@politico.com . Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: skapos@politico.com
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | | On the campaign trail greeting voters at the Pulaski Orange Line stop at 7 a.m. — At the 95th Street Red Line stop at 7:55 a.m. — At the Canter Middle School at 8:30 a.m. — At the Roosevelt Orange/Green/Red Line stop at 9:15 a.m. — At Walter Payton College Prep at 9:55 a.m. — At The Chicago History Museum at 11:05 a.m. where he and first lady of Illinois MK Pritzker will vote. — At Manny’s Deli for lunch at noon. — At the Marriott Marquis on South Prairie Avenue at 7 p.m. to watch election returns.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | No official public events.
| | Where's Toni | | No official public events.
| | ELECTION ROUNDUP | | — In-person early voting overtakes mail-in ballots for first time, by Sun-Times’ Mitch Dudek — With fewer polling places and translators, non-English speaking voters could be discouraged, advocates say, by Block Club’s Mack Liederman and Xuandi Wang — Election Day arrives in Lake County with 100k votes already cast, by Lake County News-Sun’s Steve Sadin — Polling place problems, Chicago? Know what to do and where to go, by Tribune’s Kinsey Crowley — YOUR ELECTION HQ: POLITICO’s interactive team has built a new results hub for Election Day — including a feature allowing you to add favorite races to a dashboard that follows you throughout our website, alerting you to key updates as they happen. There’s a ton of other great new features, including a live chat right on the results page and a scoreboard tracking all of former President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidates. Check them all out here
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Routine childhood vaccinations in Illinois dropped during the pandemic, worrying pediatricians: “Vaccinations against diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough slipped during the pandemic — a drop that comes amid the reemergence of polio on the East Coast, and one that pediatricians blame on missed appointments and increased vaccine hesitancy,” by Tribune’s Lisa Schencker.
| | THE JUICE | | Republican state Rep. Tim Ozinga gave himself $1 million Monday, a sign he’s going to try to challenge Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin. Ozinga has been quietly talking to colleagues about the idea, according to members. Putting money in his account shows he has cash to help GOP colleagues. As political blogger Rich Miller first noted, Ozinga, whose wealth comes from the Ozinga concrete company, already made about $689,000 in contributions and expenditures since July 1.
| | CHICAGO | | — Sims’ air pollution tests may be botched, EPA says, by Sun-Times’ Brett Chase — Lincoln Park’s Belden-Stratford basks in a billionaire’s love: “Formerly an apartment hotel, the building is getting a complete makeover backed by a former resident, Chicago business executive Joe Mansueto,” by Sun-Times’ David Roeder. — Ex-cons patrol CTA trains as crime on public transit spiked. They need city funding to keep going, by Block Club’s Atavia Reed — Ald. Brendan Reilly wants River North nightclub Hush closed in wake of deadly shooting, other incidents, by CBS 2’s Tara Molina — Ukrainian coach’s amateur soccer team lost Chicago championship, but he’s proud they ‘started to play for each other,’ by Block Club’s Kayleigh Padar
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Arlington Heights board OKs predevelopment deal with Bears: “The village board unanimously agreed to a so-called predevelopment agreement with the NFL franchise that suggests future zoning changes and public financing that could get the club's $5 billion conceptual redevelopment to the goal line,” by Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek. — Residents worry Northwestern’s new Ryan Field proposal could turn Evanston into Wrigleyville, by Pioneer Press’s Corey Schmidt — Schaumburg considering the 13th year of a property tax levy without an increase, by Daily Herald’s Eric Peterson
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — Work on parking garage for O’Hare international terminal will cause traffic delays, city warns, by Sun-Times’ Manny Ramos
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, “At a Crossroads: America’s Defense Strategy” on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America’s national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked about your election night plans: Congressman Darin LaHood will be at the Lariat Steakhouse in Peoria for an election night party. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit : “We are having election night at Parkside Bowling Lanes, 34W185 Montgomery Road, Aurora. Fun for the whole family while we watch the results.” Daniel G. Goldwin: “Election night coincides with my bowling league. So I’ll be with my team, the Semitic Strikers, at Waveland Bowl in Chicago, trying to beat my 134 scoring average while monitoring too many Twitter notifications.” Bryce C. Harris: “I plan to watch the returns at home, while sipping some fine bourbon. I'll likely switch between WGN for news on state races, and YouTube for nationals.” John Lopez: “In the comfort of my own home, watching the returns I want to track on my computer, with the TV on in background flipping various channels, both local and national coverage.” Steven McKenzie: “My daughter has landed a babysitting gig that is outside the neighborhood. So for part of the evening I'm going to be carpooling her and listening to the radio for election results.” Rey Nonato: “Watch a Netflix comedy or go to bed early.” Timothy Thomas Jr.: “Following the returns on the Chicago Board of Elections website as a precursor to handicapping voting patterns for the main event that will occur Feb. 28, 2023 because as Tip O'Neil once stated, ‘all politics is local.’” Phil Zeni: Watching the returns on TV until “key races” are decided. When were you most excited about the release of an album? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Biden’s and Trump’s performances on the 2022 trail sow doubts about 2024, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin — Trump: 'Very big announcement' coming Nov. 15, by POLITICO’s Olivia Olander — Abortion is illegal in a quarter of the country heading into Election Day, by POLITICO’s Megan Messerly — Pollsters sweat another Election Day reckoning, by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard
| | WEDDING BELLS | | Adam Newman, a communications officer with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, married Jennie Berman, a corporate ESG and sustainability manager at Ventas, on Oct 29 at Morgan Manufacturing in the West Loop. Pic!
| | TRIVIA | | MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Robert Christie for correctly answering that the Inland Steel Building by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill with architect Walter Netsch Jr. was Chicago’s first fully air-conditioned office building and the first to include underground parking. TODAY’s QUESTION: Which complex was home to Nat King Cole, Lorraine Hansberry, Jesse Owens and Duke Ellington? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Ald. Brian Hopkins, former state Sen. Denny Jacobs, former state Sen. David Luechtefeld, businesswoman and political donor Christie Hefner, political adviser Dick Simpson, business consultant Reyahd Kazmi, Blue Cross government relations exec Patrick Besler, office manager Maggie Koehler and PR pros Mika Stambaugh and Amelia Dellos. Congratulations to Appellate Judge Nathaniel Howse Jr. and Patricia Howse on their 36th wedding anniversary. And raise a glass in memory of political consultant Michael Bauer, who would have enjoyed his birthday being on Election Day. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
