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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 TGIF, Illinois. Nancy Pelosi is stepping back, but the real news is there were no public catfights when Dems made the transition to a new leader. Progress.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | 
Representative-elect Delia Ramirez, interviewed in her Chicago office, says immigration is a top-of-mind issue. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos | PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: Early in this year’s primary season, Delia Ramirez’s supporters suggested she focus on winning the city portion of the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District and leave the suburban areas to her more conservative opponent. “People would say, ‘She’ll never win in the suburbs. Just focus on the city, and you’ll be fine.’ Or, ‘She’s too left for the suburbs,’” recalled Ramirez in an interview with Playbook in her Hermosa neighborhood office in Chicago. “I said, ‘Yeah, but I also want to represent the suburbs.'” Ramirez headlined dozens of suburban house parties. “The kind of fundraisers where people drink wine. But they also brought friends so they could hear me speak,” Ramirez recalled. The conversations were “nuanced” about community safety, she said. “Once people understood my holistic approach to public safety, fears were calmed and minds were changed. This is why when asked the question on defund [the police] we were able to get into the meaning of investing in root causes of violence.” The Illinois state legislator-turned-congressional candidate realized she was making inroads when guests took home yard signs. “In the suburbs, a yard sign is the biggest message you can have,” she said. Ramirez went on to win her primary by 40 points and the general election by 34 points to become the first Latina elected to Congress in Illinois. “We broke a glass ceiling,” Ramirez said on election night. Not only is she the state's first Latina, but she is the state’s first Guatemalan American elected to Congress. It’s a “first” that she also held when she was a member of the Illinois General Assembly, too. Ramirez’s victory during the primary might have been a signal that Democrats had a greater chance in the suburbs than polling had indicated. Like many first-time congressional winners, Ramirez found success meeting constituents one-on-one. They talked about health care, which always included discussions about abortion, Ramirez said. And they discussed the economy and how to make ends meet. “Everyone asks” if she’ll join the squad. “My plan is to work with and join anyone who is trying to advance a policy agenda that helps the working people of Illinois,” said Ramirez, who counts Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a Chicago native, as a mentor. Pressley and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) both endorsed Ramirez. Immigration is the issue that she'll likely home in on. As the wife of a DACA recipient and daughter of immigrants, immigration “is incredibly personal to me,” she said. Also important: A former social services director, Ramirez has run her state legislative office in a similar manner, and she plans to do the same in Congress. “Everyone knew me as the lady who helped them find an apartment or a job. The DNA of my [legislative] office is an extension of a social services agency,” she said. “And that’s even more important at the congressional level.” Ramirez plans on two constituent services offices – one in Chicago, and the other, of course, in the suburbs.
| | THE BUZZ | | | 
Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, photographed in 2015, says he won't be running for mayor of Chicago in 2023. | AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File | Drum roll, please: Former Gov. Pat Quinn announced Thursday that he won’t run for mayor of Chicago. “After much thought, I decided not to run for mayor of Chicago. I want to thank the people who came forward and encouraged me to run. But I’m gonna spend the next year and more putting issues on the city ballot of Chicago,” Quinn said at a press conference. His real passion: “You can have statewide referendums, which I’m interested in. You can have city referendums, which I’m definitely interested in. But, I’m also understanding that you can’t organize those kinds of causes if you’re also running for a public office,” Quinn said. He said politics didn’t play into his decision, but Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman suggests otherwise. “As the ‘accidental governor’ who made the leap from lieutenant governor after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached, Quinn’s $54.5 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative to fund anti-violence efforts in the Chicago area was dogged by accusations of clout and political favoritism,” Spielman wrote. Quinn defended the program, saying it “worked very well. It helped save lives.” No endorsement yet: The former governor said he’s talked to all mayoral candidates, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and said he sees the “good” in all of them. But he also declined to endorse anyone just yet, according to the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and Alice Yin. RELATED Chicago magazine is out with its Mayoral Power Rankings for 2023, and Rep. Chuy Garcia and Mayor Lori Lightfoot top the list, by Edward Robert McClelland. If you are Pat Quinn, we’d like to hear from you about what makes a good mayor. 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
| | | | POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP . | | | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | At Millennium Park at 5:45 p.m. for the Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Daley Center at 10:30 a.m. to mark National Adoption Day .
| | CORRUPTION CHRONICLES | | — Madigan: Indicted but still pitching for (and getting) money: “Illinois law allows the former House speaker to keep asking for campaign contributions even though he’s facing charges that he used his office to enrich himself and his allies,” by Sun-Times’ Tim Novak and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Illinois State Superintendent Carmen Ayala announces retirement, by Chalkbeat’s Becky Vevea — The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is weighing in on another pending rail strike. Though an agreement was reached to prevent a strike back in September after intervention by the White House, three unions have recently rejected the latest deal. Now, a Dec. 4 strike looms. If an agreement can’t be reached, manufacturing groups want Congress to get involved to prevent any upheaval at the height of shipping season. — Mountain lion captured in Springfield, Illinois doing well at Indiana rescue center, by State Journal-Register’s Zach Roth
| | CHICAGO | | — City offers 2,000 lots in first wave of 'Come Home' plan to repopulate empty parcels: “By streamlining its vacant-land sales, City Hall hopes to spur neighbors, small-scale developers and others to fill long-empty lots with new housing. It's a residential complement to the mayor's Invest South/West commercial push,” by Crain’s Dennis Rodkin. — 55 vacant Chicago storefronts to come alive in time for the holidays, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman — Consent Decree Coalition boycotts CPD’s home-raids community engagement plan, by Tribune’s Paige Fry — Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media for ‘worrisome behavior,’ by Chalkbeat’s Mila Koumpilova — Urban Prep loses charter agreement for last Chicago campus, by Chalkbeat’s Mauricio Peña — NBC 5 suing over public records in hit-and-run crashes, by NBC 5’s Phil Rogers, Nathan Halder and Shelby Bremer
| | 2023 MUNICIPAL RACES | | — 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly may face his first challenger — one with deep pockets: “Chris Cleary, a former vice president at BMO Harris who recently founded an e-commerce company, has launched a campaign for 42nd Ward alderman, loaned himself $50,000 to jump-start the effort and has financial backing from a prominent nightclub owner who previously supported Reilly but has feuded with the downtown alderman,” by Crain’s Justin Laurence.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Cook County Board unanimously approves Preckwinkle’s $8.8B budget for 2023, by Tribune’s A.D. Quig — ELECTION WRAP-UP: Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley, Treasurer Tim Brophy apparent victors in close races; county board split 50-50, by Daily Southtown’s Michelle Mullins — Elgin City Council enacts series of police reforms, by Daily Herald’s James Fuller
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Heather Mack’s daughter ordered into custody of her mother’s cousin, after Mack says she should go to grandmother: “Estelle Schaefer, 7, has become the subject of a bitter custody battle before Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller,” by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel. — Fraudster Kevin Trudeau out of prison, back in court for ‘reunion’ with judge who might lock him up again: “Lawyers ask a judge to detain the author of ‘The Weight-Loss Cure “They” Don’t Want You to Know About’ as they try to find millions he may have hidden away,” by Sun-Times’ David Struett. — Former DePaul University student gets 7.5 years for trying to help Islamic State with computer program, by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel — Hearing over Snapchat settlement in Illinois continued until next week, via NBC 5
| | HIGHER-ED | | — UIC faculty union authorizes strike, by Sun-Times Nader Issa — UChicago class on ‘Whiteness’ prompts death threats after student accuses professor of ‘anti-white hatred,’ by WBEZ’s Nereida Moreno
| | POT-POURRI | | — David and Goliath battle brewing over clouted company’s bid to set up a weed shop inside old Rainforest Cafe, by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Michelle Obama, in new book, dishes about daughters Sasha and Malia and their life as roommates in L.A.: “The biggest reveal in ‘The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times’ is that Malia, 24, and Sasha, 21, are living together in Los Angeles,” by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet. — BREAK A LEG! Sherman Mayor Trevor Clatfeltor will perform in the Springfield Youth Performance Group Foundation’s Nutcracker: Land of the Sweets on Dec. 10 in Springfield. He’ll play the role of Uncle Drosselmeyer. On Dec. 11, Springfield’s Sacred Heart-Griffin head football coach Ken Leonard will be part of the performance, too.
| | | | GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our “Future Pulse” newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE . | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what life experience taught you the most: Janice Anderson: “Losing an election has taught me so much.” Kevin Hall: “The loss of my dad. I quickly learned to not take things for granted, and that perspective on how much things in life truly matter.” Kay Hatcher: “Running for election. You learn more about your community, who’s a real friend, and MOST of all more about yourself.” Andy Shaw: “My mother’s 1994 death from lung cancer, at age 69, made my off-again, on-again struggle to quit smoking a permanent OFF.” Alison Pure-Slovin: “Being bullied in 5th grade because I was Jewish taught me about the ramifications of hate and ignorance and set me on a path to fight against hate for ALL people.” If not Taylor Swift, what concert did you pay the most to see, and for how much? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Pelosi's precision: How 35 years in Congress shaped the end of her reign, by POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris — GOP to DeSantis: Thanks for helping us flip the House, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon — 'You’ve gotta have a war every 5 or 10 years,’ by POLITICO’s Burgess Everett — Jan. 6 panel brushes off Trump 2024 in critical final sprint, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Laura Jarrett will become senior legal correspondent for NBC News in January, covering the Justice Department and Supreme Court. She most recently was CNN Early Start co-anchor. Jarrett is a former Chicago attorney and the daughter of former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Details here — David Schuler, the longtime Northwest Suburban High School District 214 superintendent, is taking the helm of the National School Superintendents Association — an organization that honored him as Superintendent of the Year in 2018, via Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek. — Andrianna (Annie) Kastanek is a partner at Jenner & Block, where she’s part of the firm’s appellate and Supreme Court and investigations, compliance and defense practices. She had worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. — Michael Dobrow is now advocacy and professional relations manager at the American Association of Endodontists, a Chicago-based dental specialty association. He previously was integrated communications specialist at the organization.
| | EVENTS | | — Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon: Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez along with Ald. Gilbert Villegas will set up a remote clerk’s office to help residents locate and potentially resolve cases, protective orders, evictions and court payments. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | THURSDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to John Fritchey and Elizabeth Grisanzio for correctly answering that Marshall Field slept at work to avoid paying rent and to save money to build his empire. TODAY’s QUESTION: What Chicago alderman was found shot to death in their ward office? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Today: Lori Healey, manager of construction and operations of the Obama Presidential Center, former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner, state Rep. Joyce Mason chief of staff Maggie Roche, author Ethan Michaeli , Tribune reporter Ron Grossman, software developer Brian Sayler and former Senate aide Seth Jenkins and his twin Miracle Jenkins. Saturday: House Foreign Affairs Committee senior staffer Robert Marcus, American Business Immigration Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Shi, Kivvit Managing Director Sarah Hamilton, Chicago Catholic Charities' chief of staff Ann Grelecki Anderson, financial adviser Peter Riskind and Tribune reporter Michael Hawthorne. Sunday: President Joe Biden, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy J. St. Eve, Cook County Judge Jill Rose Quinn, UChicago professor Geoffrey Stone , Veteran Affairs exec Katrina Howard, marketing consultant Beth Goldberg Heller, PR pro Bill Strong and Playbooker James Teague. -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 | | | | |  |
