Pritzker tops the charts

By Shia Kapos

Presented by Protect West Chicago

With help from Olivia Olander

Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. In the final hours of Georgia’s runoff, Raphael Warnock partied at a brewery and Herschel Walker hit a gun range. Talk about being on brand.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker had the greatest vote share of any governor candidate in decades, according to the Illinois Board of Elections numbers. | Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

Voter turnout in Illinois was down, but Gov. JB Pritzker’s vote share was up, according to certified election statistics released Monday by the Illinois Board of Elections.

You’re Still the One: The Democratic governor won his second term by securing the most votes of any governor candidate in decades, winning 54.9 percent to Republican Darren Bailey’s 42.3 percent.

Build Me Up Buttercup: The last Democrat to outpace Pritzker was Otto Kerner, the son of Czech immigrants, who was elected governor in 1960 with 55.5 percent of the vote over Republican William Stratton’s 44.3 percent.

Afternoon Delight: Only Republican Jim Thompson surpassed Kerner and Pritzker's stats. In 1976, Thompson was elected governor with 64.7 percent of the vote to Democrat Michael Howlett’s 34.7 percent.

Shivers: Last month’s midterms saw about 4.1 million registered voters turn in ballots — a 51.06 percent turnout. That’s down from 57.23 percent voting in 2018, but up from the 2014 midterms, which saw turnout at 49.18 percent. Check out this chart

Winner Takes It All: Vote-by-mail helped Democrats win. Even Bailey said so. The Board of Elections reports nearly 742,000 voters cast their ballots by mail. That’s below the 2 million mailed in in 2020, which should have an asterisk given the election was held during the pandemic. November’s mail-in numbers were well above the 427,000 who voted by mail in 2018.

Miss Independent: Comptroller Susana Mendoza was the lead vote-getter among candidates on the November ballot, notes Capitol News’ Jerry Nowicki . Mendoza won 57 percent of the vote to Shannon Teresi’s 41 percent.

A message from Protect West Chicago:

Join the fight to Protect West Chicago. Lakeshore Recycling Systems has announced its plans to build another garbage waste transfer station in West Chicago. If approved, about four million pounds of garbage carried by nearly 400 garbage trucks will be moved and dumped near West Chicago homes daily. This will mean more traffic, lower property values, road deterioration, more litter, environmental impacts, and increased odors. Stop West Chicago from becoming a dumping ground.

BATTLES BREW: Petition challenges could narrow the field of candidates running for mayor of Chicago from 11 to six — if they’re successful. Five candidates face challenges.

The biggest battle: Mayoral candidate and activist Ja’Mal Green is being challenged by Rickey Hendon, a former state senator and adviser to mayoral candidate and businessman Willie Wilson. Hendon and Green have feuded for years and acknowledge screaming at each other in Board of Elections offices. (Ain’t Chicago politics grand?)

Wilson is challenging Ald. Roderick Sawyer, a move that drew criticism from the son of the former Mayor Eugene Sawyer. “Willie Wilson talks about being denied access to voting in his life. But now that he’s a wealthy man, he’s doing the exact same thing: denying people their choice by means of his wealth,” Sawyer said in a statement.

Attorney Andrew Schoop, who is aligned with mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, is challenging Johnny LoGalbo , who describes himself as a consultant. And an objector named Andre Holland has challenged LoGalbo and Frederick Collins, a Chicago police officer.

Not being challenged: Da mayor. Lori Lightfoot turned in more than 40,000 signatures.

What’s their beef: Objectors are looking at the veracity of candidates’ signatures, but Green is also challenging Wilson’s residency. Green says Wilson actually lives in suburban Hazel Crest and has listed a Chicago condo where he does business as his home.

Wilson denied Green’s accusation, telling the Tribune’s Alice Yin and Gregory Pratt, “I have two homes. I live in downtown Chicago.”

And Hendon mocked Green’s assertion, telling the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman, that if Green can kick Wilson off the ballot, “the Chicago Cubs will win the Super Bowl this year — and they don’t even play football.”

Are you Andre Holland? Playbook would like to know who’s paying your legal bills. Email 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 .

No official public events.

No official public events.

No official public events.

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

— State Sen. Jason Barickman is resigning: “In the mold of moderate Republicans who were once routinely elected to state office, Barickman mixed a record of fiscal conservatism with moderation on social issues, prominently casting the lone GOP vote in the Senate in favor of same-sex marriage in 2013. He also voted in favor of recreational cannabis legalization in 2019,” by Lee Enterprises’ Brenden Moore, who interviewed the outgoing lawmaker.

— Darren Bailey on the differences within the Illinois GOP: “I’m pro-life and pro-Second Amendment. But we have to do a better job of understanding each other. We have to learn to work together,” he tells WTAX’s Dave Dahl.

— Sexual harassment allegations led to leadership shake-up at Pontiac prison, inspector general report shows: “The Office of Executive Inspector General was asked to investigate in June 2019 after a prank in which an Illinois Department of Corrections employee at Pontiac was given a fictitious form by a superior and told to draw a depiction of the sexual misconduct by an inmate that had resulted in a citation from the employee, according to the report,” by Tribune’s Dan Petrella.

— Chicago life coach was part of the original Jesse White Tumblers: “He has found his true passion in working with young men to help them turn their lives around,” writes Tribune’s Adriana Pérez.

— Illinois Supreme Court swears in new justice, Elizabeth Rochford, via CBS 2

— Analysis: Chuy Garcia faces crypto questions in mayoral race: “How and why did a PAC heavily funded by [Sam] Bankman-Fried come to spend $199,853 on ads and mailers this spring urging a vote for Garcia in a Democratic congressional primary race in which he was unopposed? Are Chicago voters really expected to believe that the money sort of fell off a truck and had absolutely nothing to do with Garcia’s service on the House Financial Services Committee, which regulates crypto?” Crain’s Greg Hinz reports.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Jesus "Chuy" Garcia has received $1 million from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 in his bid for mayor of Chicago.

— Making voting easier: State lawmakers passed a bill that allows the Chicago Board of Elections to keep 51 early voting sites open on Election Day for the 2023 municipal elections. The amendment to HB 2406 is now on the governor’s desk. Just as in November, voters will be able to cast their ballots at their home precinct or any of the early voting sites -- which election officials prefer to call vote centers.

— ‘You fall, you get up, you carry on’: Michelle Obama shares tools she learned from her father promoting new book in Chicago: “Former first lady Michelle Obama discusses her book ‘The Light We Carry’ and coping with the pandemic and polarization before a sold-out crowd at Chicago Theatre,” by Sun-Times’ Emmanuel Camarillo.

A message from Protect West Chicago:

— Uber to pay millions to Chicago restaurants in settlement agreement with city, “resolving claims the ride-share company listed restaurants on its UberEats and Postmates platforms without their consent and charged excess commission fees,” writes Tribune’s Talia Soglin.

— Gov. Pritzker asked to delay sale of Damen Silos, by Sun-Times’ Brett Chase

— Howard Brown Health workers, protesters blast planned layoffs, by Block Club’s Kayleigh Padar and Jake Wittich

— The Field’s Sue lends a hand to paleontologists studying why T. Rex arms are so short, by Sun-Times’ Nicky Andrews

— Deb Conroy sworn in, securing her place in DuPage County history and presiding over diverse board: “She was sworn in as county board chair, a feat accomplished by no other woman before her. Democrats now have an unparalleled opportunity to push their agenda after decades of Republican leadership,” by Daily Herald’s Katlyn Smith.

— Will property tax bills be late again next year? “Muddy picture frustrates commissioners, offers challenge for fresh faces,” by Tribune’s A.D. Quig

— Could public art and sidewalks help revitalize Wheeling's Restaurant Row? Consultants think so, reports Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau

— As more Latinos join trucking industry, devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe fuels their pilgrimage to Des Plaines shrine, by Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa

— Heather Mack was ‘directly involved’ in mother’s murder, should stay in jail, say feds: “A judge is expected to consider a request to release Heather Mack during a hearing Thursday in Chicago. Mack’s attorneys insist she poses no danger to the community and is not a flight risk,” by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel.

— Former Plainfield Township supervisor pleads guilty for embezzlement, by Joliet Times Weekly’s Madhu Mayer

— Jury awards $2.6M to fired Lake County Clerk workers, by Sun-Times’ Andy Grimm

— Evidence shows father killed family found dead in their Buffalo Grove home, officials say, by Jake Sheridan, Gavin Good and Adriana Pérez via Tribune

— The Real ID compliance deadline has been extended , including in Illinois . “The Department of Homeland Security has again postponed its planned roll out of the Real ID-compliant licenses required for air travelers 18 and over boarding flights in the United States — a nod to concerns that not enough Americans have compliant forms of identification,” writes POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk.

— CTA overtime spikes as agency hit by departures: “Dozens of bus and train operators paid for average weeks of 80 hours or more,” reports WTTW’s Nick Blumberg.

— Warning of a looming 'fiscal cliff,' the RTA seeks more tax aid, by Crain’s Greg Hinz

— Jackson, Adams bridges over Kennedy reopened as Jane Byrne Interchange work nears end after 9 years, by Sun-Times’ Sophie Sherry

— Amtrak resumes full service on line that includes Homewood stop, by Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan

JOIN WEDNESDAY FOR A POLITICO DISCUSSION ON THE NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE : Americans are now traveling in record numbers — but the travel experience has changed drastically in recent years, not always for the better. What lessons can we learn from the pandemic and different responses around the globe? And in the face of a possible recession, what will help the travel industry remain vibrant and deliver jobs? Join POLITICO on Dec. 7 for “The Travel Experience Redefined” to discuss these questions and more. Breakfast and coffee will be provided. REGISTER HERE .

We asked about your most treasured photograph:

Matthew Beaudet, Chicago buildings commissioner: “At home and at the office I have a photo of my parents (who have since passed) with my children (age 2 and 4 at the time). The unconditional love jumps right out of the photo.”

Kaye Grabbe: “A formal portrait from 1942 of my parents in Army uniforms — my dad was a captain and my mom was a lieutenant. She was a nurse. It’s a large black-and-white that I had matted and framed years ago.”

Kent Gray: “As a semi-professional photographer, I was on hand when former President Ronald Reagan came to Chicago in 1990 for a fundraiser for former Illinois lawmaker Lynn Martin. While in town, they ‘dropped in’ to Taste of Chicago. It was mayhem. This was my favorite photo. Between events, I ran over to North Pier mall and used a brand new machine from Kodak to print enlargements. I got to meet President Reagan that night at the fundraiser, and he autographed the prints for us.”

Bryce Harris: “It's the photo of my great-grandfather's WWI unit. If my house caught fire, I'd run back in for it.”

Patrick Nagle: “A photo of my late grandfather performing an inspection of the John Hancock building from the 95th floor — as they were building it!”

Phil Zeni: “Photo of my immigrant Italian grandparents’ wedding photo circa 1917.”

What political book do you value most? Email skapos@politico.com

— How ‘independent legislature’ case could upend elections, by POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro

— Conservative justices show sympathy for case that could undercut LGBTQ rights, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kelly Hooper

— GOP senators tune out House conservatives' impeachment calls, by POLITICO’s Jordain Carney

— Giuliani defends 2020 election challenge at D.C. Bar hearing, by POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Northeastern University has not renewed the contract of its president, Gloria Gibson, who has served since 2018. In an email to students and faculty, Gibson said she will work through June 30, when her current contract ends. “I am committed to working with the faculty and the university community to move Northeastern forward to grow our enrollment and support and retain our students,” she wrote.

— Bret Manley is now EVP at Elevate Government Affairs. He had been chief of staff for Republican Rep. Rodney Davis.

— Elizabeth Guerrero is now director of external affairs at Illinois Department of Labor. She was manager of board relations at Chicago Public Schools and earlier worked in the Emanuel and Lightfoot administrations.

— Jason Baumann is now director of marketing and communications at Disparti Legal Group. He had led Boxless Media.

MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Ashvin Lad for correctly answering that Griffin Funeral Home, now closed, doubled as a Civil War site.

TODAY’s QUESTION: What was the name of the group of legislators  responsible for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield? Email skapos@politico.com  

Former Transportation Secretary and Congressman Ray LaHood, Sen. Dick Durbin’s senior adviser Greg Bales, United Airlines Senior VP Robert S. Rivkin, Illinois Senate Democrats’ comms director Brandy Renfro , Susan G. Komen founder Nancy Brinker, University of Chicago economist Michael Greenstone, PR pro Noreen Heron, Air Current Editor-in-Chief Jon Ostrower, community association property manager Beth Argaman and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.

-30-

A message from Protect West Chicago:

Join the fight to Protect West Chicago. Lakeshore Recycling Systems has announced its plans to build another garbage waste transfer station in West Chicago. If approved, about four million pounds of garbage carried by nearly 400 garbage trucks will be moved and dumped near West Chicago homes daily. This will mean more traffic, lower property values, road deterioration, more litter, environmental impacts, and increased odors.

Today, West Chicago is the only community in DuPage County with a garbage waste transfer station within its borders. This additional dump would make West Chicago the only community in the entire state of Illinois, other than the much larger city of Chicago, to have two garbage waste transfer stations in its community. Join us in asking the West Chicago City Council to vote NO on making our community a dumping ground.

Follow us on Twitter

Shia Kapos @shiakapos

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

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to .