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Presented by CVS Health: Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by CVS Health | Good Thursday morning, Illinois. It's starting to feel like spring, folks.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | 
Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown at a 2020 news conference. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo | Tumult in the Chicago Police Department: A police officer has been killed, and the superintendent is quitting. Police Superintendent David Brown is stepping down in wake of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s loss in Tuesday’s election. It was inevitable: All eight of Lightfoot’s challengers in the mayor's race had said they’d fire Brown if they won, including Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson who are in the April 4 runoff. Vallas and Johnson said it’s about time. Read their comments in our story here. Brown’s exit later this month allows him to avoid any public shaming of being fired after the April 4 election. Impact on the mayor’s race: Some critics of Lightfoot’s term have said that it’s Brown’s handling of public safety that really did her in. Lightfoot stuck by Brown throughout his tenure. In a statement Wednesday, she gave him props for “setting a record number of illegal gun recoveries for two consecutive years; leading a double digit reduction in violent crime in 2022; [making] progress on the consent decree; standing up a full time recruitment team that yielded over 950 new hires last year; significantly expanding the resources for officer wellness; and promoting more women to the senior exempt ranks than ever before in the history of the department.” Brown issued a statement saying it was “an honor and a privilege to work alongside the brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department.” — TRAGEDY: Chicago police officer dies after exchanging gunfire ‘at close range’ with suspect in Gage Park: “In the minutes after the shooting, a cop can be heard screaming into the police radio, ‘10-1, 10-1, officer down,’ giving the code for an officer in need of assistance,” by Sun-Times’ Mohammad Samra and Tom Schuba.
| | THE BUZZ | | Sprint for the April 4 runoff: Now that the Chicago mayor’s race has narrowed, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson are trying to woo supporters who backed Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. — “We will be aggressively pursuing the voters who voted for Lori Lightfoot in round one, because those are Chicagoans and we want to add them to our coalition,” Jason Lee, a senior adviser to Johnson’s campaign, told WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel. — Analysis: Vallas and Johnson map different roads to the mayor’s office: “Paul Vallas’ road to the mayor’s office is shorter and smoother. Brandon Johnson’s path is longer and rockier. But, Johnson’s relatively weak showing in the African American community gives him tremendous room for growth. So does the possibility of reuniting the progressive family that was divided between Johnson and U.S. Rep Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Mayor’s race points to a Democratic divide on crime and policing that the GOP hopes to exploit, by The New York Times’ Jonathan Weisman and Michael C. Bender — Rejected before, Vallas aims to win over a city ‘in crisis’ — promising to get it ‘back on track,’ by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout — Vallas brings complicated Chicago Public Schools legacy, reports Chalkbeat’s Mauricio Peña — Johnson wants to ensure that ‘our schools are fully supported and funded,’ by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles — How Vallas and Johnson answered questions on education, via Chalkbeat — Pritzker's not endorsing anyone for mayor. For now, reports Crain’s Greg Hinz — Endorsement: The 47th Ward Democrats endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor Wednesday. The ward’s overall voter turnout Tuesday saw 37 percent of votes go to Johnson and 33 percent to Vallas. The ward includes parts of North Side neighborhoods, including Lincoln Square, Ravenswood, Lakeview, Andersonville, North Center and Uptown. If you are David Brown, Playbook would like to know what advice you’d give to the next Chicago police superintendent. Email skapos@politico.com.
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| | Where's Toni | | 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
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | TAKING NAMES | | — Where’s Rahm: U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel held a ceremony in the garden of the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Tokyo, where he planted a Sugar Maple tree in honor of President Barack Obama and his contributions to the U.S.-Japan relationship — including his visit to Hiroshima in 2016. Obama issued a statement praising the event. Sugar Maples are native to Chicago and grown across Illinois. The event continues a tradition of U.S. ambassadors planting trees in honor of U.S. presidents; Emanuel also planted a tree last year to mark the visit to Japan of President Joe Biden. Pic! — Kinzinger’s extreme next act: Adam Kinzinger is gone from Congress and the Jan. 6 committee, “but he’s still raging against what he sees as dangerous political extremism,” writes POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu. Big kick-of: The Illinois Republican’s political organization is launching a nationwide campaign urging voters to reject extreme candidates on both sides of the aisle ahead of the 2024 election. The centerpiece of the campaign is a nearly six-minute-long short film titled “Break Free,” inspired by Apple’s “1984” Super Bowl ad about escaping the conformity of non-Apple computers.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Biometric brouhaha: Watch for a crowd of business groups to rally in Springfield today for lawmakers to enact reforms to the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). They’re responding to recent Illinois Supreme Court decisions that some companies say make them vulnerable to financial damages and would have “a chilling effect on security, innovation and economic growth,” the group said in a statement. BIPA was passed in 2008, ahead of a new world of technology. — Demolition delay: Springfield City Council to reconsider TIF funding to Horace Mann to demolish historic buildings, by Illinois Times’ Dean Olsen — Gietl Park to receive state funds for pool demolition, new splash pad, by State Journal-Register’s Patrick Keck
| | | | A message from CVS Health:   | | | | | 2023 MUNICIPAL RACES | | — New era of police oversight dawns with election of district council members: “The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, designed to give Chicagoans a real say in how the department operates, is the final change demanded by advocates to be put in place in the wake of the 2014 police murder of 16-year-old Laquan McDonald,” by WTTW’s Heather Cherone. — 34th Ward: Newly elected Bill Conway is set on addressing crime and development: The former Cook County assistant state’s attorney, Navy veteran and son of the billionaire co-founder of The Carlyle Group private equity company rebounded from his unsuccessful run for state’s attorney in 2020. He defeated Ascot Realty CEO James Ascot. Conway will represent a newly drawn ward that encompasses most of the western half the Loop and stretches into Greektown and Fulton Market, report Tribune’s Talia Soglin, A.D. Quig and John Byrne. — 26th Ward: Jessie Fuentes replaces longtime Ald. Roberto Maldonado: “At 32, Fuentes will be the ward's youngest alderperson in years. She will also be the ward's first queer Latina leader,” by Block Club’s Mina Bloom. — 45th: Ald. Jim Gardiner takes big lead, but still too close to call, by Block Club’s Ariel Parrella-Aureli — 14 runoffs — maybe more — likely in City Council races: “Three of those runoffs would involve incumbents appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the last year,” by Sun-Times’ Robert Herguth and David Struett. — 20th Ward: With outright win, voters tell incumbent Ald. Jeanette Taylor ‘they trust me and I trust them,’ by Tribune’s Hank Sanders and A.D. Quig — 33rd Ward: Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez declares victory over political ‘machine’: ‘Their time is over,’ by Tribune’s A.D. Quig, Talia Soglin and John Byrne — 40th Ward: Ald. Andre Vasquez wins landslide reelection in newly drawn ward, by Block Club’s Alex V. Hernandez — 24th ward: Ald. Monique Scott faces Creative Scott in a runoff. We named the wrong rival Tuesday.
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE 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. 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | CHICAGO | | — What will happen to Invest South/West, LaSalle Street revival without Lightfoot? "Future administrations will take some lessons learned from the execution (issues), but the underlying policy itself is durable and sorely needed," said DL3 Realty’s Leon Walker, who recently won a city panel's approval for more than $10 million in tax-increment financing money for an Invest South/West residential project in South Shore. Crain’s Danny Ecker reports. — United Center food and beverage workers on brink of strike: “Workers at concessions stands at United Center have voted to authorize a strike but negotiations haven’t ended,” by WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang — U.S. Attorney John Lausch formally announces resignation, plans to step down March 11, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Former Cook County official Patrick Doherty sentenced to more than five years for bribery, tax evasion: “Former aide to disgraced Cook Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski had pleaded guilty to bribing multiple public officials in several schemes that spanned years,” by Sun-Times’ Andy Grimm. — Oak Lawn officer pleads not guilty in violent arrest captured on video, allegedly struck teen more than 10 times, by Tribune’s Mike Nolan and Alexandra Kukulka
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Learn more. | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what you would enjoy most if you had a self-driving car. Graham Grady: “Catching up on reading.” Kevin Hall: “Being able to press go, fall asleep and wake up at a destination.” Ed Maher: “Catching up on my always growing stack of unread books.” Milt McDougald: “Not dying due to a technology failure.” If you could invite three Illinois politicians (living or dead) to dinner, who would they be? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Biden echoes House Dems’ early 2024 pitch: Look what we accomplished, by POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz — Trump is poised for a CPAC love fest or face plant. There is no in between, by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw — We have a real UFO problem. And it’s not balloons, by POLITICO’s Ryan Graves — RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan denied parole, by The Associated Press
| | IN MEMORIAM | | — Oscar Lawton Wilkerson Jr., last known surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen in Chicago area, dead at 96: “His love of aviation never faded despite racism that kept him and other Black pilots from getting jobs with airlines,” by Sun-Times’ Mitch Dudek.
| | TRIVIA | | WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Jan Kostner for correctly answering that Chicago hosted 25 national political conventions over the years (26 if you count one by the Progressive Party). TODAY’s QUESTION: What Illinois school district has two astronauts that went into space? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Chief of staff to Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky Syd Terry, lobbyist and former County Commissioner John Fritchey, former DuPage County Board Chair Robert Schillerstrom, POLITICO’s The Recast author Brakkton Booker, attorney and WVON broadcaster Kimberley Egonmwan and Sidley Austin multimedia exec Jeff Hartvigsen. And belated happy birthday to A.L. Smith, 37th Ward media affairs guru. -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 | | | | |  |
