VP gets the Gold Coast treatment

By Shia Kapos

Happy Tuesday, Illinois. We survived Sears becoming Willis Tower, so Twitter moving to X seems doable.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to a packed crowd of Democratic donors in Chicago on Monday, July 24, 2023. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos

You know it’s election season when streets are blocked and long motorcades appear in Chicago’s swanky Gold Coast neighborhood as they did Monday.

Vice President Kamala Harris made a B-line from her official speaking event at McCormick Place to visit her friend and businesswoman Desiree Rogers’ Astor Street condo, where more than a hundred guests gathered to donate to the Biden-Harris reelection campaign. They gave anywhere from $3,300 to $10,000 — the higher number for a photo opp with the VP.

The fundraiser had all the bells and whistles, with remarks by Harris, passed appetizers by RPM Steak and face time with Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison, Illinois Lt. Gov. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Rogers was White House social secretary in the Obama Administration. She knows how to throw a party.

And there were notable names: The room was teeming with Democratic insiders, from Ariel Investments’ John Rogers Jr. to real estate mogul Elzie Higginbottom.

Color my world: Addressing the crowd alongside the bold artwork of Ndidi Emefiele, the VP thanked the group for supporting the Biden-Harris team in 2020. “Because of that work, we can stand here today … and talk about transformational accomplishments,” Harris said, singling out infrastructure work that has created jobs in Illinois and across the country.

Harris took a dig at Donald Trump. “You know, that previous guy talked about ‘Infrastructure Week’— Kept marking it on the calendar [but] it never came,” Harris said without saying the former president’s name. It was one of the lines that drew applause (and some laughter) from the crowd.

The VP gave a nod to those who were integral in another White House campaign. "Many people here were the reason there was a President Barack Obama," Harris said, prompting Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi to deadpan, "I remember him."

And Harris took questions, though your Playbook host was escorted out of the room for that. We hear she gave pat answers to the two queries — one on abortion and another on gun safety.

The fundraiser also gave insight into how the Biden-Harris campaign machine operates: working hand in hand with the Democratic National Committee. Numerous DNC folks were on hand mingling in the crowd.

It’s a trend: Monday’s fundraiser followed two donor events last month in Chicago that pulled in a reported $1 million, making Illinois a key player as the campaign revs up before 2024.

Taking names: Attending were fundraising co-hosts Trisha Rooney, Les Coney and Jane M. Saks, city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, educator and former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, nonprofit leader Karen Duncan, SPAAN Tech CEO Smita Shah, Level-1 Global Solutions CEO Thomas McElroy II, Midway Broadcasting CEO Melody Spann Cooper, Ariel Investments' ESG Director John Oxtoby, commercial insurance executive Charles Smith, entrepreneur Atticus Francken, environmental lawyer Robert Kelter and Dem donors Sam Gutterman and Peggy Wolff.

Here are Harris’ fundraiser remarks in full.

Before the fundraiser, Harris spoke at the UnidosUS Annual Conference: “The Power of US” at McCormick Place, where zeroed in on immigration reform and urged Latinos to defeat “extremists.”

From her speech: “When we, together, fight in coalition for the freedom, rights and justice of all people, that is an act of patriotism. When we celebrate our diversity and recognize that unity is our strength, we then build a stronger nation, a stronger democracy and a stronger world,” Harris said.

Tribune’s Nell Salzman and Rick Pearson have a full report.

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Props to the mayor: During her remarks to donors, Harris said she had an "extensive" conversation with Johnson during his recent visit to D.C. “He has the full support of our administration around what he is trying to do here, around building up the city and understanding the connections between issues like economic health and wellbeing and reducing violent crime,” Harris said.

Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, was honored Monday by the UnidosUS board of directors with the Maclovio Barraza Award for Leadership, named after the group’s founding chair.

Chicago Businessman Pat Ryan, speaking to reporters about Chicago's 2016 Olympics bid, is the force behind a plan to expand Ryan Field. | AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

What’s next in Evanston: Pat Ryan, the Chicago-area insurance mogul behind Northwestern University's proposed rebuild of Ryan Field, is deferring to the school to decide next steps in wake of the controversial hazing scandal that has rocked the school’s athletic department.

Message to the community: “The Ryan family is willing to stand-by their stadium gift and are letting the decision on whether to go forward or to pause up to the Northwestern president and board of trustees,” according to a person connected to the university.

He’s a force: Ryan, who led Chicago’s unsuccessful 2016 Olympics bid effort, is the financial source behind the $800 million project that supporters say will also benefit the city of Evanston. Opponents worry about noise and congestion.

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who’s out of town with family this week, has been involved in the ongoing discussions between the university and city about how to move forward on the project.

Ryan’s gift still stands, according to the person close to the school. He’s just leaving it up to the university to decide what’s next.

If you are Pat Ryan, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com.

At McCormick Place at 10 a.m. for the signing of the labor agreement for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

At the Hyatt Regency at 9:10 a.m. for the National Homeland Security Conference — At McCormick Place at 10 a.m. for the Democratic National Convention event — In the 37th Ward at 1 p.m. to assess recent flooding damage — At Harold Washington Library at 5:30 p.m. for a youth engagement budget roundtable.

No official public events.

Settle into your beach chair and send me a line: skapos@politico.com

JOIN 7/26 FOR A TALK ON THE NEW ENERGY ECONOMY: Join POLITICO's lively discussion, "Powering a Clean Energy Economy," on July 26 to explore the effectiveness of consumer-targeted policies to boost sustainability and create clean energy jobs. How are the Inflation Reduction Act's provisions faring? Which strategies truly sway consumer behavior? Hear from featured speaker, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), among other experts. Don't miss this insightful event — register today and be part of the conversation driving America's clean energy future! REGISTER NOW.

— Unions working at the 2024 Democratic convention promise no picket signs: “The deal means the Democratic National Committee, under President Joe Biden, is signaling early that it will use union labor for any work involving next year’s convention,” reports NBC’s Natasha Korecki.

— Illinois prisons need $2.5B in repairs, and that’s just the beginning: “Mold, leaky roofs, sewage backups, unsafe drinking water and raccoon infestations are at the top of the list. Next up: dire staffing shortages and an aging population,” by WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan

— Lincoln Library board decries 'pattern of disrespect and disregard': Latest mayors "bypassed Lincoln Library’s Board of Trustees for advice in the hiring and firing of the past two library directors,” reports Illinois Times’ Dean Olsen.

— Springfield among most affordable cities for home buyers, according to WalletHub via WCIS’ Collin Cramer

— Mayoral allies lay groundwork for mental health plan dubbed ‘Treatment Not Trauma’: “Health Committee Chair Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez opened the hearing with a minute of silence honoring Quintonio LeGrier, Laquan McDonald ‘and so many others who did not receive the care they desperately needed,’” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.

Johnson endorsed the Treatment Not Trauma movement over the weekend, saying, “That’s the goal of this administration,” report Tribune’s Alice Yin and Gregory Royal Pratt

— City spent $126.5M on police overtime in 6 Months, an almost 50 percent jump over last year, records show, via WTTW’s Heather Cherone and Jared Rutecki

— Marilyn Mulero — once sent to death row without a trial — sues Chicago after her conviction is overturned, by Tribune’s Stacy St. Clair and Christy Gutowski

We asked what you're reading this summer.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon: “Sting-Ray Afternoons,” a memoir by Steve Rushin. “It’s about growing up in the Midwest in the 1970s and early 1980s. Steve is just about two months older than I am and was born a few suburbs west of me, so he struck an awful lot of chords.”

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch: “Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times” by Nancy Koehn, and “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie: “The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care),” by Adam Schrager and Rob Witwer. “For personal reading, pure fiction. Anything with a duke or an earl!”

Janice Anderson: “The Last Ride of the Pony Express” by Will Grant.

Bill Cameron: “A Fever In the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s plot to take over America, and the woman who stopped them” by Timothy Egan.

Michael Gascoigne: “Portrait of a Thief” by Grace D. Li.

Ed Mazur: “The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel.

Kirby Miller: “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin.

Jim Montgomery: “Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why our Future Depends on it” by Chloe Maxin.

Jim Nowlan: "Owen Lovejoy: Abolitionist in Congress” by Edward Magdol.

Ray Sendejas: "King: A Life" by Chicago-resident Jonathan Eig.

Andy Shaw: “None of This is True” by Lisa Jewel.

Steve Sheffey: “Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East” by Steven Simon.

Steven Smith: “All the Sinners Bleed” by S.A. Crosby.

Stephen Yoshida: “The New Chicago: A Social and Cultural Analysis,” a compilation of essays.

What’s the loudest thing that you’ve ever lived by? Email skapos@politico.com

JOIN 7/27 FOR A TALK ON WOMEN LEADERS IN THE NEW WORKPLACE: In the wake of the pandemic, U.S. lawmakers saw a unique opportunity to address the current childcare system, which has become increasingly unaffordable for millions of Americans, but the initial proposals went nowhere. With the launch of the Congressional Bipartisan Affordable Childcare Caucus in May, there may be a path to make childcare more affordable. Join Women Rule on July 27 to dive into this timely topic and more with featured speakers Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO of Moms First and Founder of Girls Who Code. REGISTER HERE.

— CONGRESS CULTURE WARS: What do drag shows and Latino museums have to do with roads and parks? Irie Sentner reports for POLITICO

— Florida and DeSantis dig in as criticism of Black history curriculum mounts, by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury

— DOJ sues Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott over Rio Grande barrier, by POLITICO’s Kierra Frazier and Josh Gerstein

— Media matters when it comes to the public’s perception of crime and violence: “Recent data shows that the murder rate in the U.S. is experiencing one of the largest decreases ever. Yet that good news doesn’t always make the headlines,” via WTTW’s Paris Schutz and Andrea Guthmann.

— Samir Mayekar joins Chicago Fed: The former top aide in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration will be a “visiting scholar” at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “I look forward to offering contributions that help enhance the institution’s ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive and stable financial system where all have an opportunity to thrive,” Mayekar wrote on social media.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Katie Dunne is now executive director of Secure Illinois Retirements, a new statewide nonprofit. She had been executive director of Chicago77, which works with city agencies on research and program development and earlier worked in the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

— Obamas’ personal chef drowns near their Martha’s Vineyard home: “Tafari Campbell, known as one of the chefs who brewed White House beer while Obama was in office, went to work for the former first couple when they left the White House,” by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.

On this day in 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King visited Winnetka to speak to a crowd of nearly 10,000.

MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering that PayDay candy bars were once manufactured in Centralia.

TODAY’s QUESTION: What was the first non-military federal agency to establish an office in Illinois? Email skapos@politico.com

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, Rep. Chuy Garcia’s district outreach director María Velázquez, Schwalb Realty Group’s Joyce Wippman and Aspen Dental VP of Government Affairs Jeff Troupe.

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