SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — We’re spanning the state to bring you a variety of news today. Call it the human drama of political competition. State Rep. Lakesia Collins beat out fellow state Rep. Jawaharial “Omar” Williams in a showdown Tuesday afternoon for the open state Senate seat in the 5th district. The appointment had high interest among Democrats as it pitted progressives against the old-school pols. Collins was backed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a union ally who called Democratic leaders urging them to support her. Williams had his own cheer-leading section. It was led by his father, Ald. and Vice Mayor Walter Burnett Jr., who sat on the committee making the appointment and had the largest number of weighted votes on the panel. Collins and her allies worked the phones to lock down support for the vote. It worked. When it came time to vote, it was clear Collins had it nailed, and she ultimately won by acclamation. Key players in her corner: Alds. Jason Ervin (28th), Emma Mitts (37th) and Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), and Committeewoman Lucy Moog (43rd). A few hours earlier, drama unfolded during the Cook County Democrats’ slating for 2024 candidates. The vote to endorse for Cook County Clerk of the Court pitted incumbent Iris Martinez against powerful Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s pick: Eira Corral Sepúlveda, a first-term water board commissioner. Surprise move: The Democratic Party leaders didn’t choose either. Instead, they endorsed Mariyana Spyropoulos, a longtime water board commissioner who had locked up support from unions and other Democratic powerbrokers. The big question: Will Corral Sepúlveda run for the clerk seat, even if she doesn’t have the party’s backing? She told Playbook: “I made a commitment that I wouldn’t run against the Democratic Party’s slated candidate, and I intend to honor it.” A supreme decision: The county Dems also backed incumbent Supreme Court Justice Joy Cunningham in next year’s primary over Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes. Latino leverage: That means the party won’t be backing any Latino for a countywide office. It’s a loss for U.S. Reps. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Delia Ramirez, who had endorsed Reyes and Corral Sepúlveda. A loss for Preckwinkle, too: But her real focus was on the Cook County state’s attorney’s race and getting an endorsement for former prosecutor and lobbyist Clayton Harris III to replace Kim Foxx. Harris got the endorsement over former Appellate Court Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke. But O’Neill Burke’s team was quick to respond that she would be running, even without the party endorsement. That means more drama, and we can’t wait. Here’s the list of the slated. RELATED — The slating event is often a strong indication of who will become a judge, report Injustice Watch’s Dan Hinkel and Alejandra Cancino — Tribune's take: Amid party loyalty questions, Cook County Dems endorse for state’s attorney and go against incumbent for court clerk, by A.D. Quig — Sun-Times' take: How the Cook County state’s attorney’s race is shaping up, by Mitchell Armentrout
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