By Ray Hanania

Which issue is more important on Tuesday, Nov. 8: abortion or safety? That’s what it comes down to in the election if you listen to the Democrats and the Republicans.

This is Illinois, and in this election you can’t do much about abortion. It won’t change no matter how much fear mongering Gov. JB Pritzker engages in.

Personally, I support limited abortions: only during the first trimester, in the case of rape or incest, and throughout the pregnancy if the life of the mother is endangered.

Safety, however, is in jeopardy. That’s because in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker has shoved through the dangerous Safe-T Act and is doing his best to obfuscate the issue.

The Safe-T Act is not as bad as portrayed by those fake newspapers that run all kinds of pro-Republican articles written by anonymous individuals. They don’t disclose their names so they can’t be held accountable for their exaggerations.

Ray Hanania

But you don’t have to exaggerate the problems with the Safe-T Act. There are enough issues to concern you, if you happen to be a law-abiding citizen.

If you are a criminal, the Safe-T Act reduces the threat of punishment and cuts you a lot of slack, giving politically-controlled judges the ability to decide if you are a danger to society.

Under the old law, during the past year, 60 individuals who were awaiting trial and who were let out of jail committed murder while they were released because a judge decided they didn’t have to post bond.

Under the old system, bond is required unless a judge rules otherwise, as they have. Under the new law, the burden is off of the judges who are appointed by politicians like Gov. Pritzker. It’s not their decision anymore. It can be, if they want.

The real problem is the law focuses on the needs of suspects and criminals, not on the safety of law-abiding citizens.

Especially in Chicago and Cook County under Mayor Lori Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, the rights of criminals are protected over protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens and victims of crime.

Gov. JB Pritzker deserves a NO VOTE on Nov. 8, which means that Darren Bailey is the only real alternative to unseat him. Bailey has some issues; but the upside is if Bailey wins, we will see accountability return to Illinois, which is ranked as the second worst state in the country.

Ousting Pritzker would put Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a phenomenal official, in charge as the state’s leader.

In the race for Commissioner of the 17th Cook County District, incumbent Sean Morrison is spewing out lie after lie against his Democratic opponent, Dan Calandriello.

Morrison’s mailers are filled with so many lies I couldn’t even begin to respond to every one of them. Morrison is a failure as a county commissioner and a failure as the head of the pathetic Cook County Republican Organization.

There are some good candidates on the Republican side, but many of them are pathetic losers who can’t do anything except complain.

Morrison is the very reason why good Republicans in Cook County are near extinction.

In the U.S. Senate race, most people I have spoken to can’t recall one thing that Democrat Tammy Duckworth has done since being elected. Suddenly, six years later, she surfaces and relies on reminding you that she sustained serious disabilities while in the military.

Being a veteran myself, I always give the veteran my support the first time around. But when they are in office, they can’t ride on their record or injuries but do nothing, and Duckworth has done nothing. Republican Kathy Salvi is clearly the better choice.

Some of my other favorites: State Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are great. U.S. Rep. Sean Casten surpasses extremist GOP rival Keith Pekau in the 6th District.

Democrat Mike Porfirio, who is succeeding Steve Landek in the 11th District, is tops. So is Michael Hastings (who I do media work for) in the 19th District. Hastings is being attacked for being in a messy divorce but has one of the strongest records of performance and has stood up against the corrupt lobbyists.

Abdelnasser Rashid, who is running for 21st District state representative, is brilliant and has a strong future ahead of him.

Mariyana Spyropoulos is also great and so are her running mates, Patricia Theresa Flynn and Yumeka Brown for the MWRD.

No one has done more for taxpayers than Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, who I worked for many years ago. She’s a genius who constantly fights to defend taxpayer rights.

I’ll have all my endorsements on my website.

Check out Ray Hanania’s columns and political podcasts at hanania.com.