‘Democrats deliver’ is party’s rallying cry at State Fair festivities
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – In one of the largest annual gatherings of Illinois Democrats on Wednesday, the party had a message for its faithful that attended a pair of Illinois State Fair week events: “Democrats deliver.”
This year’s gathering of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association had 19 speakers, including congressional and statewide candidates and the Democratic leaders of the General Assembly, while the keynote speaker was Congressman Joe Neguse, D-Colorado.
“We’ve got a hell of a record, and we ought to run on it,” Neguse said to the room full of Democrats on the floor of the Bank of Springfield Center that once served as the Illinois House of Representatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think Sen. (Dick) Durbin, D-Illinois, would agree with me when I say that this Congress is arguably the most productive Congress since the Great Society in the 1960s.”
He cited a federal bipartisan infrastructure bill, gun reforms and the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to invest tens of billions of dollars in U.S. companies to promote computer chip production.
“And I haven’t talked about the Inflation Reduction Act, which will reduce prescription drug prices and, by the way, is the most significant climate action ever taken by the United States Congress in the history of our republic,” Neguse said.
On the state side, Gov. JB Pritzker touted his signature on a bill increasing the minimum wage to $15 by 2025, a measure providing $1.8 billion in tax relief and the fact that the state has virtually eliminated a bill backlog that rose to $16 billion during Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration.
He also mentioned state investments in the Illinois State Police to reduce forensic science backlogs and increase the number of troopers on state roads. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and, the state’s pandemic response, abortion protections and the Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure plan were also points of emphasis for the Democrats.
While “Democrats Deliver” adorned the signage handed out to attendees, the speakers also sought to differentiate the party from a GOP they described as the “lunatic fringe,” “crazy as hell” and a “cult of fear.”
“And if you look at who’s winning these primaries on the Republican side, they are crazy as hell and they’re seeing and doing crazy stuff. …And my fear is that if these individuals get elected, we’re going to see January 6 on a weekly basis,” secretary of state candidate Alexi Giannoulias said.
Former Gov. Rauner, an Evanston Republican, and former President Donald Trump were mentioned as frequently as Pritzker’s 2022 challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey.
“I was never worried about the finances of this state even during the darkest days of the pandemic,” Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “When my colleagues in other states would ask, ‘How do you seem so calm?’ I would say, ‘Well, it’s easy – the worst virus to ever hit Illinois’ finances wasn’t COVID, it was Bruce Rauner.’ And thank God we now have JB Pritzker.”
Mendoza, who took office halfway through Rauner’s term as governor, frequently sparred with the ex-governor. She looked back on that, saying she would fight every day to “save our state,” and “metaphorically speaking, kick him in the groin with much joy and pleasure.”
A short video presented at the brunch event showed a montage of clips from Rauner’s four years in office before cutting to images of Bailey with the text “he’s worse.”
Attorney General Kwame Raoul criticized Bailey and GOP AG candidate Thomas DeVore, who he described as a “COVID ambulance chaser” for the several lawsuits he has filed aiming to lift COVID-19 mitigations in the state.
Raoul said the current political landscape means who people elect as attorney general “matters more than any time in American history.”
“It matters to fight against audacious forces who threatened to diminish our rights, attack our nation’s Capitol, attack law enforcement and attack our democracy,” Raoul said.
Pritzker reused a line from a speech he gave to Florida Democrats in July, saying Republicans are “trying to distract us into believing that marriage equality, Black history, Disneyworld and library books are more of a threat to our children than the AR-15.”
“While the Republicans try to convince Americans that Q Anon lies are real, our diverse Democratic Party is getting things done for Illinois families,” he said.
The subject of abortion and health care rights was also a frequent talking point for speakers, including Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
“The Trump-endorsed MAGA extremist Darren Bailey will do everything in his power to try to turn back the clock on our progress,” she said. “And he has the unmitigated gall to think that the women of Illinois are going to just sit back, sit down and stay silent.”
While the crowds at the gathering of Democrats often chanted in unison in support of candidates, the absence of the party’s former chair from the Wednesday events indicated there is some lingering resentment regarding her recent unseating.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly, of Matteson, was ousted as party chair last month by new chair Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, a state representative from Cicero who had Pritzker’s backing. Kelly didn’t attend the brunch or the Governor’s Day event at the State Fair that followed but issued a statement saying she’d back Democrats up and down the ballot “whether or not we are united.”
“The stakes are too high, this is the most important election of our lifetime,” she said in a statement in response to Capitol News Illinois questions.
Hernandez briefly took questions at the fair Wednesday and was asked how she would mend fences within the Democratic Party.
“I think that we are moving forward,” she said. “We are – the party is about trying to get Democrats elected in November. And that’s really the focus, that is what we are all on board with. And the mending the fences … there is really just a real intent to try to get the Democrats through November and I don’t see a problem.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed…
Men’s College Volleyball | Saint Xavier captures fifth straight conference tourney title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The SXU men’s volleyball team won its fifth straight Chicagoland Christian Athletic Conference tournament championship after a 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph on April 20 at the Shannon Center. Jan Lopuch had 10 kills and nine digs for the Cougars. With the win, the…
College Baseball | Saint Xavier upsets Eastern Illinois
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier baseball team picked up a win that its players are going to remember for a long time. The Cougars stunned Eastern Illinois, 4-2, on April 17 in Charleston. It was the Cougars’ first win over the Panthers, a Division I program, since 2005. Lyons grad Troy…
St. Laurence hoops teams top honor roll
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area basketball teams proved to be strong on the court and in the classroom this season, and St. Laurence was the leader of the pack. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association compiled a list of the top academic teams, and the area did well. In Division 3 girls, St. Laurence…
Chicago Bears recognize St. Rita senior with All-Star award
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chances are good that few outside of St. Rita football circles know who David Lyle is. With good reason. Lyle missed his senior season for the Mustangs last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury. He even postponed having knee surgery so that he could take care of his…
Pols want 63rd St. armory for new police HQ
Spread the love. Porfirio, Guerrero-Cuellar push plan in Springfield . By Tim Hadac Any plans the Chicago Department of Aviation may have had for the vacant Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., may be grounded, at least for now. Several elected officials are eyeing the parcel as the headquarters of a new…
Her back against the wall, Stacy needs help
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Clearing and Garfield Ridge have earned a reputation as a place where people look out for each other—and that sometimes means caring for each other in times of need. Today, I want to talk about one such person, who sure could use…
It’s (pizza) party time at OLS
Spread the love. Third graders at Our Lady of the Snows School break into cheers as they learn they’ve won a pizza party for selling more raffle booklets than any other class. The recent Grand Raffle fundraiser brought in about $6,000. Parents looking for a grade school for their sons and daughters for 2024-25 are…
Dart wants free mental health care for first responders
Spread the love. From staff reports The Illinois Senate has passed legislation proposed by Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart that eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for first responders seeking mental health treatment. “We ask first responders to be constantly exposed to traumatic and dangerous situations to protect us,” Dart said. “This legislation is a solid step…
Neighbors
‘A man of honor, a beacon of kindness’
Spread the love. Chicago weeps for Officer Luis Huesca . By Tim Hadac People across the Southwest Side shed tears earlier this week, as throngs of police officers and other filled the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel at 77th and Western for a funeral Mass for CPD Officer Luis M. Huesca. Officer Huesca was…
Archer Manor Little League starts its 2024 season
Spread the love. Sunny skies and mild temperatures greeted the boys and girls, moms and dads, umpires and coaches, and everyone else participating in Archer Manor Little League’s Opening Day parade and ceremonies at Archer Park. Since 1952, AMLL has provided athletic opportunities for thousands of boys and girls in Archer Heights, West Elsdon, Central…
Dread over car drifters on streets
Spread the love. Reckless drivers take over SW Side intersections . By Tim Hadac At the April meeting of the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch, a police officer admitted that the drag racing/drifting phenomenon seen and heard in the Midway area in recent years “probably will increase, but we hope not.” The admission was triggered by…
Don’t raise pilots’ retirement age, García says
Spread the love. From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently led a letter joined by 121 Members of Congress urging House Democratic leadership to reject any changes to the pilot retirement age in a final version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill.…
CTA launches ‘chat’ feature on website
Spread the love. From staff reports Artificial Intelligence has made another step forward at the Chicago Transit Authority. CTA officials recently launched the “Chat with CTA” chatbot, a new virtual automated service featured on transitchicago.com. The communication tool allows riders to report issues, provide feedback and receive answers in real-time. Additionally, it provides the CTA with customer…
New effort to aid kids with disabilities
Spread the love. From staff reports A new grant program aimed at providing financial assistance to families of children with disabilities was launched recently by Mayor Brandon Johnson, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and Ada S. McKinley Community Services. Children with disabilities is a population disproportionately affected by the pandemic,…
Dart warns of Sheriff’s Office imposters
Spread the love. From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart recently alerted the public of an uptick in telephone and email phishing scams in which scammers identify themselves as a Sheriff’s Office employee in an attempt to defraud victims. Scammers are using the actual names and respective titles of Sheriff’s Office employees to…
It’s ‘Batter up!’ time in West Lawn
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . It must be May because baseball season is here. I recently reported on the West Lawn Little League, whose 2024 season is now underway. Another West Lawn youth athletic association is Midway Baseball Softball Association. Their teams…
Cinco de Mayo, here we come
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . It’s time to bring out the Corona, Tecate, Modelo or Dos Equis, along with a few limes. Heck, maybe even bring out the Patrón! It is Cinco de Mayo this Sunday, translated to…