POLITICO Illinois Playbook: Avery Bourne’s solo act

Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln

Jan 20, 2022 View in browser   By Shia Kapos Happy Thursday, Illinois. It's 8 degrees as your Playbook host posts, the kind of weather that hurts your feelings. TOP TALKER Richard Irvin hasn't spoken in person to reporters yet, but his Republican campaign for governor is out with some sponsored content, including a piece featuring his running mate for lieutenant governor. "Meet Avery Bourne. Her roots run deep in Illinois," the solo ad about Irvin's No. 2 reads. Get used to that. Political observers say Bourne is key to bringing conservatives on board the campaign to elect Irvin, an urban mayor who's been mistaken for a Democrat. "It's part of the balancing act. She brings Trump country, white people in the corn fields, and places where Irvin could have difficulty" in winning people over, Christopher Mooney, a political science professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, told Playbook. Lieutenant governor candidates didn't always have such a role. They used to run in their own races. That changed after Scott Lee Cohen won the 2010 Democratic primary only to step down amid reports of past domestic abuse. He went on to run as an Independent in the general election, which he lost. After that, state lawmakers changed the system to allow gubernatorial candidates to name their lieutenants. The goal now is to strike a balance. Former Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Chicago businessman, chose Evelyn Sanguinetti, a Latina and former suburban council member. Gov. JB Pritzker teamed up with Juliana Stratton, an African American woman and first-term state representative. Bourne's role will be to validate Irvin downstate, where Trump ties run deep and where it's not uncommon to see a Confederate flag waving in someone's front yard. She comes to the position with legislative credentials. Bourne, 29, was the youngest legislator to be sworn in to the Illinois General Assembly in 2015. She helped negotiate the 2017 education funding formula, serves on the legislative ethics commission, and was the Republican voice opposing legislation to repeal the Parental Notification Act. Republicans have held so few statewide offices in recent years that there aren't many notable names to stand up for Irvin. Gov. Jim Edgar is certainly an exception. So Bourne has her work cut out for her. "She can play an important role in forging a pragmatic accommodation between the hard right and the moderate suburban to say 'We can live with this person. And four years with this person allows us to talk about what the Illinois Republican Party is — and that it's not a downward spiral,'" University of Illinois Springfield professor emeritus Kent Redfield told Playbook. RELATED — Edgar 'impressed' with Irvin, but initially 'thought he was a Democrat': "I think that's going to be probably the major challenge for him is to convince Republicans that he's a Republican. Time will tell whether that's going to happen or not," the former governor told Lee Enterprises' Brenden Moore. — Pritzker's GOP challengers face a steep financial disadvantage, latest campaign records show, by Tribune's Rick Pearson — Republicans confirm 'slate' of candidates with Irvin at the top, by State Journal-Register's Andrew Adams — Lightfoot slams Republicans running for governor over making Chicago crime a campaign issue: "Vilifying the economic engine of your state just strikes me as a really foolhardy strategy," Mayor Lori Lightfoot told the Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet. THE BUZZ Hallelujah! The Omicron variant is showing signs of easing up. The surge appears to have peaked, though Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are urging continued caution, according to the Tribune's four-bylined report. "We are not out of the woods, and we need people to be very careful over these next few weeks," Chicago Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said in the Sun-Times' report. Even Chicago Public Schools is acting on the news. CPS "plans to shorten quarantine time for students and staff," reports Tribune's Tracy Swartz. ICYMI: The Postal Service is now taking orders for free Covid-19 test kits, via WBEZ Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com   JOIN NEXT FRIDAY TO HEAR FROM GOVERNORS ACROSS AMERICA : As we head into the third year of the pandemic, state governors are taking varying approaches to public health measures including vaccine and mask mandates. "The Fifty: America's Governors" is a series of live conversations featuring various governors on the unique challenges they face as they take the lead and command the national spotlight in historic ways. Learn what is working and what is not from the governors on the front lines, REGISTER HERE.     WHERE'S JB At Joliet Junior College at 10:30 a.m. to mark highway restoration and improvements in Joliet, funded by Rebuild Illinois. Then at Sip & Savor in Chicago at 12:30 p.m. to announce the distribution of small business grants as part of the economic recovery Back to Business program. WHERE'S LORI No official public events. Where's Toni No official public events. TAKING NAMES — Biden nominates Chicagoan to the bench: Nusrat Choudhury, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, was nominated Wednesday "to serve as a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York, which has courthouses in Brooklyn and Central Islip. She had previously worked since 2008 at the national ACLU, including as deputy director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program. If confirmed, she would be the first Bangladeshi American and second Muslim American to ever serve as a federal judge," Reuters reports. — William Brodsky, the only person who's ever defeated Joe Biden in a head-to-head election, has been nominated by the White House to serve as a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. The organization protects consumers against the loss of cash and securities. Brodsky is a civic leader in Chicago and has spent more than 50 years in the financial services industry, including serving as the chairman of the Chicago Board Options Exchange. THE STATEWIDES — State lawmaker calls for action after alleged racist comments made at Springfield Lowe's: Rep. Theresa Mah started an online petition after hearing of a customer's experience, by ABC 20's Jakob Emerson. — Army Corps funds $226M of Brandon Road project to keep invasive carp out of Lake Michigan: "Plans for the $858 million project include a technology gauntlet — an electric barrier, underwater sound, an air bubble curtain and flushing lock — to stop carp from swimming to Lake Michigan. The prolific fish, able to reproduce rapidly and consume loads of plankton, threaten to transform ecosystems and harm the region's $7 billion fishing industry," by Tribune's Morgan Greene. — New law would protect Illinois smartphone app makers: "State Sen. Steve Stadelman joined other Illinois lawmakers on Wednesday to promote a bill that he says would protect smartphone application developers and content providers from excessive fees," by Rockford Register Star's Jeff Kolkey. — Flags to be lowered in honor of slain DCFS worker, via ABC 20 — State Sen. Barickman recovering from Covid-19, by WJBC CHICAGO — City Council members unload on the CTA: "A usually routine transfer of funds to the CTA turned into a gripe session, as Council members slammed the transit agency, then held up approval of a $26.1 million windfall from the CTA's portion of the real estate transfer tax," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — Dozens of attorneys urge Lightfoot to abandon new ordinance targeting gang members: The proposal calls for fining gang members and giving police authority to seize their property. Attorneys say "the proposed law will cause the city 'costly litigation and perpetuate racial disparities in law enforcement practices' and 'it will not reduce harm and violence,'" by Tribune's Paige Fry and Gregory Pratt. — Reilly settles for watered-down crackdown on pedicabs: "Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) had proposed banning pedicabs altogether from the River North entertainment district after 6 p.m. and prohibiting pedicabs from using amplified sound. On Wednesday, Reilly settled for a whole lot less," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — Limited 5G rollout eases flight concerns, but new wireless service near O'Hare is another matter, by Daily Herald's Marni Pyke — Allstate buys downtown building for possible headquarters, by Sun-Times' David Roeder — Washington Post treatment | Nikole Hannah-Jones surreptitiously quoted MLK to show how radical some would find him today: "Michael Pfleger, senior pastor of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina in Chicago [said] many in the predominantly white, educated and professional crowd appeared shocked and uncomfortable." (Of course you read it in Playbook first.) COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Skokie joins parade of Illinois pension bond borrowers: "The taxable deal offers a $150 million series and a $26 million series. About $135 million will be used to pay down unfunded pension liabilities to bring the funded ratio to 90% far ahead of a 2040 state mandate," by Bond Buyer's Yvette Shields. — Des Plaines mayor tests positive for Covid-19, by Daily Herald's Russell Lissau THE JUICE — Sen. Tammy Duckworth raised $1.5 million in the fourth quarter, ending 2021 having raised $7.5 million. She entered 2022 with $6.4 million in the bank. — How suburban elected officials raised and spent cash: "Republican state Rep. Tim Ozinga of Mokena pumped big dough into his coffers and spread wealth to help other GOP candidates around the state. His company, Ozinga Bros. Inc., gave $1 million to his campaign Dec. 28, according to a quarterly report filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections," by Daily Southtown's Ted Slowik.   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.     CAMPAIGN MODE — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A new campaign called Jane's Army organized in part by Personal PAC will work "to recruit activist volunteers to educate, motivate, and activate pro-choice voters." Along with Personal PAC, which supports abortion rights, Men4Choice and Future Voices Council are behind Jane's Army. The campaign's name pays tribute to the original Jane Collective, a group of women who banded together in Chicago to provide access to reproductive health care from 1969-1973 when abortion bans were still in place during the pre-Roe era. "Times have changed, but the fight hasn't. We need a new generation to step up in Illinois and carry on Jane's fight," Hannah Fierle, co-chair of Future Voices Council and Jane's Army, said in a statement. — County assessor candidate Kari Steele touts, then rebukes endorsement by controversial Ald. Jim Gardiner: "Candidates in the Cook County assessor's race are sparring over the endorsement the challenger announced from a Northwest Side alderman who has faced criticism for offensive comments he made in texts," by the Tribune's John Byrne. — Chaplin drops out, endorses Conroy as she alone takes on LaPlante in DuPage board chair primary: "Chaplin's departure leaves Conroy in a Democratic primary contest against county board member Lynn LaPlante of Glen Ellyn. Conroy has represented the 46th Illinois House District in the northeastern, Democratic-leaning portion of the county," by Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith. — Kina Collins, a candidate for Congress in IL-07, is being endorsed by Indivisible Chicago Alliance. — Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison has announced his reelection campaign for the 17th District seat that he's held since 2015. CORRUPTION CHRONICLES Illinois high court hears case over spending campaign money on criminal defense lawyers: The Illinois Supreme Court "heard arguments Wednesday over the propriety of $220,000 in campaign expenditures made by government mole Danny Solis for his criminal defense lawyers," by WBEZ's Dave McKinney. ...SWAMP THINGS... Feds charge 3 Illinois men in Capitol breach after tracking them down using their mobile devices: "Nationwide, more than 725 people have been arrested in what the feds have called likely the largest criminal investigation and prosecution in U.S. history," by Sun-Times' Jon Seidel. DAY IN COURT — Judge directs that name be disclosed of witness who claims former Bear Shaun Gayle said, 'I did it. She's gone,' after girlfriend's death, by Lake County News-Sun's Clifford Ward — Judge whose ridicule of lawyer was caught on internet livestream is off the bench, by Tribune's Megan Crepeau POT-POURRI Marijuana edibles spurring rise in pot-related overdose calls to Illinois Poison Center: "Newly released numbers show marijuana overdose-related calls in Illinois jumped significantly after legalization, mainly due to edibles — but remained far below the number of calls for other legal drugs, including alcohol," by Tribune's robert McCoppin. Reader Digest We asked what prompts you to donate to a campaign: Paul Cogan gives "to people I know, like and admire, regardless of party or interest." Judy Erwin: "I send $$$ to people I know, female candidates, pro choice, moderate on fiscal & economic issues, environmentalists." Paul Engleman : "I typically support underfunded candidates in local races for whom small contributions might actually be useful." And George P. Danos gives "when I think that my contribution makes a difference to a campaign and when the successful candidate would make a difference for governance." What's a New Year's resolution that you followed through on for a whole year? Email skapos@politico.com WELCOME TO THE WORLD Rep. Adam Kinzinger and his wife, Sofia Boza-Holman, welcomed Christian Adam Kinzinger to the world. "Mom and baby are doing great, and Dad is over the moon!" the Illinois Republican tweeted. Pix! DELEGATION Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry announced in caucus Wednesday that Kevin McCarthy "has asked the hardline group to hold off on their effort to boot [Liz Cheney & [Adam] Kinzinger from GOP Conference, so they can focus on the 1 yr anniversary of Biden's inauguration, per sources." CNN's Melanie Zanona reports. THE NATIONAL TAKE — Why Schumer picked a filibuster fight he couldn't win, by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine — Supreme Court rejects Trump's bid to shield records from Jan. 6 committee, by POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney — Gorsuch, Sotomayor deny beef over masks on the bench, by POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek — 145 things Donald Trump did in his first year as the most consequential former president ever, by POLITICO's Michael Kruse TRANSITIONS — Tim King joins Chico & Nunes, P.C., the law firm founded by former Chicago mayoral candidate and CPS Board President Gery Chico. King will head up the firm's Government, Real Estate and Land Use practice. He most recently was general counsel for the Chicago Park District. — Joshua Kotin has joined the financial enforcement team in Cooley's Chicago law office. He previously worked for Buckley, where he advised banks and other institutions on federal and state regulatory and enforcement matters. TRIVIA WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Ashvin Lad and Fred Lebed for correctly answering that Mark Fairchild, who ran for lieutenant governor, and Janice Hart, who went for secretary of state, were LaRouche candidates, known as LaRouchies, who won their primaries in 1986. TODAY's QUESTION: Which interstate has the shortest stretch of all interstate routes that run through Illinois? Email skapos@politico.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ald. Maria Hadden, Cook County State's Attorney's Office's Cristina Villarreal, JCFS education coordinator Diane Kushnir Halivni, and Caryn Berman, senior executive assistant at Chico & Nunes law firm. -30-   Follow us on Twitter Shia Kapos @shiakapos   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

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