| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Happy Monday, Illinois. Congrats to the folks at Misericordia for powering through the rain to pull off a successful Family Fest.
|  | TOP TALKER | | Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey has been ramping up his time in the northern part of Illinois, knowing that he's got downstate all sewn up. But some Republicans say he still needs to do more to endear himself to suburban Chicago Republicans. Why, for example, must he denigrate Chicago as a "hellhole"?" "Bailey is a true Southern Illinois provincial, a good citizen, comfortable in his community and its traditional values. He is, however, thunderstruck that the rest of Illinois doesn't see the world as he and his folks do," Jim Nowlan, a former GOP state legislator and self-described downstate anti-Trump Republican, told Playbook. Nowlan expects Bailey to get 40 percent of the vote in much of the state but says the Republican may not reach that number at all in areas where he's made "insensitive comments about Chicago, which many suburbanites find unconstructive." And that, in turn, could "reduce the Republican turnout up and down the ticket by several percentage points, affecting other tight races," Nowlan adds. About Dick Uihlein: Republicans also have mixed feelings about Bailey's relationship with the billionaire who fueled Bailey's campaign during the primary but has held back funding for the November campaign because Bailey won't change up his campaign team. Bailey has refused. He's loyal to the people who brought him to the dance. Some see it as admirable that the candidate is loyal to campaign workers and willing to stand up to billionaires. But it also means Bailey will have to keep operating on a bare-bones budget. That means not much advertising. What's really crazy: Republican legislative candidates are already on TV ahead of the guy at the top of the ticket. — DEBATES ARE SET: Bailey and Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker have agreed to two, one-hour debates on "current issues central to voters both regionally and statewide," according to WGN 9, which is co-sponsoring the debates with Nexstar. The first will take place Oct. 6 at Braden Auditorium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. The second debate will be held Oct. 18 at WGN's Chicago studios.
| | THE BUZZ | | Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently said the "destiny" of Black Chicagoans will be on the ballot in the February municipal elections. The line is drawing pushback from all her competitors, and it underscores the mayor's campaign strategy as her political base of support has shifted from the lakefront to the South and West sides, according to Tribune's Gregory Pratt and Alice Yin. Compared to 2019: "In the first round of the 2019 mayoral race, Lightfoot emerged from a historic 14-candidate field with roughly 18 percent of the vote. Much of it came from white lakefront residents on the North Side who backed her over more established politicians. Many of those voters are now disenchanted with Lightfoot, and she has been working vigorously to lock in support from the Black community," Pratt and Yin write. NOT A CAMPAIGN AD, BUT: Lightfoot was highlighted as a Michigan Wolverine trailblazer last night in a video package during a game on the Big 10 Network, via Tribune Gregory Pratt's tweet. Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I'd like to hear from you: skapos@politico.com
| | | | A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON LEADING FROM THE GROUND UP: Join POLITICO's Women Rule on Sept. 15 for conversations focused on creating and leading sustainable, healthy and inclusive communities. The program will feature a Member Exchange panel followed by a keynote discussion exploring the most pressing issues facing women in their communities and women in leadership roles who are best positioned to solve these problems. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At the 555 W. Monroe state office building at 12:30 p.m. to kick off the Family Relief Act tax rebate check rollout.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | No official public events.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve at 10:30 a.m. to kick off Cook County's Racial Equity Week.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Local governments can max out property tax levy increases this year. Will they? "A 7 percent growth in the inflation rate from December 2020 to December 2021 means local governments can boost their property tax haul to the maximum allowable level this year, Illinois Department of Revenue officials said. This rate hike affects property taxes paid in 2023," by Daily Herald's Jake Griffin. — More migrants from Texas arrive in Chicago, the fourth group of buses in less than two weeks, by Tribune's Shanzeh Ahmad and Laura Rodríguez Presa. Tension in the suburbs: Elk Grove Village mayor takes Illinois, Chicago to task after CTA buses full of migrants from Texas arrive, by CBS 2's Shardaa Gray. A few days earlier, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso also expressed concern when migrants were sent to his village: "We want to know: Why Burr Ridge?" he told WGN 9. Asking for help: Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia joined with lawmakers from New York and Washington, D.C., in writing a letter to the U.S. House leaders requesting $50 million more in humanitarian assistance for the migrants. "Playing politics with the lives of these immigrants is dehumanizing and cruel, but not unexpected from the xenophobic, fearmongering politics" of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Garcia said in a statement. — About teacher shortages: "Schools are adding positions to address learning loss from Covid, improve social and emotional learning (SEL) and to replace retiring teachers. Yet even with these hires, there are some teaching jobs that are very hard to fill. So clearly, the issue with teacher vacancies is more than just a numbers game," Margaret Rock writes for Center for Illinois Politics. — Most Illinois taxpayers will be getting a tax rebate from the state starting today, by Sun-Times' Satchel Price — Illinois children's hospitals are coping with a surge of kids with respiratory illnesses, by Tribune's Lisa Schencker — State Sen. Don DeWitte launches petition to repeal SAFE-T Act, via Shaw Local News Network — How a railroad strike could send food prices soaring, via The Hill
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — GOP attorney general candidate Thomas DeVore has record of taking critics to court, including his girlfriend's mom and the governor: Devore wouldn't respond except by email to say, "I will not participate in your one-sided creations that you conveniently decide to write just weeks before the election," by Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner. — JUICE: Conservative political donor Dick Uihlein has given $2.1 million to GOP Senate Leader Dan McConchie's campaign. Watch for Republican state Senate candidates to go up on TV. — Froylan "Froy" Jimenez, lost his bid to get on the ballot in the 1st District state Senate race after his petition signatures were successfully challenged, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Jimenez, a Chicago Public Schools teacher, filed to run as a third-party candidate after state Sen. Tony Munoz slyly dropped out of the race a few months ago, allowing his son-in-law, Javier Cervantes, to run instead. With Jimenez out, Cervantes now runs unopposed in November.
| | CHICAGO | | | 
The Thompson Center, which was home to Illinois state government outside Springfield, will undergo a facelift under its new owner, Google. | AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast | — A Chicago icon will get a new look, and a second chance: Excitement for a second chance for the Thompson Center is "laced with concern" for the Sbarro Urbanists, an informal troupe of Midwest transit nerds, historic preservationists and devotees of the late architect Helmut Jahn, writes Leigh Giangreco for Bloomberg. — Chicago hit with most severe flooding in over 2 years: 'It was just pouring down': "The North Side was slammed particularly hard, with some portions recording up to 5 inches of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service," by Sun-Times' Mohammad Samra and Emmanuel Camarillo. — Video of the flooding, via WGN's Morgan Kolkmeyer — QB Justin Fields rallies the Chicago Bears in the 2nd half for a 19-10 win in rainy conditions at Soldier Field, by Tribune's Colleen Kane — How UIC has cost Cook County taxpayers $1.2M: "The university never told county officials it was leasing to a preschool — which could be on the hook for over $800,000 in property taxes. So the bills kept going to a past tenant — who was allowed to renew his lease despite refusing to pay the county over $400,000 in taxes," by Sun-Times' Tim Novak and Lauren FitzPatrick. — Tribune investigation: Chicago's sewage district fails to warn gardeners free sludge contains toxic forever chemicals, by Tribune's Michael Hawthorne — Sounds familiar: D.C. is combatting teen crime by ramping up curfews: "Hand-wringing over 'root causes' [of violence] gets us nowhere. Neither does a 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' approach. And curfews, however necessary they might or might not be, won't solve the problem of children leaving home to commit crimes," writes Washington Post opinion columnist Colbert I. King. — Lucien Lagrange, architect who designed iconic Chicago skyscrapers, brings studio into new home: "He's joined the Lamar Johnson Collaborative, a subsidiary of Clayco, a national development firm currently working on the Obama Presidential Center and the $8.5 billion O'Hare International Airport modernization project," by Tribune's Brian J. Rogal.
| | 2023 MUNICIPAL RACES | | — Some former Chicago aldermen believe lack of civility is behind city council mass exodus: "While we were on the council, the folks sitting here, we had different viewpoints, but we always were respectful." ABC 7's Craig Wall reports. — Opinion | Enough with the complaining already: Alderpeople mark their departure by whining like teens, writes Sun-Times' Neil Steinberg — Jessica Washington Gutierrez officially threw her hat in the ring over the weekend to run for alderperson of the 30th Ward. She's a familiar face in ward politics, having challenged Ald. Ariel Reboyras four years ago. Reboyras won, but this time there's talk he might retire before the spring election. He didn't immediately return a request for comment.
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | The Cook County Democratic Party is holding a fundraiser Sept. 22 and heading the event are chair Toni Preckwinkle and honorary co-chair Lori Lightfoot. It's not the first time that Preckwinkle and Lightfoot, who faced off in the mayor's race four years ago, have teamed up to support the party. But seeing their names together again, still raises eyebrows and only helps Lightfoot in her reelection bid. Also in the spotlight for the event: Secretary of State Jesse White, who had endorsed the mayor.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Bears' plans for stadium in Arlington Heights excite many suburbanites — but with funding a big issue, economists caution about subsidies, by Tribune's Robert McCoppin and Caroline Kubzansky — What Bears envision for $5B 'magic' makeover at Arlington Park: More seats, more parking and a dome, writes Daily Herald's Christopher Placek
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Defense teams for R. Kelly, co-defendants rest case in federal trial: Jury deliberations are next, reports WTTW's Matt Masterson
| | POT-POURRI | | — Cresco completes sale-leaseback deal in Pennsylvania to free up capital: "The deal with Aventine Property Group provided $45 million to Cresco to reinvest in the company's overall growth," via Green Market Report.
| | WHERE'S RAHM | | — Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan and former mayor of Chicago, is back in town for the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association conference. It's closed to media, but NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern buttonholed him. Emanuel talked about safety issues (in Japan) and when asked if he planned to run again for office, he said "no."
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Larry Shapiro, a longtime Democratic political operative for Congressman Danny Davis, is retiring. Shapiro worked on countless campaigns over the years, including for the late Mayor Harold Washington, former Sen. Carol Mosley Braun, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough (when she was a state rep) and former Maywood Mayor Henderson Yarbrough Sr. Pic! — Jeremiah Joyce's memoir is a journey through Chicago's history, writes Ray Hanania
| | | | Join POLITICO Live on Tuesday, Sept. 20 to dive into how federal regulators, members of Congress, and the White House are seeking to write the rules on digital currencies, including stablecoins. The panel will also cover the tax implications of crypto, which could be an impediment to broader adoption and the geopolitical factors that the U.S. is considering as it begins to draw regulatory frameworks for crypto. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what electric appliance you can't live without (besides your phone): Jennifer Welch, CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois: "My electric tea pot." Donovan W. Pepper, Walgreen's senior director of government relations: "Instantpot and air fryer!" Alison Pure-Slovin, Simon Wiesenthal Center Midwest Region director: "Nespresso coffee maker — or ANY coffee maker." (I'm with you, Alison.) Eugene Daly and Ed Mazur: The microwave. Kathy Posner, civic leader: "I cannot live without my Alexa. She's my alarm clock in the morning, my assistant throughout the day and gives me recipes for dinner." Rey Nonato: Hair-dryer. Marilynn Miller: "A washing machine. Could you get your dirty socks clean by hand?" Jim Cavallero: "My Galaxy Tab. I'm old school when it comes to taking notes." What was your favorite amusement park growing up? Email skapos@politico.com
| | MEDIA MATTERS | | — A slain reporter, a City of Sin and a politician charged with murder: "As journalism and Las Vegas changed, Jeff German stayed true to his style: Build sources, chase leads and leave nobody safe from accountability," via The New York Times.
| | IN MEMORIAM | | Queen Elizabeth: The British Consulate-General Chicago will open a condolence book for the public to sign at consulate offices at 625 N. Michigan Ave. today through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The Royal Family has also opened a virtual book of condolences.
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — McCarthy mows down GOP detractors ahead of speaker bid — but the job isn't done, by POLITICO's Ally Mutnick and Olivia Beavers — 16 weeks left for a heap of questions: Jan. 6 panel weighs its endgame, by POLITICO's Nicholas We and Kyle Cheney — The unexpected ways Joe Biden is ushering in a new economic paradigm, by POLITICO's Ian Ward
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Jonathan Sack is now Midwest government affairs director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He was Midwest campaign director for NRDC and also had been chief speechwriter for former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
| | EVENTS | | — Tuesday at 7 p.m.: The League of Women Voters of Lake County is hosting a virtual forum "Reducing the Plague of Gun Violence, Here, There, Everywhere." Register here — Sept. 28: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy's annual Kelly-Oke fundraiser with karaoke will be held at Jarvis Square. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to political consultant Aviva Bowen for correctly answering that Harvey Kuenn was the final out in Sandy Koufax's perfect game Sept. 9, 1965. Bowen wrote: "Aside from his family, there were few things more important to my late grandfather than baseball (specifically the Cubs) and our Jewish roots." TODAY's QUESTION: What actor and producer came to Chicago, built a theater and went on to become mayor and congressman of the 1st District? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former Cook County Judge Gloria Chevere, singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, Forbes senior contributor on health care Bruce Japsen and University of Chicago economist Richard Thaler. And belated greetings to Dimietha "Dee" Sangster, who's worked in Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch's district office since 2013. She celebrated Sunday. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | 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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