#il-02

Jeff Singer at The Downballot:

The 2026 primary season continues Tuesday as voters in Illinois pick candidates for state and federal offices, including in several Democratic contests that have drawn attention far outside the Land of Lincoln. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin announced last April that he would not seek a sixth term representing this reliably blue state, leading to an expensive and unpredictable three-way battle between Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. The decisions by Kelly and Krishnamoorthi to run statewide in turn set off packed primaries for the House districts they are giving up. There are similarly busy races underway to replace Democratic Reps. Danny Davis and Jan Schakowsky, who are both retiring after close to three decades in Congress. The primaries for these four Democratic-friendly districts, all of which are located in or around Chicago, have been defined by massive outlays from third-party interests. Organizations affiliated with the hawkish pro-Israel group AIPAC, the AI industry, and the crypto sector have been responsible for most of the over $30 million in outside spending that’s been deployed across these four House races. These well-heeled groups aren’t just interested in using their resources to promote their favored candidates and undermine contenders they’re hoping to keep out of Congress. Some candidates who have struggled to gain support have been the involuntary beneficiaries of positive ads that are in fact aimed at diverting votes away from a stronger rival. Many of these PACs have also deployed misleading ads attacking vocal progressives as insufficiently liberal while simultaneously portraying centrists as progressive warriors. Semafor’s Dave Weigel dubbed this approach “bizarro-world branding.”

“What hasn’t changed is that these PACs run on what their strategists believe will play with Democratic primary voters, not what their funders want to achieve,” he wrote. “As a result, watching TV in Chicago makes you feel like a cordyceps fungus has taken over the Democratic Party — imitating its messaging to destroy it, just as the parasite does in the wild.” Below, you’ll find our guide to these five races. We’re also shining a spotlight on the Democratic primary for president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where four-term incumbent Toni Preckwinkle is fighting to remain the leader of America’s second-most populous county.

Today, we have several big primaries in Illinois. The Downballot (of which I am a paid subscriber of) has excellent coverage of the big-ticket races.

Maxwell Evans at Block Club Chicago:

CHICAGO — Donna Miller won the Democratic primary for the 2nd District’s Congressional seat, besting nine other competitors in a crowded field. The Associated Press called the race for Miller about 8:20 p.m. Miller had about 41 percent of the vote with 72 percent of votes counted. She was trailed by Jesse Jackson Jr. — former congressman and son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. — who had 28.6 percent of the vote. Miller, a Cook County commissioner, is now the favorite to replace Rep. Robin Kelly, who declined to run for reelection and instead made a bid for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat. Miller will face Mike Noack, a truck driver from Kankakee County who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in November’s general election. The district has not elected a Republican since 1950.

BREAKING: Robin Kelly wins #IL02 Democratic Party primary. #RobinKelly #Twill #ILPoli #ILNews

Rich Miller at Capitol Fax has the scoop:

This just in… Saturday, Feb 16, 2013

* 8:52 pm - A top source close to Sen. Toi Hutchinson’s congressional campaign confirmed widespread rumors tonight that Hutchinson will likely drop out of the 2nd District special primary race on Sunday.

The reasons are many, including Mayor Bloomberg’s decision to point his massive super PAC right at Hutchinson while backing rival Robin Kelly.

To date, over 5,000 members of this community donated to Robin Kelly's campaign, helping to raise some $100,000. Daily Kos members make up 85% of her total donors.

There's less than two weeks until the special election. Debbie Halvorson, rated "A" by the NRA, is spending her time complaining to right-wing media and taking concealed carry lessons.

Feds announce charges against ex-Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. by

The flood gates that opened after U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned from his seat last November closed on Monday with 22 people filing to represent the 2nd Congressional District.

With the crowded field of 17 Democrats and five Republicans, some candidates were baring their fund-raising credentials to set themselves apart from the pack.

The cadre of candidates is competing in a special primary election set for Feb. 26.

On Monday, onetime state representative Robin Kelly, who resigned from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s staff last month, announced she already raised $200,000 just since December.

Last week, state Sen. Toi Hutchinson announced she raised $130,000 despite December being “traditionally the most difficult fundraising month of the year.” Both Kelly and Hutchinson lauded their fund-raising prowess as a sign of widespread support within the sprawling district that includes the South Side of Chicago, south suburbs and runs down to Kankakee and Will counties.

One-term former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who lost against Jackson in a primary last year, didn’t disclose her total, saying she hadn’t added up the numbers yet. But Halvorson said she doesn’t have to work as hard at raising money to run ads because she’s already gone through the initial introduction to the district.

“People are very sick and tired of the amount of emails they’re getting from all these candidates. I’ve got the luxury of not having to do that,” Halvorson said on Monday. “We’re able to go back and just shore up ... We don’t have to start from scratch where a lot of candidates are in now.”

The wave of candidates interested in the seat came after Jackson resigned from his position in Congress. In his resignation letter, Jackson for the first time admitted he was under federal scrutiny and was in plea negotiations with authorities. Jackson was absent from Congress beginning in June after he said he suffered from bipolar depression.

Longtime political analyst Don Rose said not only will money be important in the race to replace Jackson but how a candidate spends it will be critical.

“There’s no question that fund-raising is important,” he said. “Nobody has a district-wide reputation so they simply [have] to get their message out. Money is a substantial part of the ballgame.”

Rose qualified that, however, pointing out that U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley was far outspent when he ran in a special election in 2009, and he won with about 22 percent of the vote.

Rose said Halvorson is the only candidate to have a district-wide name, having run in the primary and agreed she probably didn’t need to fund raise as much as other candidates.

Other Democrats who have filed by the Monday deadline include Ald. Anthony Beale; ex-con and former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds, of Dolton, who was replaced by Jackson; Victor Jonathan (formerly Victor Onafuye), of Country Club Hills, a South Side pastor; Clifford Eagleton, of Harvey, Gregory Haynes, of Lynwood; Charles Rayburn of Dolton; Anthony W. Williams of Dolton; Fatimah Muhammad of Chicago; Ernest Fenton of Markham; John Blyth of Chicago; Larry Pickens of Chicago; Patrick Brutus of Chicago.

Republican candidates are: McAllister, James Taylor Sr. of Bradley; Eric Wallace of Flossmoor; Paul McKinley of Chicago and Beverly Reid of Chicago.

CHICAGO -- An Illinois state lawmaker who was a frontrunner to replace former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says he's ending his candidacy because he doesn't want the felony gun charges he faces to detract from the district's important issues.

Donne Trotter was arrested Dec. 5 when security screeners at O'Hare International Airport found an unloaded .25-caliber Beretta handgun in his bag.

The Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday voted unanimously to move the special election to replace outgoing Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) to April 9, the Associated Press reports.