Update: You can find the primary results here. Although the election is over, you might still find this page a useful introduction to Illinois politics.

Note: Since most of the Democrats running in the primary are calling themselves “progressive,”  you need to do some serious research to separate the progressives from the fakers.  I hope this page helps. This is not an expert or comprehensive survey, and it is largely limited to the Chicago-area ballot. .

Voter tools • Why the midterms matter • Identifying the progressives • Governor • Attorney General • Congress • County Assessor • County Commissioners • Illinois House • Illinois Senate • Judges • Democratic State Central Committee • Progressive endorsements • Researching Candidates • Underlying issues: Inequality and Racism

Voter tools

Find your polling place and fill out a sample ballot here  (Chicago only); or here (Illinois, doesn’t include county, municipal, or party races)

Sample ballots:  Chicago;  Cook County; Illinois (or Ballotpedia). Chicago includes Illinois Democratic State Central Committee, but some of the others don’t).

Find your election district here for every office, from Congress to Illinois Democratic State Central Committee. You can also do a web search and find other tools like this one, most useful for Chicago residents — Chicago’s Board of Election site gives you your polling/registration place, verifies your voter registration, gives you a sample ballot, contact info for public officials, and allows you to check status of a vote-by-mail application.

Here are all the offices up for election in Illinois.

Note that elections for Chicago mayor and city council will be in 2019.

The primary election is on March 20, 2018; the general election  is on November 6, 2018

Better Government Assoc. voter’s guide, 

The Campus Vote Project has resources for students and administrators and also student voting guides by state. Students can vote in their home state or in the state and city in which they are going to school. Check out the resources and the “myths” about student voting.

More resources:

Register online, by mail, in person:

https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/agency/register-vote

https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote#item-212645

Find state or local online registration: https://www.usa.gov/election-office

Ex.:Iowa: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/voterregistration.html

• Vote by mail:   in Cook County: https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/agency/vote-mail

Why the midterms matter: Three movements converging

Trump’s election victory in 2016 set three movements in motion which make this midterm election unusual, fascinating and, potentially, momentous: Women are running for office in unprecedented numbers, progressives are challenging establishment Democrats, and both are converging in a broad movement to defeat Republicans at all levels of government throughout the country. Many new voters will come to the polls, and many voters who before only paid attention to a few races will be hoping to see if Democrats sweep the state legislatures and county boards as well as their own Congressional district and state executive.

These three movements also create turmoil within the Democratic Party, which, below the surface unity against the Trump and the GOP, continues to play out a complex power struggle. Women are asserting their claim to power in the Party, and, together with progressives, challenge party elites. All draw strength from, but also are rocked by, the power of mass mobilizations — the Women’s March, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, anti-deportation protests, even a March for Science — that is, any opportunity people have to pour into the streets against the Trump regime. (For more on the contending forces within the movement, take a look at my comments on The Women’s March.)

How do you know who the “progressives” are?

How do you know who the progressives are? It would be simple if we had a “Progressive Party,” and you could just look at their slate of candidates.

 

Instead, we have a Democratic Party which has a largely progressive voting base and, for the most part, candidates trying to sound progressive enough to corral it while still appealing to Wall Street and big-money donors. This is the party’s enduring structural contradiction, the freak monster of the two-party system, with its centrist head telling its leftist body which way to walk. Here I’m thinking of  Men in Black, with the alien Bug struggling to control a refractory human body.

Look at the Illinois Democratic primary for governor, where the three leading candidates all say they’re progressive. They all support a “public option,” a Medicaid buy-in for Illinois residents; protections for undocumented immigrants; (some) free community college; even decriminalization or legalization of marijuana.

This is the party’s enduring structural contradiction: the freak monster of the two-party system, with its centrist head telling its leftist body which way to walk.

What does “progressive” even mean? Part of this question is, how much ideological purity do you expect from a politician, or how many bad votes or positions can you tolerate? If Bernie Sanders isn’t a progressive, the term is politically useless in describing US politics today. Sanders’ primary challenge to Clinton has given us a working definition of “progressive” for today’s politics, and media refer to the “Sanders wing” or the “Sanders-Warren wing” of the Democratic Party. Key markers for today’s Democratic progressives: support for Medicare for All (or better), College for All, Wall Street regulation and aggressively taxing the super-rich, along with the urban Democratic list of anti-racist and anti-sexist positions now adopted by most establishment Democrats. It’s mainly wealth redistribution that separates the progressives from the centrist Democrats. That’s not to say that Sanders has done nothing to make many progressives uncomfortable. (E.g., votes against gun control, support for bombing Yugoslavia and for the 1994 crime act.)

Criteria for progressivism differ even among progressives. So, in the 2016 primary, many feminists and other progressives (e.g., Katha Pollitt) enthusiastically supported Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Clinton campaigned as “a progressive who gets results” and, competing with Sanders, moved considerably to the left. For others, however, she was seen as a neoliberal or corporate Democrat for her past work in Bill Clinton’s administration and her continuing close ties to Wall Street. For them her impressive, detailed platform supporting women and minorities, and her genuinely progressive proposals for the economy, were outweighed by her opposition to Warren and Sanders’ tougher financial regulation, her war-making (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya), her vote for the Patriot Act, and her support for military coups (Honduras).

“Progressive” may need to have a different meaning for us in the street and for our friends in Congress.

Nearly everyone in Congress, including our friends the progressives, will support the National Security State and, while opposing an Iraq invasion, go along with a surge in Afghanistan, threats to North Korea or Iran, and ignore under-the-radar US-supported coups like the one in Honduras.

“Progressive” may need to have a different meaning for us in the street and for our friends in Congress. In the street power resides in independence from political parties and from loyalties to politicians, while in Congress power is constrained always by parties, institutional process, lobbyists and donors, but only sometimes by pressure from the street.

Some notes on candidates and their endorsements

Here are some notes on races of particular interest in Chicago. I’m not going into detail about all their political positions, which can easily be found with a web search. Besides,  some establishment candidates are sounding conveniently progressive, and talk in a campaign is cheap. Some of my focus will be endorsements by establishment or progressive individuals and organizations, which clarify the candidates’ alliances and where they stand.

When it is difficult to identify the authentic progressive candidate, identifying the establishment candidate by their alliances is often easy. The establishment candidates will support or be supported by, or have slightly occult connections to, machine bosses like Michael J. Madigan (Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, chair of the Democratic Illinois State Central Committee), or County Assessor Joe Berrios, or Senate President John Cullerton, or Mayor Rahm Emanuel. They will often have more than one government job, or also a lobbying firm or a law firm specializing in taxes or zoning — watch for the ones who have a lucrative property tax appeal business, a major area of legal corruption. Yet it’s a bit murky at the edges, since progressives who are serious players may sometimes endorse establishment candidates as well as insurgents.

The Candidates

Illinois Congressional races: here

Illinois state races: here

Cook county races here

A website detailing voting records:  On The Issues.

Many advocacy and lobbying organizations keep “legislative scorecards”  and some are here.

Governor: The main contenders — J. B.  Pritzker, Chris Kennedy and Dan Biss — advocate almost the same list of progressive policies, a tribute to the left character of the resistance against Trump.

Pritzker is the anointed candidate of the Democratic establishment, endorsed by both of the state’s senators, the Cook County Democratic Party, and the Illinois AFL-CIO. He is a billionaire heir to the Hyatt fortune, a venture capitalist, a big contributor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and a man who defines establishment politics in the legislature, speaker of the Illinois House and state Democratic Party chair Michael Madigan.

(Pritzker has showered over $700,000 on party organizations and campaign accounts throughout the state. Kennedy accused him of buying support, but really it was just to help local officials do their “get out the vote” work.)

State Sen. Dan Biss has an impressive list of progressive supporters, including Our Revolution-Illinois, MoveOn, Our Revolution-Illinois, National Nurses United, Reclaim Chicago, People’s Action, Black Roots Resistance, National Assoc. of Social Workers-Illinois, as well as Dick Simpson, Lawrence Lessig and key independent Democrats in the Chicago city council and statehouse.  Surprising many, Biss has become Pritzker’s main challenger and outraised Kennedy-family scion and multi-millionaire  ChrisKennedy. His ads attack the “billionaire class” (i.e., Pritzker) and demand they pay their fair share in taxes. Along with Pritzker, Biss has had to overcome support for an attack on state pensions and support for charter schools; unlike Pritzker, who supported pension-busting PACs, he admits he was wrong and now opposes any reductions in pensions (see below for more on why the pension issue matters and listen to an in-depth interview on “Hitting from the Left,” fielding some tough questioning). Pritzker hits him on his low AFL-CIO rating, implying he doesn’t support labor, but doesn’t supply details on Biss’s voting. In this interview in the Chicago Maroon, Biss denies the charge,  supports faculty unions and unions for grad student teachers, and while firm and clear on protecting state-employee pensions, doesn’t mention his now-regretted effort to cut them. In this interview he says his low AFL-CIO rating is due to his no votes on casino expansion and raising electric rates. (His interview with the Chicago Maroon has detailed policy arguments and lays out a clear progressive program.)

Chris Kennedy made an astonishing appeal to Black voters with his attack on Mayor Rahm Emanuel, charging him with responsibility for pushing blacks out of Chicago through a strategy of disinvestment (see below for more on this). He has garnered the endorsements of influential progressives Jesús “Chuy” García and Rep. Danny K. Davis, as well as a long list of prominent Black political figures. Some progressives remember that as chair of the Board of Trustees for University of Illinois he was instrumental in the firing of Prof. Steven Salaita for Salaita’s criticism of Israel’s 2014 Gaza invasion, or his denial of emeritus status to Prof. Bill Ayers. Both Kennedy and Pritzker attack unfair property taxes, but worked the system to shift the tax burden of their properties onto the rest of us. Pritzker charges that as chair of University of Illinois, he also presided over five tuition increases and opposed a faculty union, but now he even supports unions for non-tenure track faculty.

Attorney General

Attorney General Lisa Madigan is not running for re-election, and there are, as of February 21, eight Democratic candidates. Progressive endorsements are split.

Three of the candidates — State Sen. Kwame Raoul and State Rep. Scott Drury  voted for the unconstitutional cut in teachers’ and state workers’ pensions, and former Gov. Pat Quinn signed it, an attack on retirees that was supported by both Democrats and Republicans.  They were trying to cut teachers’ pensions to address the critical shortfalls in the pension funds. Mayor Daley, the state legislature and governors of both parties had created the problem by deliberately underfunding the pensions, and the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the act violated the state constitution). To paraphrase that major in the Vietnam War — the politicians had to destroy the pensions in order to save them.

This matters not only because it was theft of hard-earned compensation: It matters also because it shows you whose side these politicians are on, how willing they are to sacrifice working people to preserve elite interests.

To paraphrase that major in the Vietnam War — the politicians had to destroy the pensions in order to save them.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul is endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Party, the AFL-CIO, and, despite his betrayal on pensions, the Chicago Teachers Union and Rep. Danny Davis. Among his big donors are tobacco and utility companies. (Of course; the Attorney General will oversee the enforcement of the national tobacco settlement in Illinois, which is still being litigated by tobacco companies, and regulates utility rates. Outgoing Attorney General Lisa Madigan claims she saved Illinoisans over $2 billion by opposing utility rate increases.) The Attorney General is the prosecutor defending the people against any law-breaking by polluting coal companies, red light camera operators, the gaming industry, other state senators — all of whom have donated heavily to Raoul’s campaign. Raoul claims his principles will outweigh any consideration to his donors.

Nancy Rotering is endorsed by Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Also receives utility company donations.

Sharon Fairley is endorsed by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, Illinois NOW (jointly endorsing Rotering) and Personal PAC.  The Chicago Reporter credits her with increasing the number of police shootings found to be unjustified when she was in charge of Independent Police Review Authority, then leading its transition into the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). The Reporter pointed out that only Fairley, Goldstein and Rotering want to include community groups (such as Black Lives Matter) as parties to the consent decree the state has negotiated with Chicago.

Aaron Goldstein, a former public defender, was a supporter of Bernie Sanders. He defeated powerful Democratic machine boss Dick Mell for the 33rd ward committeeman post and is endorsed by Progressives of Kane County, the Northside Democrats for America, and Troy LaRiviere. His website promises he will “take on the big banks, corporations, and the right-wing agenda of Donald Trump. … ” The others aren’t threatening big banks, all of which appreciate bank-friendly attorney-generals. Goldstein attacks mass incarceration, police abuse, cash bond from the persepective of a former public defender, and, in a self-funded and small-contribution campaign, calls out Raoul’s financing by donors the Attorney General should be monitoring and ready to prosecute. He calls Madigan a “cancer” on the state and the Democratic Party and says he should step down as Speaker of the House and state party chairman. Naturally, he doesn’t stand much chance.

State Rep. Scott Drury is one of only two Democrats who voted against a state millionaires’ tax.

State Rep. Jesse Ruiz is endorsed by Rep. Luis Gutiérrez. Among his donors are utility companies.

A few Congressional races. 

(No need to talk about the progressive incumbents who are not facing serious challenges:  Bobby Rush (D-IL1) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL9), who are uncontested, and Danny Davis (D-IL7).)

3^rd Congressional District. Includes Bridgeport. Perhaps this will be the most watched race — establishment Democrat Dan Lipinski, the incumbent, is challenged by Marie Newman. Lipinski may be the most conservative Democrat in Congress — anti-abortion, against the Affordable Care Act, marriage equality and the Equality Act (protects against discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity), trans access to bathrooms, against the $15 living wage. But he is supported by the Illinois AFL-CIO for his “lifetime voting record with labor” (Jorge Ramirez, Chicago Federation of Labor) and, in a move that reminds us what “establishment Democrat” means, he was endorsed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Newman was recently endorsed by Bernie Sanders, who is frugal with his endorsements. His statement of support defines his brand: “In Congress, Marie will fight for Medicare for All, a $15 an hour minimum wage, and providing workers with benefits such as paid sick leave, while protecting Medicare and Social Security. She will defend women’s rights, LGBT rights and ensure immigrants have a safe path to citizenship.” She is also supported by Gloria Steinem,Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jesús “Chuy” García, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsy and Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, SEIU Illinois, National Nurses United, Our Revolution-Illinois, Reclaim Chicago, Planned Parenthood and a number of other high-profile progressive and liberal figures and organizations.

4th Congressional District. Includes Logan Square, Humboldt Park. Incumbent Luis Gutiérrez, a member of the Democratic Congressional Caucus, is not running again, and he has supported Jesús “Chuy” García, a decades-long leader of Chicago progressives who almost unseated Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015. García is supported by progressive activists, organizations and officials, including Bernie Sanders and Our Revolution, Democracy for America, SEIU-Illinois State Council. Sol Flores is his main opponent, a founder of La Casa Norte, who is endorsed by Emily’s List. García’s progressive creds originate with his alliance with Chicago’s first and only social justice mayor, Harold Washington, and, later, his progressive challenge to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Flores served on Mayor Emanuel’s second-term transition team.

5^th Congressional District. Includes Lakeview, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, North Center. Establishment Democratic incumbent Mike Quigley was unopposed in the 2016 Democratic Primary. This time he is opposed by Sameena Mustafa. Quigley is supported by the Democratic establishment. Some progressive officials such as Rep. Jan Schakowsky, but also Planned Parenthood, SEIU, and the Sierra Club, also support Quigley, who can vastly outspend his challengers and seems a shoo-in. Sameena Mustafa is endorsed by IVI-IPO, which promotes political independents over Democratic machine candidates; Justice Democrats; Americans for Democratic Action; and Northside Democracy for America.

Q and A on the issues: Mike Quigley, Sameena Mustafa.  Quigley’s votes support urban Democrat agendas, on minorities and immigrants, and gun control. Mustafa supports Medicare for All and expanded Social Security, attacking Quigley for opposing both, for supporting warrantless government spying (FISA section 702 renewal), and adding billions more than Trump asked for the military in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.

Note this candidate endorsed by Our Revolution for 5th district Democratic state Central Committee: Melissa Lindberg. (For more on the Santos-Lindberg contest, see below.)

6th Congressional District. Outside of Chicago (Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry counties); important because Republican Peter Roskam is targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and closely watched by national media. Some two dozen groups formed a coalition to defeat Roskam, most led by women, many of them new to activism and electoral organizing. The groups are not endorsing any of the seven candidates, but are working to register voters and educate them on candidates’ positions.

Cook County Assessor: Frederick “Fritz” Kaegi is the progressive challenge to incumbent Joe Berrios, the Cook County Democratic Chairman. This race is critical for Chicago and Cook County voters. The Assessor’s office levies property taxes. Berrios has been exposed in a devastating investigative series in the Tribune, which detailed how regressive our tax system is. Wealthy homeowners and owners of skyscrapers are taxed at a much lower rate than low-income homeowners, and the regressive taxes are passed on as higher rents to renters. A slew of Democratic officials  and unions endorse Berrios, one of the most powerful pillars of the Democratic establishment.

Kaegi is endorsed by both the Sun-Times and the Tribune, as well as by Bernie Sanders-affiliated Our Revolution, Jesús “Chuy” García, Congressional Representatives Bobby Rush, Danny Davis, Robin Kelly, Bill Foster, County Clerk David Orr, among others.

This race has received unusual media attention because of Berrios’ centrality to the Democratic establishment and the powerful challenge by Kaegi, a political unknown.

Cook County Commissioners

1st District (includes Chicago West Side): Brandon Johnson is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, Reclaim Chicago, United Working Families and Our Revolution, as well as the Chicago Sun-Times,  against incumbent Democrat Richard Boykin. Boykin calls himself a Democrat, but voted to repeal the County soda tax, which led to layoffs of over 300 County workers. The pro-business, GOP-linked Illinois Manufacturers Association funneled $700,000 into the Jobs PAC to tip the election to Boykin and, in the 12th district, lobbyist and zoning lawyer, Fritchey, both incumbents.

7th District. Alma Anaya is running to replace Chuy García and is supported by him and his allies, including the Illinois Nurses Association, Reclaim Chicago, United Working Families,  also by the Chicago Sun-Times. Running against him is Angie Sandoval, daughter of Sen. Martin Sandoval, an establishment Democrat with a powerful organization. Sandoval’s campaign has run an anti-immigrant ad against Anaya and has received political contributions from contractors doing business with the county. Chuy García’s campaign says that “fraudulent palm cards” have been circulated saying he supports “a candidate other than Alma.”

12th District. Machine Democrat John Fritchey is the incumbent, challenged by environmental engineer and lawyer Bridget Degnen. Fritchey is running a smear campaign against Degnen which is funded by the GOP-linked Illinois Manufacturers Association through the deceptively-named Jobs Pac. The IMA injected $700,00 into the dormant super PAC to tip the County Commissioner races to Richard Boykin and John Fritchey. Fritchey and the PAC claim Degnen isn’t a “progressive” because she worked for Rauner (she was hired by Democrat Quinn and continued working for the state under Rauner as well) and didn’t vote for Obama (she says she’s a lifelong progressive, from Peace Corps stint on, and did vote for Obama).

Meanwhile Fritchey skipped 29% of County Board meetings (an $85,000/yr job); he also works as a zoning attorney (despite being on the County’s Zoning Committee) and as a lobbyist, including for the infamous Lincoln Towing Co. and corporate polluter General Iron is a major donor. Degnen says she is a life-long progressive, did in fact vote for Obama in 2008 and 2012, and her progressive credentials are supported by endorsements from the Chicago Teachers Union, Citizen Action Illinois, SEIU Illinois, AFSCME Local Council 31, as well as anti-machine Aldermen in the Progressive Caucus Scott Waguespack and John Arena.  Fritchey doesn’t list his endorsements.

Cook County Commissioner 13th District: Larry Suffredin is supported by Reclaim Chicago. He supported the Responsible Business Act, requiring large corporations to pay $15/hr living wage.

Illinois House: Progressive races to watch

Aaron Ortiz, 1st District (includes South Lawndale, west and southwest side neighborhoods). Ortiz is running against Rep. Dan Burke, a machine Democrat close to Mike Madigan and brother of Chicago Ald. Ed Burke. Ortiz is endorsed by Chuy García, Reclaim Chicago,  United Working Families and Our Revolution. Supports financial transaction tax, Medicaid for all, rent control, restorative justice, ending cash bond, legalization of marijuana.

Theresa Mah, 2nd District (includes Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown). Incumbent, endorsed by Our Revolution, Planned Parenthood, Reclaim Chicago.

Delia Ramirez, 4th district (incumbent Cynthia Soto not running). Endorsed by Chicago Teachers Union, United Working Families, Grassroots Illinois Action, Our Revolution. See interview on Hitting Left.

Anne Shaw, also 4th district. Endorsed by IVI-IPO,  NABET CWA LOCAL 41 and CWA Unified Council of IL, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, political scientist and former independent alderman Dick Simpson, and North Side Democracy for America. Civil rights and immigration rights attorney, Sanders campaign activist. See interview on Hitting Left.

Sonia Marie Harper, incumbent. 6th district.   Endorsed by CTU, Planned Parenthood.

Mary Rita Luecke, 17th district. (Parts of Evanston, Skokie, Glenview, NW suburbs.) Endorsed by Reclaim Chicago.

Rep. Rob Martwick, incumbent, 19th district. Endorsed by CTU, Planned Parenthood.

Christian Mitchell, incumbent, 26th district (lakefront Gold Coast to 91st St.). Primary sponsor of Equal Justice for All Act (end money bonds). Endorsed by Reclaim Chicago.

Will Guzzardi, incumbent, 39th district (includes Logan Square). Unopposed. Endorsed by Reclaim Chicago. An unknown running on a progressive platform, he defeated incumbent Toni Berrios, daughter of boss Joe Berrios, in 2014, in a major blow to the machine on the North Side.

Illinois Senate

Omar Aquino, 2nd District (Humboldt Park, NW Chicago). Supports LaSalle St Tax. Endorsed by Reclaim Chicago. Long list of endorsements, including Reclaim Chicago, Chuy García, Chicago Teachers Union.

8th district, northwest Chicago and suburbs. A ballotpedia “race to watch.” Sen. Ira Silverstein, 20 years in the Senate, was accused of sexual harassment by an activist; the Inspector General cleared him, but said his conduct was “unbecoming of a legislator.” Challenged by Ram Villivalam, endorsed by both the Tribune and Sun-Times, but also by both progressives and not-especially progressives distancing themselves from Silverstein. Included: Reclaim Chicago, National Nurses United, SEIU Illinois, Our Revolution. Villivalam is a former SEIU-Healthcare staffer.

What about all those people running for judge?

Do judges have to buy the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party? “Each election season, candidates running for judge go before the party to ask for endorsements. Once judicial candidates are slated, they are then asked to contribute $40,000 to the party.” Aaron Goldstein, now candidate for Attorney General, called for ending this practice last year in a Sun-Times op-ed.  Maybe the candidates slated by the Cook County machine, run by chairman Joe Berrios, deserve some skepticism.

Someone should compile a Shitty People in Judiciary List. (Take a look at this story.)  Closest thing may be the ratings of bar associations. There are 12  bar associations which rate judges in Illinois. All but the American Bar Association have ratings in the website of the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening: tinyurl.com/2018judges.  I wouldn’t just look at the ratings of the American Bar Association or the Tribune and Sun-Times. These other ratings are by associations for diverse demographics and their ratings vary according to their focus: Asian American, Black Women Lawyers’ Assoc., public interest lawyers (Chicago Council of Lawyers), African American lawyers (Cook County Bar Assoc.), Hellenic Bar Assoc., Hispanic Lawyers Assoc., Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, Puerto Rican Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association).

Injusticewatch.org, which also rates judges, is worth a look also. But I noticed that they have no trouble approving judges endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, or judges who pay the Cook County Party $40,000 in return for getting slated; yet they give a negative rating to progressive immigration lawyer Beatriz Fraust0-Sandoval, apparently because she campaigned with Chuy García.

6th Subcircuit: Stephanie Miller and Charlie Beach are supported by Reclaim Chicago.

14th Subcircuit: Here is one supported by Chuy García, Reclaim Chicago and socialist Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa:Beatriz Ana Frausto-Sandoval, an immigration lawyer.

Democratic Party State Central Committee

You only hear about these races when you get a mailer in your box, but they are important to insurgent groups challenging party elites. And they are opportune races for progressives in Republican districts, where wins can shift the power balance in the statewide party. The Central Committee runs the state Democratic Party, plays an important role in promoting candidates and chooses the state’s Democratic National Committee representatives. The chairman is speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Michael Madigan, one of the state’s most powerful machine bosses. Madigan is financing a smear campaign against progressive candidates for state committee, Elizabeth Lindquist  and Art Bardsley  (Illinois 16th Congressional District, includes DeKalb and Rockford) and also attacking other progressive, pro-Sanders candidates. The mailers say Lindquist and Bardsley “would bring a Tea Party Agenda to our community”  (Linquist supports Medicare for All and Bardsley supports alternative and renewable energy and tuition-free public education and calls himself “an FDR-style Democrat [his] entire life.”)

3rd District. This is Mike Madigan’s district. His district partner in the State Central Committee, incumbent the Honorable Helen Ozmina Barc, is challenged by Rebecca Davies. She was a Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and is co-chair of Illinois Progressive Democrats of America. She is endorsed by Our Revolution and IVI-IPO.

Madigan is also spending heavily to reelect Cynthia Santos in the 5th District, where she is challenged by progressive Melissa Lindberg. Lindberg is endorsed by Our Revolution and some prominent progressives, while Santos has the backing of the machine. That includes Sen. Dick Durbin, who did a robocall for Santos calling her a progressive. We know that’s true because it was paid for by “friends of Michael Madigan.” When Santos was on the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), she missed 25% of her meetings, at the same time working for the Secretary of State and taking art history and fiction writing courses at taxpayer expense. Along with other board members, she awarded contracts to her campaign contributors. Santos was also on the board and refused to answer questions about repeated chemical spills by an oil company to which it leased land.

Endorsements by progressive organizations

Chicago Teachers Union endorses Brandon Johnson, Delia Ramirez, Rep. Sonya Harper, Rep. Rob Martwick. The CTU supports candidates with a social justice agenda and in those who support an elected school board, opppose charter schools and school closings, and support education funding through TIF reform and a progressive income tax.

SEIU Illinois State Council endorses Jesús “Chuy” García and Marie Newman.

National Nurses United endorses Daniel Biss and Marie Newman.

Reclaim Chicago is supported by The People’s Lobby and National Nurses United, and “build[s] Bernie Sanders political revolution in the greater Chicago area.” They endorse three judges (see above for Charlie Beach, Stephanie Miller, Beatriz Frausto-Sandoval); County Commissioner candidates Brandon Johnson (1st), Alma Anaya (7th), Larry Suffredin (13th); state rep. candidates Aaron Ortiz (1st), Theresa Mah (2nd), Omar Aquino (2nd), Christian Mitchell (26th), Will Guzzardi (39th), Mary Rita Luecke (17th); State Senate candidates Ram Villivalam (8th); and Dan Boss for governor; for Congress, Marie Newman  (3rd), and Jesus “Chuy” García (4th).

United Working Families endorses Delia Ramirez (IL-4) and Brandon Johnson (Cook County-1).

Our Revolution Illinois  (Bernie Sanders-affiliated) endorses Daniel Biss for governor, Fritz Kaegi (Cook County Assessor), García and Newman for Congress, Brandon Johnson for Cook County Commissioner. For state rep: Will Guzzardi, Carol Ammons, Delia Ramirez, Aaron Ortiz, Theresa Mah, Mary Rita Luecke, among others.

 How do you research the candidates in your district?

• First, to identify your district and the candidates, go to this site if you’re in Chicago, this one if you’re outside Chicago in Illinois, this one if you’re outside of Illinois.
• The candidates’ websites. More useful when they are specific about policy and not just vague and platitudinous. Most voters ignore these details and candidates’ aren’t bound by anything they say in a campaign. But if they take a truly defining and edgy progressive position, such as support for the Jayapal-Sanders’ College for All Act, I pay attention.
• News media coverage. Beware of what is left out of the frame in corporate media; check out independent and alternative media.
• Candidates’ TV, social media and direct mail ads. Follow Twitter feeds of candidates and political commentators. Their messaging tells you … who they want you to think they are … or at least who their opponents are. Of course, beware of the distortions and smears.
• Research the issues and policy debates in the media, especially progressive media — and then compare what the candidates are saying.
• Who supports or opposes the candidates and why? Often the most revealing indicator. But you may find progressives supporting establishment Democrats, and establishment Democrats supporting progressives, in a chaos of dealmaking.
  • Demographics: What social groups poll in favor of the candidate? What political groupings support the candidate?
  • What organizations — unions, activist organizations, advocacy organizations and think tanks, PACS? Are they progressive, or not? Special interest — whose?
  • What political figures support the candidates? E.g., Sanders-aligned or Democratic establishment figures? Learn who’s who in your local politics.
  • Who is attacking the candidates? If it’s Friends of Mike Madigan, that means the candidate is probably not a creature of the Democratic establishment.
  • Donors: Follow the money to the donors and learn about an Attorney General candidate backed by the utility companies and the candidate backed by big tobacco. A few candidates will refuse PAC money or set caps on individual donations.

You can find my survey of news sources on Chicago politics and issues  here. I find these two sources most helpful in following the conflict between Chicago’s progressives and establishment/corporate/machine Democrats: The Chicago Reader    (Ben Joravsky in particular) and the Hitting Left podcast. WBBM’s At Issue is sometimes useful, but the questioning is not very aggressive. Note the data on fundraising in Illinois Sunshine, a project of The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, and, for candidates with a voting record, Votesmart.org.

Trivia question: Who is in the Congressional Progressive Caucus? Only one senator, Bernie Sanders, and 74 representatives. The Illinois representatives are Vice-Chair Jan Schakowski (IL-09), Danny K. Davis (Il-07), and Luis Gutiérrez (Il-o4) — that is, only 3 out of 17 in the Illinois Congressional delegation, and neither of the Illinois Senators.

The underlying structural issues: Inequality and Racism

Inequality

Chicago has enormous wealth — it is a “global city,” a center for FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate). It is  the third wealthiest city after New York and Los Angeles but also has the same level of inequality as El Salvador. It is also one of the most segregated cities in the United States.

The rise in inequality tracks the nationwide concentration of wealth and power in the 1% and 0.01% since the 1980s. The policies and the political regime are referred to as neoliberalism and are marked by huge tax cuts for the wealthy, privatization of government functions from parking meters to schools, cuts in government services and the social safety net, and deregulation of government functions (translation: cutting health and safety protections, protection of the environment, prosecution of fraud and elite crime, and giving contracts to big political donors). Also on the neoliberal agenda is the destruction of public employee unions. Gov. Rauner refused to sign a state budget for three years to try to force the legislature to weaken public employee unions.

The state election issues are either pushback against neoliberal policies or culture war issues such as abortion access and immigration.

• Taxation: Progressive income tax vs. property taxes and sales taxes; TIF reform
• School funding: Property Taxes; funds diverted to charter schools and private schools 
• Health: Medicaid expansion and buy-in (public option), abortion access
• Funding education: Tuition at public colleges
• Immigration: The Trust Act and protections
• Unions: defend collective bargaining rights

Inequality and racism inextricable in Chicago history.

Note that gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy’s campaign depends on mobilizing the black vote in Chicago. He recently attacked Mayor Rahm Emanuel with this:

“I believe that black people are being pushed out of Chicago intentionally by a strategy that involves disinvestment in communities being implemented by the city administration.”

“And I believe Rahm Emanuel is the head of the city administration and therefore needs to be held responsible for those outcomes.”

“We’re cutting off money for schools, cutting off money for police, allowing people to be forced to live in food deserts, closing hospitals, closing access to mental health facilities,” Kennedy told reporters during a news conference that began as a criticism of the city’s efforts to stop gun violence.

BROWN: Kennedy contends Rahm behind plan to push blacks out of city. Chicago Sun-Times, 1/3/18.

The history of Chicago is a history of the racial engineering of neighborhoods — almost every major urban development decision since the formation of the ghetto included as part of its strategy maintaining segregation in housing (and, consequently, schools).  “As early as the 1919 riot, when African Americans constituted only a tiny percentage of the total population, racism had become the organizing principle of Chicago life. …”—Janet L. Abu-Lughod, “Can Chicago Make It As a Global City?” Great Cities Institute, 2000.

• Immigration: Mayor Emanuel called Chicago a “sanctuary city,” but ICE raids continue, and arrests expose undocumented immigrants to ICE.
• Gentrification: Chris Kennedy charged Mayor Emanuel with responsibility for “strategic gentrification” of the city, which cynics would call a bold play for the black vote. Watch what candidates say about affordable housing and rent control.
• Schools: Diverting funds from public schools to privately-run charter schools was Obama’s policy, as well as Rahm Emanuel’s. Rahm closed over 50 schools and laid off thousands of teachers.  Progressive activists and the Chicago Teachers Union oppose these policies and call for an elected school board to replace the board appointed by the mayor. Watch what candidates say about charter schools and school funding.
• Violence: homicide rate. The result of decades of  disinvestment in minority neighborhoods. Watch what candidates say about investment and jobs, not just gun control.
• Criminal justice reform: Police accountability; sentencing reform; ending mass incarceration, monetary bail. Some prominent Democratic candidates want to decriminalize or legalize pot — also so they can tax it and raise revenue for the schools. Watch if candidates have specific proposals about racial profiling,  elected civilian review board, prosecution of police and reversal of false convictions.
• Tax reform: Property taxes are the main source for school funding. A Tribune series showed that wealthy businesses and individuals have low assessments, placing the tax burden on the poor and middle class. Property taxes are also an engine of gentrification, as increase force out low-income renters and homeowners. The Chicago Teachers Union also calls for TIF reform, a corporate head tax, and a financial transaction tax to fund schools and services.
• Investment in neighborhoods not mainly in downtown business districts, with money directed toward poor and middle class neighborhoods. Harold Washington was the only mayor in memory who tried to redirect investment in this city run by the financial elites.