Elections
Democrat Patty GarcÃa faces independent candidate Chris Getty, Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey and Republican Lupe Castillo in the 4th Congressional District race.
This far southwest suburban district provides one of the few competitive races on Illinoisâ heavily gerrymandered political map, and itâs at the center of the latest sexual harassment scandal to rattle Springfield.
The Trump administrationâs moves against Illinois has elevated incumbent Kwame Raoulâs role to defender of the stateâs federal funds, meaning former two-term 2nd Ward Ald. Bob Fioretti has a challenge on his hands.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Republican Darren Bailey and independent candidate Collin Corbett are on the ballot in the race for governor in the Nov. 3 general election.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has served alongside Gov. JB Pritzker since 2018, faces Don Tracy, the former chair of the Illinois Republican Party. Whitfield Harrington Jr. is the independent candidate.
The incumbent Giannoulias is also a frontrunner for the 2027 Chicago mayorâs race, while Republican challenger Diane M. Harris faces long odds in a statewide office.
The last Republican comptroller ceded office a decade ago, when outgoing Democratic incumbent Susana Mendoza was first elected.
The former school board vice president says he doesnât want to try to keep up with the flood of money from special interest groups and their messaging âthatâs completely unrelated to student success.â
Under county ethics rules, thatâs allowed. A Preckwinkle spokesperson said, âResidents can trust that decisions are made in full compliance with the law and in full public view,â and union support âis a reflection of shared values, not a quid pro quo.â
Biggs was fired from her job as principal of Burke Elementary and put on the Chicago Public Schoolsâ âDo Not Hireâ list in 2018. Now, with that employment ban overturned, sheâs running for the school boardâs top position.
Some CPS parents say they want a stronger firewall to protect against electioneering on school grounds. It comes after a nonprofit affiliated with the Common Ground Collective, a group heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks that opposes the Chicago Teachers Union, paid for the DJ at a back-to-school fair and handed out fliers that directed to endorsements.
Quinlan is asking the court to force three mayoral challengers â Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas â to choose between running for reelection or running for mayor.
Victor Hendersonâs ex-wife alleged in 2011 court filings that their son said Henderson hit him, leaving scratches and bruises. Henderson denies that he ever abused his children and says an opponent surfaced the old custody battle to harm his reputation.
More than two years into his weight loss journey, Gov. JB Pritzker says he wants to talk about it, largely in part because he knows millions of Americans are suffering from obesity-related health conditions.
The candidate backed by the Chicago Teachers Union opposes school closures. Two are open to closing schools, but only after hearing from communities. And one pointed to how consolidations can benefit students.
For now, 13 candidates are circulating nominating petitions in hopes of gathering the required 12,500 signatures to secure a place on the ballot. Candidates have until Oct. 26 to file their nominating petitions.
Quinlanâs father and namesake was the ultimate Chicago insider, serving as corporation counsel under former Mayor Richard J. Daley. William Jr. spent three years as general counsel for Illinois until the arrest of then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The decision allows states to continue sending out mail ballots under the same processes theyâve used for years. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas publicly dissented from the brief order.
Bailey â whoâs in a tight spot as he appeals to moderate suburban voters â said he appreciated Trumpâs nod, âbut thatâs not what this race is about.â
Mayor Brandon Johnsonâs reelection campaign announcement at the DuSable Museum Sunday was attended by a âwhoâs whoâ of Chicagoâs progressive activist community.
So far, 24 candidates have signed the pledge, which also calls for eliminating or reducing school screen time, depending on grade level.
On his way out the door, OâShea (19th) bemoaned the changes that have turned the job of a Chicago alderperson from a visible presence in the neighborhoods theyâre elected to represent to part of a legislative body that spends the majority of its time âspeaking out on things that happened halfway around the world.â
It was the first meeting convened since one official was shown being kissed by another after hours in the townshipâs government office building. The event devolved into a shouting match and was adjourned early, but not before threats of a lawsuit.
A fiscal conservative who supports abortion rights and opposes much of the Trump agenda, Corbett says thereâs a middle ground in the rematch between Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey.
Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd), the Workforce Development Committee chair who helped Mayor Brandon Johnson deliver two of the proudest accomplishments on his progressive to-do list, wonât be on the ballot next year.
The Thursday appeal comes after a federal judge in Boston blocked Trumpâs executive order for now. The justices have previously allowed the presidentâs plan to move ahead, but havenât decided whether itâs legal.
S&P Global Ratings cites âgood fiscal managementâ during Gov. JB Pritzkerâs watch, marking the 12th bond rating upgrade in his two terms. The development forced GOP rival Darren Bailey to recalibrate his attacks on Pritzker, acknowledging the upgrade as âgood news.â
President Donald Trump and his allies are pressing hard about the perceived threats of voting by people who arenât U.S. citizens as the November election approach. He wants the Postal Service to send mail ballots only to voters verified as American citizens.
Security cameras caught one public official kissing another after hours at a government office in the suburbs. A rival candidate got wind, and allegations are now flying.
The court filing Friday comes after a federal judge in Boston handed down a new decision blocking President Donald Trumpâs order for two weeks. The whipsawing legal battle unfolding days before the first states begin sending out mail ballots could have major ramifications for the midterms.
