Illinoisans hit the polls as main election day arrives
[ad_1]
Full protection of the native and nationwide main and common election, together with outcomes, evaluation and voter sources to maintain Chicago voters knowledgeable.
The marketing campaign path involves a head on Tuesday.
After months of shaking palms, stuffing mailboxes and flooding the airwaves with adverts, scores of political candidates throughout Illinois will hand their fates to the voters in hopes of advancing to November’s common election.
However many of the local-level electoral drama might be resolved tonight in lots of the contests round deep-blue Chicago, the place a Democratic nomination often indicators clean marketing campaign crusing into the autumn. That’s additionally the case for a lot of Republican-leaning areas of the state, the place a GOP main win can recommend a candidate is nearly as good as elected.
Both approach, it comes right down to the voice of the voters — a voice that hasn’t been particularly loud simply but. Early voting and mail poll numbers recommend a decrease turnout than the previous two presidential primaries, with about 158,000 ballots solid within the metropolis as of Monday evening, in comparison with 244,000 on the similar level in 2020 and 161,000 in 2016.
There’s nonetheless time to alter that, although. The polls are open till 7 p.m., and all mail ballots postmarked by March 19 might be counted.
Right here’s a take a look at the highest races:
Prepare dinner County state’s lawyer
Maybe essentially the most intently watched race of the Democratic main pits former decide Eileen O’Neill Burke in opposition to College of Chicago lecturer Clayton Harris III, a contest that may go away the winner closely favored to interchange outgoing Prepare dinner County State’s Lawyer Kim Foxx.
Operating in opposition to one another within the Democratic March 19 main for Prepare dinner County state’s lawyer are Eileen O’Neill Burke and Clayton Harris III.
Anthony Vazquez and Ashlee Rezin/Solar-Occasions
Each O’Neill Burke and Harris have embraced elements of Foxx’s progressive — and infrequently polarizing — agenda, however O’Neill Burke has positioned herself as a reform candidate taking a more durable stance on crime.
Harris, who has the influential backing of the Prepare dinner County Democratic Celebration, claims his opponent would “take us again to the dangerous outdated days after we had been the nation’s wrongful convictions capital.”
‘Convey Chicago House’
Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t on the poll, however a high precedence on his progressive agenda is.
Opponents say the measure would stifle development — and that it’s ripe for a renewed legal challenge after the election.
Supporters argue that wealthy buyers can afford the tiered hike on purchases over $1 million, and that it’s a small price to help shelter an estimated 68,000-plus Chicagoans without stable housing.
Congressional races
Longtime West Side Rep. Danny Davis could face one of the toughest Democratic primary challenges of his career in a five-way race with especially fierce bids from Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and progressive activist Kina Collins. Teacher Nikhil Bhatia and Kouri Marshall are also vying for the seat Davis has held since former President Bill Clinton was in office.
Running for the Democratic nomination for the 7th Congressional seat from left to right are: Nikhil Bhatia, Kina Collins, Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, incumbent U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Kouri Marshall
Photos courtesy of the candidates
Rep. Jesús “Chuy” Garcia faces his first congressional primary challenge from Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) in their Southwest Side district, while Rep. Bill Foster takes on a bid from attorney Qasim Rashid in a district that stretches to the far northwest suburbs.
And downstate, Republican Rep. Mike Bost is trying to stave off the campaign of former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump who saw the former president’s endorsement go to the incumbent.
Illinois Supreme Court
Reyes says it’s time for Latinos who now account for more than a quarter of Cook County’s population to be represented on the bench, while Cunningham says she has proven herself as a justice since being appointed in 2022.
Cook County gets three seats on the Illinois Supreme Court, and the winner is expected to run unopposed to maintain Democrats’ 5-2 majority.
Statehouse races
The Northwest Side’s 20th state Senate District race quickly emerged as one of the most costly of the primary, with millions flowing to incumbent Sen. Natalie Toro, who was appointed to the post last summer. The Chicago Teachers Union and progressive superstar Sen. Bernie Sanders are backing organizer Graciela Guzmán, while self-funded physician David Nayak and activist Geary Yonker look to play spoiler.
Graciela Guzmán (left), a Chicago Teachers Union organizer who is challenging state Sen. Natalie Toro (right) in the March Democratic primary election.
Pat Nabong and Mitchell Armentrout/Sun-Times
And state Rep. Mary Flowers, the General Assembly’s longest-serving African American lawmaker, is fighting to keep her 31st District South Side seat over Michael Crawford. The challenger is backed by Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who is trying to oust his own caucus member due to allegations of abusive behavior. She denies wrongdoing — and says “I’m not there to serve this guy.”
Cook County circuit court clerk
Incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez has to defend her seat against Mariyana Spyropoulos, a longtime commissioner on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago who has the backing of the Cook County Democratic Party.
It wouldn’t be the first time Martinez has bucked the slated opponent, like she did in 2020 to take office as the county’s top court recordkeeper.
Spyropoulos has slammed Martinez for taking campaign donations from staffers — though the commissioner has acknowledged taking money from vendors for the water reclamation district.
[ad_2]
Source link
