News: POLITICO Illinois Playbook: Illinois Dems seek 2nd Latino congressional district

Monday, October 25, 2021

POLITICO Illinois Playbook: Illinois Dems seek 2nd Latino congressional district

Oct 25, 2021

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By Shia Kapos

Presented by Petland

Good Monday morning, Illinois. Let's hope the Bears' terrible loss last night isn't a sign of the week to come.

TOP TALKER

Illinois Democrats didn't just revise the first draft of their congressional map, they offered up a brand new one that pits Democratic Reps. Sean Casten and Marie Newman against each other while also creating a second Latino district.

"In terms of partisanship, this map makes sense," Frank Calabrese, who testified before a Senate redistricting committee in favor of a second Latino district, told Playbook. "The first draft was a gerrymandered map that was not even good for Democrats. Now it's a partisan map that works for Democrats." While the first map could have seen half a dozen Republicans elected to Congress in 2022, the latest map would likely see 14 Democrats and three Republicans elected, Calabrese said.

Thirteen Ds and five Rs now represent Illinois in Congress. But Illinois has to give up a seat after the 2020 census revealed a loss in population.

The draft map, which was released late Saturday afternoon, isn't final. Sources close to the process say they expect a few more revisions, though the new Latino district will stand. The Democratic-led General Assembly votes on it this week during the scheduled veto session. Some other important takeaways from the map so far:

Casten is the biggest loser in this map: It cuts up his current district into numerous pieces, leaving him with 25 percent of his constituency in the new 6th District. Newman, who would compete against him in the newly created district, has 39 percent of her current 3rd District.

Newman's team, who had been outspokenly critical of the first map, is staying quiet on the latest draft. Casten isn't commenting either. Both camps likely see it as bad form to criticize a map that promotes more Latino representation.

Rep. Lauren Underwood is likely happier with what her new district could look like. With more of Naperville included, it leans farther left than the first draft map did, allowing her more of a cushion to get re-elected.

Some strange bedfellows: The latest map puts Republican Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Darin LaHood in a primary. The district appears evenly split geographically, but it's the Trump factor that could play a role in the primary. While Kinzinger has been outspoken about his disapproval with the former president, LaHood is not anti-Trump.

Reps. Mary Miller and Mike Bost have also been placed in the same district. They are both closely aligned in their pro-Trump status, but Bost has decades of experience on first-term Congresswoman Miller.

And Rep. Rodney Davis, of Taylorville, was left in his mostly rural district in central Illinois.

"The move could represent a Democratic effort to keep Davis from mounting a bid for statewide office next year," write WBEZ's Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold. Davis has side-stepped questions about whether he might enter the GOP race to ultimately challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

In northern Illinois, it's the newly created Latino district that is creating the most buzz for recognizing the growing Latino population. A new 3rd District would run east-west and loop in residents from Logan Square on Chicago's Northwest Side and West Chicago in the western suburbs. It would include about 44 percent Latinos and 43 percent whites, according to voting-age constituents.

Rep. Chuy Garcia's 4th Congressional District would see 62 percent Latinos, according to the latest map.

Names already popping up as possible contenders for the new 3rd District seat include Ald. Gilbert Villegas and state Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago), who as chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee praised the remap redo.

"I'm flattered to be considered because my service in the U.S. Marines really instilled in me a deep commitment to this country," Villegas told Playbook, adding, he's not deciding until the final boundaries are drawn.

Aquino told WBEZ: "It's a serious conversation I'd need to have with my family."

ANALYSIS on how the proposed new districts did in past elections, by political consultant Frank Calabrese.

OPINION: Why Democrats have it in for Mary Miller, by News-Gazette's Tom Kacich

Correction: Last week we listed Chicago population numbers and mixed up one fact. The city's white population went up by 8,905 to 863,622, not down, in the latest census.

THE BUZZ

These Chicago residents are trying to revitalize their neighborhood without gentrification: "Earlier this year, two houses were built on South Avers Avenue, part of a homegrown plan to challenge more than 40 years of public policy orthodoxy that has favored renting over owning for the working poor and instead use homeownership as an engine for economic stability," writes the Washington Post's Kyle Swenson.

"Together, a group of local residents and national organizers are planning to build 1,000 units of housing. With $12.5 million already raised and backing from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the two model homes on Avers Avenue are a sneak preview of what local organizers think will transform North Lawndale and inner cities across the country. The idea has already attracted the attention of federal policymakers, and backers are working to get the necessary funding for such projects included in the Biden administration's $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act."

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com

A message from Petland:

HB 1711 needs fixing , because while singularly blocking retail pet sales, it fails to strengthen any animal standards or protections at unregulated puppy mills across the state. Consumers looking for particular breeds will have no choice but to purchase dogs from unregulated breeders or dog auctions – thus perpetuating puppy mills. Responsible breeders and retailers will be heavily penalized while HB 1711 does nothing to address the issue of substandard breeders across the state.

WHERE'S J.B.

At the Thompson Center at 1:30 p.m. to give a Covid-19 update on pediatric vaccinations.

WHERE'S LORI

At City Hall at 10 a.m. to preside over a City Council meeting.

Where's Toni

No official public events.

Covid-19 Update

— State day care workers get vaccine mandate to protect 'babies, toddlers, and young children not yet eligible for the vaccine': "The mandate comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the lowest number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in nearly three months and a continued possible flattening of the overall caseload," by Sun-Times' Rachel Hinton.

— The mighty job of a pandemic health navigator: "Their services are broad — everything from help in applying for unemployment compensation and utility assistance to linking them with food assistance. They also provide information about Covid-19 to dispel myths about the virus and about vaccines," by State Journal-Register's Dean Olsen.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down and who really has the president's ear in West Wing Playbook, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

THE STATEWIDES

— LEGISLATIVE ANGST: Push to repeal parental notification for minors seeking abortions tests Illinois Dems' liberal limits: "Legislative efforts backed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to repeal a quarter-century-old Republican-sponsored law requiring parents to be notified when a minor seeks an abortion have not been an easy sell. Even some Democrats question whether such a move goes too far in pitting abortion rights against parental rights," by Tribune's Jeremy Gorner and Dan Petrella.

— Growing Illinois sports betting market is now keeping company with top states like Nevada: "Illinois' sports betting handle in August was $400,359,760, which trailed only New Jersey [$664,675,859] and Nevada [$427,425,369]. With the revenue data from August being released this month, the nearly $400.4 million wagered was a 8.5% increase from the state's July handle [$369,134,820]," by State Journal-Register's Natalie Pierre.

— Rockford lawmakers make final push to bring new jobs to Belvidere Assembly Plant, by WREX's Tyler Scheuermann.

— Opinion | Dems come up with another plan to elect more judges: Two years ago, state Rep. Carol Ammons pushed — and came close to passing — legislation opening the way for electing more Democratic judges in downstate counties like Champaign. Now Ammons' bill has been re-cast in a plan to create judicial sub-circuits in counties with populations over 150,000. And Champaign County Chief Judge Randy Rosenbaum isn't happy about it," by the News-Gazette's Jim Dey.

— Op-ed | Now is the time to protect ourselves against the invisible threat of lead service lines, writes Natural Resources Defense Council's Jeremy Orr and Plumbers Local 130 UA's James Coyne

FEELING '22

Precious Brady-Davis is throwing her hat in the ring for the MWRD seat being vacated by Debra Shore.

Precious Brady-Davis is throwing her hat in the ring for the MWRD seat being vacated by Debra Shore. | Photo from Brady-Davis campaign.

— Precious Brady-Davis has joined the race for the seat vacated by Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Debra Shore, who has been appointed to a regional position with the Environmental Protection Agency. Brady-Davis is associate regional comms director at Sierra Club in Chicago, though most know her for her work as a transgender activist, for appearing on the reality show "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta." and for writing "I Have Always Been Me," a memoir about her work in the LBGTQ community. She also helped launch a $1.6 million grant to provide outreach, education and testing for HIV for more than 3,000 Black and Latino, gay, bi and trans youth. "I care deeply about public health and environmental stewardship which are the keys to addressing the robust effects of climate change," she told Playbook, pointing to her home on the South Side as being "disproportionately impacted by flooding and access to clean drinking water."

Before the 2022 election, Brady-Davis hopes to be appointed to Shore's seat. "Debra was the first out lesbian non-judicial candidate elected in Cook County and to the best of my knowledge a trans woman of color has never been appointed in Cook County or the state of Illinois," Brady-Davis said, adding electing her to the board "would be historic."

— ENDORSEMENTS: Secretary of state candidate Alexi Giannoulias has secured support from state Sen. Ram Villivalam, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez and Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog. In a statement to Playbook, Villivalam called Giannoulias "a progressive reformer" who will "modernize the office." Hernandez said she can relate to Giannoulias family history of being a child of immigrants. Also endorsing Giannoulias: Kane County Circuit Clerk Theresa Barreiro, Kane County board members Myrna Molina and Monica Silva, Aurora Township Trustee Samuel Núñez, and Aurora Ald. Emmanuel Llamas.

— New GOP reps talk issues during Effingham fundraiser, by Effingham Daily News' Zach Roth

A message from Petland:

CHICAGO

— Lightfoot's $16.7B budget sails through committee, heads to full City Council: "The stage is set for final approval on Wednesday, culminating one of the earliest and smoothest budget processes Chicago has ever seen," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman.

— How Arlington Heights hung a welcome sign for the Chicago Bears: As Churchill Downs Inc. collected bids for the site, "the Arlington Heights Village Board began work on revamping the existing zoning laws to ensure the winning proposal shared its vision for the parcel. They banned certain businesses, put in eco-friendly regulations and made it difficult to sell the property in separate chunks," by Tribune's Karen Ann Cullotta and Stacy St. Clair.

... Opinion and Q&A: Why Soldier Field should stay in Chicago: "Compared with the cost of building in Arlington Heights or anywhere else, the team could spend less to get a reconfigured stadium where one already exists. It's in downtown Chicago, which is capable of generating more public money to support the project, mostly in the form of hotel taxes, than a suburban site could muster. It already has access for cars and public transit," by Sun-Times' David Roeder.

— The mystery of the grubs that ate Welles Park — Even experts are shocked and awed, by WTTW's Patty Wetli.

— Anjanette Young and her attorney demand public release of inspector general, COPA reports on botched Chicago police raid, by Tribune's Paige Fry

— Pat Ryan's insurance brokerage doubles West Loop space: "RT Specialty has inked one of the larger downtown office expansions since the COVID pandemic began," by Crain's Danny Ecker.

— NEW YORK TIMES TREATMENT: Art Institute ends a docent program, and sets off a backlash: "The museum's decision to replace its program for volunteer educators with one that "responds to issues of class and income equity" has drawn criticism," by the Times' Robin Pogrebin.

— For loyal Portillo's customers, IPO puts a new item on the menu: shares in a favorite company, by Tribune's Lauren Zumbach

— Christkindlmarket returns this year and with a new commemorative mug and ornament, by Sun-Times' Miriam Di Nunzio

— Chicago Voted 'Rattiest City' in U.S. for 7th Consecutive Year, Report Shows, via NBC 5

COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS

— Year after going missing, United Airlines exec found dead at Darien forest preserve: "Jacob Cefolia, 50, of Elmhurst, was found hanging from an uprooted tree Friday at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, authorities said. Officials said there were no signs of foul play," by Sun-Times' Tom Schuba.

— No timeframe yet on when Dixmoor water woes will be solved despite officials maintaining 'there is light at the end of the tunnel,' by Tribune's Alice Yin

— Hines VA Hospital marks 100 years with new programs, including COVID and kidney treatments2, by Tribune's Robert McCoppin

DAY IN COURT

— Facebook sneaker page spawned St. Louis-Chicago gun-trafficking network, feds say: "The supplier was a Missouri retiree, Robert Narup, who's accused of illegally selling firearms he bought at gun shows across the country, officials say. Asked why he sold guns that could be used in violent crimes in Chicago, he said, "I like dead presidents" — referring to cash, according to court records," by Sun-Times' Frank Main.

— Toddler was beaten, neglected and once found home alone eating sugar and creamer, prosecutors say during court hearing for couple charged with murder, by Tribune's Paige Fry and Rosemary Sobol

SPOTLIGHT

Opinion | How to (safely) talk politics at work: "Companies need to play a bigger role in allowing for respectful, open dialogues on all topics — even politics. Why? Because we are naïve to think that political discussions aren't already happening at work," writes Joe Szynkowski in the Southern.

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

Reader Digest

We asked for the scariest politics-themed Halloween costume you've ever seen. It always comes down to hair: Rod Blagojevich or Donald Trump.

For tomorrow, How has fantasy football changed your sports viewing habits? Email to skapos@politico.com

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— There's another big Dem agenda holdup: A stalled China competitiveness bill, by POLITICO's Andrew Desiderio and Gavin Bade

— What's still in the Dem megabill? Cheat sheet on 12 big topics, by POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes, Marianne LeVine and Alice Miranda Ollstein

— JFK's nephews urge Biden to reveal assassination records, by POLITICO's Marc Caputo

— During his visit to Illinois: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announces USDA will make a $50 million investment in 105 telehealth and rural distance learning projects across 37 states and Puerto Rico.

IN MEMORIAM

Peers laud former Long Grove president Maria Rodriguez: "Though politics can be a brutal business, Rodriguez never spoke badly about her rivals or anyone else, recalled her husband, Ray. 'She believed that everybody had goodness in them,'" Daily Herald's Russell Lissau reports.

TRANSITIONS

— Natalie Edelstein is joining Gov. J.B. Pritzker's reelection campaign as comms director. She most recently was deputy comms director for Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

— POLITICO's Tina Sfondeles, who's been starring in West Wing Playbook, is shifting to POLITICO's White House team full-time where she'll focus on justice-specific issues: from confirmation fights to federal gun policy and beyond.

EVENTS

— Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.: A livestreamed discussion hosted by A Better Chicago will explore programming to help children and teens thrive. Janice Jackson, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools and current A Better Chicago board member, will moderate. Panelists: Undergraduate College's Aarti Dhupelia, Lion's Pride Mentoring Inc.'s Jasmine Gilstrap, Boston Consulting Group's Marin Gjaja, and Roosevelt University's Allison Slade.

— Thursday: Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi O. Ezike will be honored at the annual National Kidney Foundation of Illinois fundraising gala. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

TRIVIA

FRIDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to House speaker legislative aide Aaron Lowe and Chicago Board of Elections Commissioner William Kresse for correctly answering that Chicago has hosted 25 major party presidential political conventions over the years: 14 Republican conventions, and 11 Democratic.

TODAY's QUESTION: Who were the last two federal district court judges to not attend college as an undergraduate? Email to skapos@politico.com

Presidential pardon moi: Per one of our questions last week, there are actually nine Illinois counties with presidential names: Adams, Clinton, FORD, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Madison, Monroe and Washington. H/t to Mackenzie Eisen, director of Learning Renewal in the governor's office.

A message from Petland:

Illinois families will soon be losing their opportunity to purchase dogs and cats from safe, highly-regulated local pet retailers, such as Petland, who offer their customers the choice of a pet that best fits their needs and provide health warranties. This change is coming because the state's Animal Welfare Act has been updated through HB 1711 which bans the retail sales of dogs and cats obtained from licensed and regulated professional breeders.

But HB 1711 needs fixing, because while singularly blocking retail pet sales, it fails to strengthen any animal standards or protections at unregulated puppy mills across the state. Consumers looking for particular breeds will have no choice but to purchase dogs from unregulated breeders or dog auctions – thus perpetuating puppy mills. Responsible breeders and retailers will be heavily penalized while HB 1711 does nothing to address the issue of substandard breeders across the state.