| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Thursday morning, Illinois. Richard M. Daley, longest-serving mayor in Chicago history, hospitalized but said to be alert and in good spirits, by Tribune's John Byrne.
|  | TOP TALKER | | Richard Irvin's campaign for governor is pulling back on TV advertising in southern Illinois, a huge shift in tactics with less than three weeks before the June 28 primary. "We are reassessing our ad strategy," campaign spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis told Playbook, rejecting the idea that it's a case of a campaign low on cash. (The Republican candidate's campaign does have all that Ken Griffin money coming in after all.) "Richard Irvin's strong record as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, combat veteran and mayor has the Democrats running scared as Pritzker and his Democrat allies are on track to spend the most money in a Republican primary in the history of our nation," Demertzis said in a statement to Playbook. She may not be exaggerating. The Democratic Governors Association has spent more than $15 million attacking Irvin in TV ads and a few million more propping up Bailey as the most conservative in the race. Attacking Irvin or promoting Bailey in the primary is seen as helping Gov. JB Pritzker in the general election. Hey big spenders: Pritzker has spent $17 million in TV advertising; Irvin, $26 million; Bailey, just over $5 million; and Republican Jesse Sullivan and Dan Proft's conservative PAC have bought TV ads, too. It all adds up to a primary that's already seen some $70 million in TV ads. And we have 19 days to the primary. Still in the Chi: Though Irvin has cut off most advertising to the southern part of the state, he's still on Fox News (cable) statewide and he's reduced but still advertising in the Chicago area, where 52 percent of voters live. Recent polling has shown Bailey is making inroads among undecided voters and pulling ahead of Irvin. A political observer who works with Ds and Rs said there are several reasons Irvin could be stepping back from southern Illinois. One, given it's Bailey's home turf, Irvin might have found he's spinning his wheels in an area that's already locked up for his opponent. Irvin's team could be adjusting the creative presentation, or retooling the message. Dollars and sense: It also could be a matter of money. Irvin's campaign has received $50 million from Griffin, a billionaire CEO, and is spending quickly. Is Griffin going to keep opening his wallet? Paper-napkin calculations: Along with the $26 million for TV and radio, two political observers expect Irvin has spent about $8 million on digital ads (you'll notice he's not on Facebook either), and about $5 million on a plethora of mailers. Add a few million dollars for consultants, staffing, polling and office space, and Irvin could have less than $10 million with three weeks to go. (Not much with all that overhead.) Voters want authenticity: The GOP's conservative base generally knows Irvin through his choreographed messaging or hit pieces by the DGA or Proft's PAC. And the news media has focused on Irvin being Griffin's guy. We haven't seen his children, military pals, or residents of Aurora who might give the candidate a human touch. The campaign pivot may bring about a new and improved Irvin who can forthrightly answer if/why he didn't vote for Donald Trump or his views on Roe v. Wade. They're two issues important to primary voters. Say what you want about Bailey, a political observer told Playbook, he hasn't strayed from his "authentic self." And we know where he stands on Trump (big supporter) and abortion rights (big opponent).
| | THE BUZZ | | | 
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, posing with members of the Westside Women for Mayor Lightfoot, took her reelection campaign to Chicago's neighborhoods on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took her reelection message into several neighborhoods Wednesday, saying she deserves another term to finish the job she started before Covid-19 and civil unrest upended her efforts. She reiterated that public safety is her top priority and she defended Police Superintendent David Brown, saying the opponents who want him out "don't know anything" about public safety. "We're one of the few big cities in the country that has actually seen a decline in homicides, in shootings. So I'm gonna abandon ship in the middle of what we are doing? Absolutely not. David Brown is the right leader for this police department in this moment and he's got my full support," the mayor said. And she said she's not afraid of the competition (six other challengers in the race so far): "Her polling has struggled in recent months, particularly with white and Latino voters, but the hard-charging mayor can't be dismissed," writes Tribune's Gregory Pratt. "The fact of the matter is, I'm a Black woman in America," Lightfoot said. "People are betting against us every single day." MORE TAKEAWAYS — A well-choreographed day: "Lightfoot took questions twice Wednesday from reporters, and both times declined to offer specifics about what she would accomplish if she wins a second term. But she did not miss an opportunity to heap contempt on those she sees as preventing progress in Chicago. 'Haters are gonna hate,' Lightfoot said. 'Haters are going to hate,'" by WTTW's Heather Cherone. — VIDEO: Lightfoot speaks exclusively with ABC7 outside Brown Sugar Bakery appearance, by Craig Wall Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I'd like to hear from you: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | At Pan De Vida at 1 p.m. for a ribbon-cutting of New Life Center's new permanent food distribution hub.
| | Where's Toni | | At the South Suburban Humane Society at 9 a.m. to celebrate its grand opening… At the Cook County Building at 11 a.m. to celebrate Abraham Bolden, the first Black Secret Service agent on a presidential detail, who was pardoned by President Biden nearly 60 years after a conviction… At Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. for a committal service to bury indigent residents who came under the care of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — Carmen Navarro Gercone again knocked off ballot for Cook County sheriff. She vows to appeal Appellate ruling to Supreme Court: "Carmen Navarro Gercone, a onetime top aide to Dart who now works for the clerk of the Circuit Court's office, is ineligible to run for sheriff because she failed to obtain a law enforcement certification that is now required for county sheriffs in Illinois under a controversial provision of a new state law, the appellate court ruled. It is the latest ruling in Navarro Gercone's efforts to challenge Dart, which has now seen her pulled from the ballot twice," by Tribune's Alice Yin. — More GOP ad adjustments : "A new series of attack ads have been traded between Illinois GOP Reps. Mary Miller and Rodney Davis in their upcoming primary. The two incumbents are currently airing more than a dozen spots between them, several of which are negative ads that came out this week. The Illinois Values PAC has the highest spend, with a May 23 ad that paints Miller as anti-military, while the next highest spend from the Conservative Outsider PAC calls Davis a 'squish' whose ads about Miller suggest he thinks voters are 'stupid,'" by POLITICO's Marissa Martinez — GOP candidates for secretary of state offer contrasting messages in bid for a post their party hasn't held for more than two decades: " John Milhiser, 52, emphasizes his background as a state and federal prosecutor and says one of his goals is to restore people's faith in government... and Dan Brady, 60, is a funeral director and a state representative from Bloomington who says he will work to improve the nuts and bolts of an office that connects with citizens more than any other statewide agency," by Tribune's Jeremy Gorner. — Partisan balance of state's top court in play: "Four Republicans and three Democrats are vying for the seat previously held for two decades by retired Justice (and former Chicago Bear) Bob Thomas in the 2nd District, which was redrawn to cover a large part of northeastern Illinois, including DeKalb, Kendall, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties," by Sun-Times' David Struett. — Cook County judge removed by voters in 2020 over video wants a return to the bench: "Voters dumped Jackie Portman-Brown after video showed her locking up her 6-year-old grandniece to teach her a lesson. 'Would I do this again?' Portman-Brown says. 'Probably not. But her behavior has been improved since this incident,'" by Injustice Watch's Maya Dukmasova.
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — 19 people — including former alderman's sister — apply to fill vacant 24th Ward Chicago City Council Seat, by WTTW's Heather Cherone. — DuPage County clerk boosts pay for election judges, by Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | Pritzker struts fiscal progress in chamber speech, but leaves out a few things: "In a speech to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Gov. J.B. Pritzker touted the state's fiscal successes but avoided discussing crime issues," by Crain's Greg Hinz.
| | CHICAGO | | — The Chicago government pension hole is worse than we thought: "Pension funds are now more than $48 billion in the hole. Digging out will be an expensive, long-term task," by Crain's Greg Hinz. — Asset sale could yield $1 billion gain for Chicago Skyway investors: "2 firms that control the toll road on a 99-year lease reportedly are looking to sell their interests," by Sun-Times' David Roeder and Fran Spielman. — Deputy mayor for public safety leaving Lightfoot administration after one year: "John O'Malley is expected to be replaced by Elena Goettrich, deputy director of prosecutorial strategies for the Chicago Police Department," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — CPD overhauls controversial system for recording 'positive' interactions with public, by Sun-Times' Tom Schuba — After delays in citywide rollout, electric scooters could come to Chicago neighborhoods as soon as next week, by Tribune's Sarah Freishtat
| | TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES | | — CTA board OKs new monthly pass, brings back the Cottage Grove express route: "The Regional Connect Pass — if it's approved by the Pace board — allows unlimited rides on CTA trains and buses and on Pace the entire month for travelers who have an unlimited-ride Metra monthly pass," by Sun-Times' Jordan Perkins. — CTA commuter who saved a life gets surprised with car, by WGN 9's Chip Brewster and Jenna Barnes
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Aurora Pride parade permit revoked, organizers say: "Police officials announced Tuesday that not enough Aurora police officers had signed up for overtime or extra-duty shifts to provide security. They added parade organizers had not found enough other officers or security workers from other towns and agencies," by Daily Herald's Susan Sarkauskas — Oak Park taking small, studied steps toward reparations : "Oak Park Reparations Task Force and Dominican University are working on reparations survey and study to present to village taxing bodies," by Wednesday Journal's Michael Romain. — Video gambling at gas stations? East Dundee is looking at proposal , by Daily Herald's Alicia Fabbre
| | DAY IN COURT | | Prosecutors ask for more than 25 years in federal prison for R. Kelly on New York racketeering conviction, by Tribune's Jason Meisner and Megan Crepeau
| | CORRUPTION CHRONICLES | | Former Bloomingdale Township highway boss testifies about alleged kickback scheme with excavation contractor, by Tribune's Jason Meisner
| | POT-POURRI | | — Another setback for Illinois weed businesses: "A Rockford judge has put new licenses to grow marijuana on hold, granting a temporary restraining order to a dozen applicants for craft-grow licenses who claim the state isn't following the marijuana law correctly," by Crain's John Pletz. — Chicago's legal weed biz is creating a boon for private security firms: "Here's why you may have noticed a few more security guards lately at your neighborhood dispensary," by Helaine Krysik for WBEZ
| | Reader Digest | | We asked about sentimental political buttons you still hold onto. JPMorgan Chase's Matthew Serafin saved the button from his run for Nazareth Academy Student Council president. It says: "YOVO: You Only Vote Once" (a takeoff of the song "YOLO") ... And Mark Michaels has a real keeper. It's a Nixon button that says, "You can't lick our Dick." When money's short, what's the first thing you cut back on? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — The Jan. 6 hearings' missing man: Mike Pence, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu … What to expect from the first hearing, via POLITICO's national Playbook … Rep. Adam Kinzinger and other Illinois connections, by Tribune's Angie Leventis Lourgos — House Republicans dig in as Dems pass gun package, by POLITICO's Jordain Carney — Obama dials up his warnings about democracy's peril, by POLITICO's Sam Stein and Max Tani — The Supreme Court could end abortion in Michigan. The race is on to let voters have their say, by POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein — Bernie to Dems: Change course before you nosedive in November, by POLITICO's Burgess Everett
| | SPOTTED | | Gov. JB Pritzker and Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who heads the Democratic Party of Illinois, were both spotted at Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller 's annual "Hats Off to South Suburban Women" at Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood the other day. Pritzker and Kelly have made headlines for trying to wrangle the Democratic Party. Also spotted: Secretary of State candidate Anna Valencia, Commissioner Bill Lowry, Justice Cynthia Cobbs, Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson, Country Club Hills Ald. Ricardo Spivey, Midlothian trustee Kathleen Caveney, Park Forest trustee Erin Slone, and Rich Township clerk candidate Sugar Arlene Al-Amin. Keynote speaker was entrepreneur Shital Daftari.
| | MEDIA MATTERS | | Why are book sales slipping in big cities?
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Michael Mansouris is now director of global government affairs for SK Hynix America. He previously was deputy chief of staff for Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger. — Theodore "Ted" Berger has been appointed executive director of Cook County's Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security (EMRS). Berger returns to EMRS, where he was deputy incident commander for the county's Covid-19 emergency operations center. Most recently he was deputy chief of staff at the Cook County State's Attorney Office. — Blanca Campos is the new CEO and first Latina to lead the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois. She most recently was the group's public policy chief. Campos, who starts July 1, replaces current CEO Marvin Lindsey, who is retiring. — Chanelle Bell has been promoted to VP of external affairs at Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana. She is an alum of the program and previously served as the senior managing director for public and community affairs.
| | TRIVIA | | WEDNESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Janice Anderson for correctly answering that Little Cubs Field is located in Freeport and is special for replicating Wrigley field: the ivy-covered brick walls were seeded with cuttings of the famed ivy from Wrigley Field. Also special: kids play there. And h/t to all those who mentioned the Humboldt Park field that also incorporates elements of Wrigley Field. Cubs senior VP Mike Lufrano writes that the scoreboard is reminiscent of the famed Wrigley Field marquee. "The Cubs and Cubs Charities have been proud supporters of both fields and both are located in communities whose love of baseball and softball is second to none. They were among the first investments as part of what is today known as Cubs Charities' Diamond Project," he told Playbook. TODAY's QUESTION: What kind of car did Princess Diana travel in during her 1996 visit to Chicago and who owned it? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | State Rep. Keith Wheeler, political consultant Liz Brown-Reeves, Mesirow chairman and CEO Richard Price, AL Media Strategy's Sandra Hosseini, society blogger Irene Michaels, and lobbyist power couple Matt O'Shea and Sarah Kuhn. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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