| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Happy July, Illinois. It’s my six-year anniversary at POLITICO. Thanks for the fun!
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, left, and Gov. JB Pritzker pose for photos at an event Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Chicago. | Shia Kapos/POLITICO | THE CHATTER: Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia says he shares the concerns of Beltway Democrats wanting President Joe Biden to step aside after his poor showing at last week’s debate. But Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is keeping (mostly) quiet. The debate was “a tough 90 minutes to watch,” Garcia said during a reception ahead of Chicago’s Pride parade, The Chicago progressive Democrat said Biden “has a very important decision to make over the next few days about whether he can continue and complete the campaign and, of course, lead the country forward.” The replacements: “It’s too early to talk” about who might step up for Biden, Garcia said. Though he noted there’s a “solid banner” of Democrats who could, “including our very own governor.” Pritzker’s view: At the same event, the governor dodged a question about whether Biden should stay in the race. Instead, he called Donald Trump “a convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist [and] a congenital liar” and compared him to Biden, who “genuinely wears empathy on his sleeve” and “cares deeply about the American people, so the contrast could not be greater. I think Joe Biden running against Donald Trump, there's no question what the choice is.” The take-away: The governor is one of the notable names popping up as someone who could pick up the mantle should Biden step aside, so Pritzker is sticking to a script of supporting Biden. As POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin points out: Any criticism from a governor who speaks up about their concerns over Biden’s “debilitated candidacy” could be “construed by the president and his defenders as an act of self-interested treachery.” The Illinois factor: The debate outcome doesn’t matter much in a blue state that will back whoever the Democratic candidate is. That doesn’t mean people aren’t talking. Nearly two dozen Illinois Democratic elected officials, donors and political consultants weighed in over the weekend about the post-debate drama. They all acknowledged Biden had a bad night. “Listen, Joe Biden is old and has a stutter,” said Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “But I gotta tell you, his record speaks for itself. It’s not even close who the next president should be.” “He’s been a great president, and I’m not going to say that after debating a liar for 90 minutes that he shouldn’t be president,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly. Some Democrats worry the debate debacle could hurt Biden in swing states. Others are angry that the media zeroed in on Biden’s performance in spite of Trump maligning facts. “It’s a double-standard,” said one political consultant. “It’s ridiculous,” said another insider. The donor factor: John Atkinson, a donor and delegate to the Democratic National Convention, responded to the debate by doubling down and making another donation. Bob Clark, who recently hosted a fundraiser for Biden in Chicago, said Democrats “shouldn’t get distracted” in trying to defeat Trump. And Bruce Heyman, who served as ambassador to Canada during the Obama administration, said he doesn't expect the debate to hurt fundraising. “I'm sure that there are some people that get impacted by various things. But people who are supporting Joe Biden are doing so with a much bigger picture in mind. They're thinking about the things that impact society and impact democracy and impact the world in which we live,” he said. “And I just don't see that changing.” RELATED Biden’s family privately criticizes top advisers and pushes for their ouster at Camp David meeting, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Lemire and Lauren Egan Democrats fear replacement scenarios as much as keeping Biden, by CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere Behind the ‘last firewall’: Hill Democrats scramble to save themselves, by POLITICO’s Rachael Bade
| | THE BUZZ | | | | 
Gov. JB Pritzker waves at the crowd during the 53rd annual Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2024. | Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP | Before he marched in the Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed two pieces of legislation that promote LGBTQ+ rights in Illinois. SB2930 requires nonprofits to publicly report the aggregated demographic information about their boards of directors. “It will help ensure that nonprofit boards better reflect the populations they serve,” said Pritzker before signing the bill during a pre-Pride parade event at the Fat Cat Bar in Chicago. We wrote about the bill here. And HB5507 removes barriers to the process of changing legal gender on a birth certificate. It ensures “the state will recognize all people for who they are,” Pritzker said. RELATED Pride Parade 2024 welcomes massive crowds in first year of shortened route, by the Block Club’s Rafael Perez and Colin Boyle
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
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| | CONVENTION ZONE | | — COUNTDOWN: The Republican National Convention, which kicks off in two weeks, officially takes over the Baird Center next to Fiserv Forum today. The Baird Center will be the media filing center during the convention. Also worth noting, the branding logo is up on Fiserv, too. Pic!
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — Gov. JB Pritzker will keynote the Ohio Dems Family Reunion, put on by the Ohio Democratic Party, on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is also speaking. Funds raised from the event will help register and turn out voters this fall, according to organizers.
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — Changes to driver’s license eligibility for immigrants, gas tax hike on tap July 1: “Motorists who are not U.S. citizens will be able to acquire a standard Illinois driver’s license as the result of a law meant to alleviate a stigma for immigrants in their interactions with law enforcement and expand their abilities to seek consumer services,” by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner. — Full list of laws in effect on Jan. 1, via ABC 7 — Scott Fawell reflects on his prison time after Outcome Health execs are sentenced for their crimes: The one-time chief of staff to former Secretary of State and Gov. George Ryan served time for racketeering and mail fraud nearly two decades ago. "That first day: The first thing you do when you walk into a prison setting, they strip-search you. It’s your first rude awakening,” Fawell told Crain’s John Pletz. — Error in new lung transplant algorithm harmed sick and dying patients, by the Tribune’s Gregory Royal Pratt — Pritzker calls on Federal Office of Mine Safety to investigate Alton sinkhole collapse, via WICS/WCCU — Illinois has worst economic health of any state in the US, according to WalletHub, by the State Journal Register’s Claire Grant
| | SPOTTED | | — Gov. JB Pritzker and first lady MK Pritzker attended Sunday’s Rolling Stones concert at Soldier Field.
| | CHICAGO | | — In Chicago’s tent cities, ‘a multitude of challenges’ to address the city’s rising homelessness: “Sendy Soto, Chicago’s chief homelessness officer, said the homeless in Chicago had nothing to fear from [last week’s Supreme Court ruling that cities and states can ban homeless people from sleeping outside]. The city plans to stick with its housing-first approach to getting homeless people off the streets,” by the Tribune’s Caroline Kubzansky. — Clock has started on five-year plan that'll raise wages for Chicago's tipped workers: “Starting July 1, the tipped minimum wage is increasing from $9.48 per hour to $11.02. Wages for tipped workers will continue to increase annually until 2028 in order to reach parity with the city’s standard minimum wage,” by the Sun-Times’ Amy Yee.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Highland Park shooting victim’s family sues Smith & Wesson, by the Daily Herald’s Alicia Fabbre
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked about your fix-it projects: Charles Keller: “For the second time in my life — and hopefully the last — I replaced a hot water heater. This time I had to learn to sweat copper to get it done.” Jim Lyons: “The faucet in the kitchen sink.” Ed Mazur: “Building a storage shed in our backyard.” Marilynn Miller: "I once installed laminate flooring in seven rooms myself. And last year, I refinished my dining room table. Turned out great." James Straus: “I was determined to replace the plunger handle on my Japanese toilet at home. Three Home Depot visits later, the internet and AI photo search led me to the right place. I tried local first.” Josh Witkowski: “I'm currently replacing the water pump in my Harley Road Glide. It requires disassembly of over half the body of the motorcycle.” NEXT QUESTION: What’s your gardening repertoire? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — The absolute best VP options for Trump, by POLITICO’s Charlie Mahtesian — DOJ readying criminal charges against Boeing for prior deadly 737 MAX crashes, by POLITICO’s Oriana Pawlyk — Young men are swinging hard right in Korea. It’s a warning for America, by POLITICO’s Catherine Kim — Far right victory leaves left-wing French supporters with bittersweet taste, by POLITICO’s Nicolas Camut
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Jake Braun, the acting deputy principal national cybersecurity director stepped down from his post on Friday, POLITICO’s Maggie Miller reports for Pro subscribers. Victoria Dillon, spokesperson for the Office of the National Cyber Director said Braun is stepping down to return to Chicago, where he maintains a faculty position at the University of Chicago.
| | | TRIVIA | | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to John Fritchey and Tara Price for correctly answering that Hertz got its start when Chicago rental car owner Walter Jacobs set up shop after working in the taxi business. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the first Chicago alderman to be convicted of a crime?
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Willkie Farr & Gallagher Midwest Chair Craig Martin, Illinois Gaming Board Policy Director Joe Miller, Assistant Public Defender Lori Roper, Chicago Booth Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship Mark Tebbe and Barbara Stubblefield, senior manager of community outreach at Ardmore Roderick. -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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