| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | | Presented by |  | | | TGIF, Illinois. We made it through a historic political week, now enjoy the weekend.
|  | TOP TALKER | | “ARE YOU READY FOR THE FIGHT?” That was Gov. JB Pritzker’s rallying cry during the campaign. Now, it’s a governing mantra as he, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and other Illinois Democrats brace for the second act of a Donald Trump White House. The Chicago way: “You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker said during a news conference, referring to the minority and underserved communities of Illinois who remember the “chaos, retribution and disarray radiated from the White House the last time Donald Trump occupied.” My full story is here. Schakowsky had a similar message. “We’re ready to fight,” she told me during our Q&A at the Hideout. Calling it out: “Illinois, at this time, is the most progressive and successful state in the nation… and we're going to build on that,” Schakowsky said. “We're going to continue to demand that we get our fair share. And if there is some targeting of Blue states, we're going to certainly call it out and fight against that.” The two veteran Democrats were both asked how it is that their party’s top candidate, a prosecutor by trade, mind you, lost to Trump, a convicted felon. Pritzker said “it’s going to take a while” to understand the data about how voters came to elect Trump over Kamala Harris. About progressives: Schakowsky said it’s unfortunate that voters and Democrats get caught up in who’s a progressive and who’s not, when asked if the election outcome had to do with where the Democratic Party is going. “Take out the word progressive, and let’s talk about what we mean,” Schakowsky said. “People want to be able to buy a home. They want to have a roof over their heads. They want to send their kids to good schools.. … We talk about it as if you have to be a progressive to be for these kinds of things that help people. We have to be better at talking about them.” On their own futures: Pritzker told reporters he’s still mulling whether to seek a third term, saying, “I think that work [as governor] is going to continue. And I don’t have anything to announce today.” And Schakowsky, who won reelection Tuesday and has been serving in Congress since 1999, said she’s still thinking about whether she’ll run again. “I’m not going to be Sidney Yates,” Schakowsky, 80, said of the late Illinois congressman who served until he was 89 (the third oldest person to ever serve in the House). “I will say that I'm not going to run until I'm 90. OK? I haven’t made a decision.” RELATED — The 14 places that explain Trump’s victory, by POLITICO’s Charlie Mahtesian — Chicago Latino community divided by Trump, by the Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa — Illinois’ Democratic leaders vow vigorous defense of personal rights and public policies under a second-term Trump, by the Tribune’s Rick Pearson — Pritzker studies Project 2025 and ponders his future, by the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles — Hundreds rally in Chicago to oppose Donald Trump and express disappointment with Democrats on heels of election, by the Tribune’s Caroline Kubzansky — VIDEO: It was the Democratic brand that lost, not Harris, via POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels
| | THE BUZZ | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: President-elect Donald Trump’s new White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, comes from Mercury Public Affairs, the same firm where former Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos is a partner. Bustos runs Mercury-Illinois and its Midwestern operations and handles federal affairs in D.C. Her firm’s intimate connection to Wiles could be a big plus for Mercury-Illinois, which opened its doors less than two years ago, right after Bustos left Congress after serving five terms. Mercury CEO Kieran Mahoney said Wiles’ appointment as White House chief of staff “is great news for the country. Susie has been a valued colleague. We are all proud of her and wish her the best.” And maybe good news for Illinois, too. Five things you need to know about Susie Wiles, via POLITICO If you are Susie Wiles, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
| | | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | At the All Nations Worship Assembly church at 7:45 p.m. for its convocation.
| | Where's Toni | | No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: skapos@politico.com
| | | | A message from Uber: Uber Expands Safety Features For Drivers. Uber’s CEO met with drivers and couriers to unveil new updates to make their experience safer and fairer. Among them, Record My Ride lets drivers use their phones as a dashcam on trips. Uber also revamped its deactivation processes, enabling drivers to appeal decisions directly in the app. Learn more. | | | | | ELECTION FALLOUT | | — Election night hiccup: Human error led to misreporting showing Budzinski trailing in early returns, by First Alert 4’s Cameron Bopp. Budzinski ultimately won the race by more than 15 percentage points against Joshua Loyd. Two years, ago, she won by 13 points. — More data: Harris won among Chicago voters, but Trump took more than 100 precincts, by WBEZ’s Amy Qin and Alden Loury — Collar county voters back funding for forest preserves, by WBEZ’s Jules Yaeger
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — NOW WE KNOW WHY | Political operative charged with sending sexually explicit images to 2nd legislator: “Timothy Pawula was charged in May with sending obscene and harassing messages to a rival of his boss, then-state Rep. Tim Ozinga — who abruptly resigned without explanation weeks before the charges were announced. State Rep. Bob Rita said he was targeted, too,” by WGN 9’s Ben Bradley. — MADIGAN TRIAL: ComEd lobbyist warned FBI mole to ‘keep Madigan happy’ and not mess with no-work contracts: “Jury in ex-speaker's bribery trial sees undercover videos made by prosecutors’ star witness,” by Capitol News’ Hannah Meisel.
| | TAKING NAMES | | — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Tamar Newberger has been named the new chair of Chicago Sister Cities International, succeeding José Luis Prado . Newberger, a computer scientist with a background at AT&T Bell Labs and Novell, also chairs the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society nonprofit board. Mayor Brandon Johnson praised Newberger for her commitment to “global collaboration.” Newberger was a top Illinois donor to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | CHICAGO | | — 29 City Council members call special meeting to reject Johnson's $300M property tax increase: “The increase would be Chicago’s largest in a decade, but alderpersons hope to force the mayor back to the bargaining table to find other revenue sources, budget cuts, or both,” by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Mayor’s council critics say administration hasn’t taken seriously calls for deeper cuts to be made before property taxes are raised, by the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan — Bracing for a shrinking budget, Chicago’s health department scales back: “ The city’s top doctor says Chicago won’t reopen more mental health clinics next year and won’t have as many EMTs to answer 911 calls instead of police,” by WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch, Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel. — Chicago has picked its first elected school board members. Now it’s Mayor Johnson’s turn to choose: “With 11 appointments and four ideologically aligned elected members, Johnson will still hold significant control over the school system as it transitions out of 30 years of straight mayoral control,” by Chalkbeat’s Reema Amin. — Consumer groups rail against Chicago gas utility as state investigation nears end: “Regulators expected to announce water rate decisions soon, electric grid decisions in spring,” by Capitol News’ Andrew Adams. — Three city-run shelters for newly arrived immigrants to merge into unified system, by WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona-Maguigad and the Sun-Times’ Emmanuel Camarillo — Person in custody for Navy Pier double killing as victims identified, authorities say, by the Block Club’s Melody Mercado
| | Reader Digest | | We asked for ideas on a political reality TV show. Kristopher Anderson: “A show called ‘Before the West Wing,’ following college-age and young Dems and Republicans during a presidential election from Labor Day to Election Day.” Nick Kalm: “A show called ‘Presidential Survivor,’ where all the likely 2028 presidential candidates live together in a house with a limited budget so we could see how they experience inflation and other challenges facing real families.” Charles Keller: “A show where the mayor of a big Midwestern city tries to manage the city while placating all the public sector unions that put him in office and the ensuing hilarity.” Reginald McCoy: “A reality competition where aspiring political staffers compete for a prestigious year-long position as a senior aide to an elected official.” Joseph Monack: “A show where washed up politicians of diverse backgrounds get sent to a harsh island and inexplicably have to solve puzzles for rations of questionably prepared meat.” Kathy Posner: “A show called ‘Civics Island.’ Premise: Contestants from diverse political backgrounds live on an island with limited resources and need to form a government from scratch. They must create laws, establish economic policies, and ensure survival.” Omari Prince: “Chicago City Council Chambers . That’s the name of the show.” Next question: If you absolutely had to sing karaoke, what would be your go-to song? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Florida looks like a Trump administration staffing agency, by POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard and Andrew Atterbury — Trump says mass deportations will have ‘no price tag,’ by POLITICO’s Irie Sentner — The National Archives Museum is under fire for allegedly scrubbing difficult historical events, by Brian Boucher for ArtNet
| | | | A message from Uber: Uber’s Latest Updates Put Drivers First
At an in-person event with drivers, Uber’s CEO announced updates to give them more peace of mind. Uber has started flagging inappropriate rider behavior when drivers report it. The Record My Ride feature allows drivers to capture video and audio during trips, improving accountability and safety. Plus the app also got more hands-free with Siri voice commands, letting drivers focus on the road while staying connected. Learn more. | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Erika Wozniak has joined forces with longtime lobbyists Mike Alexander and John Borovicka as senior VP at Alexander, Borovicka & O’Shea Government Solutions. Wozniak also serves as the legislative director for the State Revenue Alliance and was previously a political adviser on Mayor Brandon Johnson's runoff campaign and was chief of staff to Ald. Samantha Nugent.
| | TRIVIA | | THURSDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to John Straus for correctly answering that McKendree University, formerly McKendree College, was the first college in Illinois, established in 1828. TODAY’s QUESTION: What is the name for the largest concentration of hospitals in the United States? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Today: Ald. Brian Hopkins, former state Sen. and former East Moline Mayor Denny Jacobs, former state Sen. David Luechtefeld, businesswoman and political donor Christie Hefner, political adviser Dick Simpson, business consultant Reyahd Kazm i, , regional political director Kyle Walsh, Blue Cross government relations exec Patrick Besler and PR pros Mika Stambaugh and Amelia Dellos. Raising a glass in memory of political consultant Michael Bauer, whose birthday was today. And Happy wedding anniversary to Judge Nathaniel Howse and Patricia House. Saturday: POLITICO Global Editor-in-Chief John Harris, former Congressman Michael Patrick Flanagan, former state Rep. Sid Mathias, Kirkland & Ellis partner Douglas Gessner, Beer Distributors of Illinois President Bob Myers, systems data expert Chris Belz , Glen Ellyn native and Detroit Free Press investigations reporter Matthew Dolan and CalMatters exec and former POLITICO Trevor Eischen. Sunday: Cresco Labs chief comms officer Jason Erkes, Illinois State Society President Howard Marks , Highland Park City Manager Ghida Neukirch, political adviser Chuck Swirsky, Rodriguez Media Communications CEO Eve Rodriguez Montoya, Wand-TV political reporter Mike Miletich and Crain’s senior reporter Ally Marotti. -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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