| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | ��Happy Thanksgiving, Illinois. We’re off Thursday and Friday — and back Monday.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Mercury's Cheri Bustos and Serafin's Thom Serafin say the annual party will continue even after their companies merge. | Shia Kapos/POLITICO | SERAFIN PARTY: There’s no such thing as idle chit chat at the Serafin & Associates holiday party at Butch McGuire’s. Everyone has an opinion that they want to share at the annual bash for politicians and other political animals. This year’s conversation starters focused on what a Trump White House might mean for Illinois, how the governor and mayor will find a way to balance their respective budgets — American Rescue Plan dollars might be the answer for Chicago — and something about “peace circles” (see The Buzz for more on that). Thom Serafin welcomed guests at the door. Imbibing and nibbling was in order. And the biggest cheer of the evening came when Cheri Bustos, whose Mercury Chicago public affairs firm has acquired Serafin & Associates, announced the party would continue next year. Electeds in the room: Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Jonathan Jackson, Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O'Brien, state Sen. Cristina Castro, Republican Senate Leader John Curran, state Sen. Sue Rezin, Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, state Reps. Jackie Haas and Ryan Spain — and former state lawmakers Tom Demmer, who heads the Lee County Industrial Development Association; Tom Cullerton of Strategia Consulting; and businessman William Marovitz. Also: Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, newly elected Clerk of the Court Mariyana Spyropoulos and outgoing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. As is tradition: Politicians from both sides of the aisle put down their swords (but not their drinks) for the Serafin party. Last night’s proof: Foxx and former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas were spotted mugging for the camera. Pic!
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Alds. Bill Conway, left, William Hall, Bennett Lawson, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and state Sen. Cristina Castro at the Serafin holiday party on Nov. 26, 2024. | Shia Kapos/POLITICO | From City Hall: We didn’t see anyone from the mayor’s office, but plenty of City Council members popped by, including Alds. William Hall, Peter Chico, Bill Conway, Gilbert “Gil” Villegas, Timmy Knudsen and Bennett Lawson. Also spotted: Illinois Chamber CEO Lou Sandoval, Illinois Manufacturers’ Association CEO Mark Denzler, Hinsdale village president candidate Greg Hart, Cresco Labs’ Jason Erkes, Conlon Public Strategies President Kevin Conlon, Dykema’s Scott Selinger, JMD Public Strategies CEO Joe Duffy, Quantum Crossings’s Tom Donovan, attorney Andrew Stroth, attorney Manny Sanchez and civic leader Pat Pulido Sanchez, Strategia Consulting CEO Lissa Druss, Equality Illinois’ José “Che-Che” Wilson, the state treasurer’s Senior Adviser Richard Greenfield, county treasurer’s Research Director Hal Dardick, Urban Center Action’s Juan Rangel, property tax expert Stella Black, and political consultants Aviva Bowen and Richard Streetman. The media stars in the room included the Tribune’s Alice Yin and Gregory Royal Pratt, who took questions about their story out of City Hall on “peace circles.” Also spotted ABC 7’s Sarah Schulte and Craig Wall, NBC 5’s Alex Maragos and Rose Schmidt, WGN 9’s Lourdes Duarte and Ben Bradley, Fox 32’s Paris Schutz, Crain’s Greg Hinz and Steve Strahler, WTTW’s Nick Blumberg, blogger Patrick Pfingsten and the Tribune’s Chris Jones, Jeremy Gorner and Rick Pearson.
| | THE BUZZ | | Unforced errors: Two big stories have knocked the wind out of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. Details are now public about what led to the exit of one of the mayor’s top aides. Comms chief Ronnie Reese was “accused of sexual harassment, misogyny, racism and other abusive behavior before he was terminated,” according to reporting by the Tribune's Alice Yin, Jake Sheridan and Gregory Royal Pratt. Here’s their full story. In a statement, Reese “strongly and unequivocally” denied the accusations. Raising eyebrows: The serious complaints reportedly spanned at least a year, raising questions about the “workplace culture” in the mayor’s office, reports Fox 32’s Paris Schutz. How they handled the accusations: Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas suggested “peace circles” and restorative justice efforts to address the sexual harassment claims, according to the reports. The news comes in the throes of budget talks as the mayor and City Council members work to reach a budget agreement before Dec. 31. Bloomberg’s Shruti Singh: The budget battle is putting the city’s credit rating at risk. “The fight is putting the city’s credit rating at risk, with S&P Global Ratings warning that the likelihood of ending the year without a budget has increased,” Singh writes. If you are Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | No official public events
| | Where's Toni | | No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: skapos@politico.com
| | | | REGISTER NOW: As the 118th Congress ends, major decisions loom, including healthcare appropriations. Key focus: site neutrality. Can aligning hospital and clinic costs cut federal spending, reflect physician costs, and lower patient expenses? Join policymakers and providers to discuss. | | | | | | | TAKING NAMES | | — Gov. JB Pritzker was the mystery buyer who paid Ken Griffin $19M for the top 2 floors of a Near North Side building: The billionaires didn’t let their “political archrivalry” get in the way of doing business, by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and Bob Goldsborough — Village of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has been appointed chair of the National League of Cities’ 2025 Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Federal Advocacy Committee. It’s a one-year term.
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — MADIGAN TRIAL: Solis testimony turns to alleged Chinatown land development scheme, by WTTW’s Matt Masterson — Illinois GOP senators renew calls for IDOC to block illegal drugs from entering prisons, by WAND TV’s Mike Miletich — State watchdog uncovers at least $7.2M in PPP fraud by state employees, by Medill Illinois News Bureau’s Amalia Huot-Marchand — ICC administrative judges recommend Peoples Gas resume paused pipeline replacement program, by the Tribune’s Robert Channick
| | CHICAGO | | — Chicago’s airports prepare for nearly 2 million Thanksgiving travelers, by the Tribune’s Rebecca — U. of C. study praises rollout of city's guaranteed income pilot, by the Sun-Times’ Elvia Malagón — Holy Name Cathedral celebrates 175th anniversary, by Chicago Catholic’s Joyce Duriga — Don’t forget: Small Business Saturday is this weekend.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Mariyana Spyropoulos, the incoming Cook County Circuit Court clerk, will be sworn in on Monday. And we have the scoop on her team. Here’s the who’s who. — Domestic violence judge who released man suspected of killing wife is currently not hearing cases: “Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced Tuesday that Judge Thomas E. Nowinski was not hearing domestic violence cases due to “anonymous threats.” The statement did not mention when or if he would return to the bench,” by the Sun-Times’ Andy Grimm and Sophie Sherry. — DuPage County Board approves $257M budget: “This budget reflects my commitment to deliver high-quality services while making key investments that directly improve our residents quality of life,” DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy said,” by the Daily Herald’s Alicia Fabbre. — Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones candidacy challenge stalls until judge rules on election board composition, by the Daily Southtown’s Olivia Stevens — Homer Glen Electoral Board removes seven trustee candidates from ballot, by the Tribune’s Michelle Mullins
| | | | Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking developments—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what the government gets right that we can be thankful for. Dave Koehler, an Illinois state senator: “Building the nation’s infrastructure.” Janice Anderson: “Government never misses a payroll. The employees always get paid.” G.A. Finch: “Streets, roads, highways and bike trails are well maintained in the Chicago region.” Cynthia Given: “Public parks! No matter where I go in Illinois (currently visiting Chicago and living in Olney), I'm never far from a beautiful park. Whether they're city- or state-maintained, government is getting parks right.” Lucas Hawley: “The Post Office, say what you like about it. At the end of the day you can tell the efficiency of a country's bureaucracy by the success rate of their mailing system!” Charles Keller: “The Constitution of the United States of America.” Dave Kohn: “The U.S. Postal Service. As Bill Maher said responding to USPS critics: ‘You mean the place that’s existed for 200 years, that takes a note in my hand in rural New Mexico, and gets it to my brother’s house in rural Montana a few days later for 44 cents? I wish all government was that inefficient.’” Jim Lyons: “In Chicago, the Sanitation Department.” Ed and Myrna Mazur: “As retirees from the State Universities Retirement System and State Employee Retirement System, having our pension checks directly deposited into our proper accounts.” Mark Rosenberg: “The peaceful transfer of power.” Timothy Thomas: “Our military and the part of the oath of office that pertains to protection from foreign enemies allows me to sleep well at night.” Next question: What’s your holiday tree-trimming tradition? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Republicans’ big idea for remaking public education hits voter resistance, by POLITICO’s Juan Perez Jr. — ‘A shot at the bow’: Trump puts trading partners on notice, via POLITICO — National Association of Realtors $418M settlement over broker commissions approved by judge, by the Tribune’s Lizzie Kane
| | TRANSITIONS | | Brad Tietz has joined Faegre Drinker as director for its Illinois government and regulatory affairs practice. He was at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce as VP of government relations and strategy.
| | | EVENTS | | | — Tuesday: U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is among the honorees at the Global Leadership Awards Dinner sponsored by the Council on Global Affairs. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Diana Turowski for correctly answering that Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties grow the most pumpkins in Illinois — and all combined, they grow the most in the country. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the first Illinois official impeached? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Today: 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman Bruce Leon, NielsenIQ Comms Manager Jose I. Sanchez, Cor Strategies Operations Marshal Ryan Kilduff, economist Charles Manski, educator Ted Wanberg and journalist Robert Reed. Thursday: Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, Executive Ethics Commission’s Patty Schuh, not-for-profit and political fundraiser Lisa Wagner, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago CEO Michael Crowley (a former City Hall’er), PR pro Judy Pardonnet Hilkevitch and John Straus, former head of Illinois Commission on Science & Technology. Friday: Ambassador and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, state Sen. Natalie Toro, Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association Executive Director Dan Kovats, Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter Jr., Walgreens’ Government Relations Senior Director Donovan Pepper and Roberts Enterprise Development Fund CEO Maria Kim. Saturday: Cook County Board Press Secretary Nick Mathiowdis, PR pro Nick Harkin and government affairs pro Michael Reever. Sunday: 2nd Ward Democratic Committeeman Tim Egan, civic leader and auctioneer Leslie Hindman, political fundraiser and connector Sugar Rautbord, attorney and civic leader Manny Sanchez, Major League Baseball counsel Daniel Egel-Weiss, Village Green Advisors CEO Natalie Wyeth Earnest, lieutenant governor’s Senior Legislative Adviser Joe McGee and Playbooker and trivia maven Gail Purkey. -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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