| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | | Presented by |  | | | Happy Wednesday, Illinois. We're getting to that point where the presidential race is all anyone's talking about, my mom included.
|  | TOP TALKER | | If national trends are any indication, early voting could break records this year in Illinois. Already, early voting is breaking records in swing states such as Georgia and North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. “I expect early voting numbers to increase pretty quickly since Chicago and Cook County expanded their early voting locations on Monday,” Matt Dietrich, a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections, told your Playbook host. Illinois numbers: The State Board of Elections’ “Pre-Election Ballot Report” shows 1,179,699 mail ballots have been sent to voters, 431,982 have been marked and returned and 309,524 early votes in person have been cast. Voting by mail has been growing through 2018, when it accounted for 9.2 percent of the total vote, according to Dietrich. Check out the stats; “Those numbers were off the charts in 2020,” when mail and early voting each filled a third of the total vote as voters during that pandemic period tried to avoid crowded polling places, Dietrich said. The numbers went up in 2022, too. “It looks like a lot of voters who discovered voting by mail in 2020 have stayed with it,” said Dietrich, who will be watching to see if vote-by-mail surpasses early, in-person voting as the preferred method of non-Election Day voting. Early voting in Chicago is also rivaling statistics from 2020, according to Max Bever, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. “We are now back on track for early voting in Chicago, with nearly 17,300 people casting their ballot on the first day of early voting in all 50 wards on Oct. 21. We expect to see more than 70 percent of the city turn out to vote for Nov. 5,” Bever said. That number mirrors voting during the previous four presidential general elections in Chicago, he added. RELATED Illinois early voting expands to all 50 Chicago ward sites and more suburban locations, by ABC 7’s Stephanie Wade and Leah Hope
| | THE BUZZ | | BUDGET HEADWAY: The City Council approved a $1.5 billion refinancing plan Tuesday that Mayor Brandon Johnson has been pushing for to help close an end-of-year-budget deficit. “That plan is expected to bring in $110 million in savings by refinancing hundreds of millions in debt under better market conditions and terms. It passed by a 35-12 vote,” report WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel. Will refinancing do the trick? “We know if we do a refinancing deal, we are going to save money. And we’ve been pretty conservative in our estimates,” Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski said, via the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan. Reality check : “Johnson has privately conceded he may have to go back on a campaign promise to not raise property taxes to solve the budget woes, but has yet to say so publicly. He's also weighing asking city unions to accept cuts through either layoffs or furloughs to reduce spending, but could back down amid stiff opposition,” by Crain’s Justin Laurence.
| | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | In City Hall at 2 p.m. for the Purple Promise reception for Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention Month
| | Where's Toni | | At the Cook County Building at 9 a.m. for a program about a proposed resolution recognizing caregivers as key partners in health care Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: skapos@politico.com
| | A message from Capital One: At Capital One, our affordable housing initiatives support inclusive, thriving, resident-centered communities right here in Illinois. We strive to promote individual well-being by financing both the development and preservation of affordable housing, along with services that directly respond to resident needs. From 2020-2023, we provided nearly $378 million in capital for community development across the state – primarily for safe, equitable, and quality housing to help transform resident lives. Learn more here. | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | — Here’s who is running for Congress from the Chicago area, via the Tribune’s Dan Petrella, Olivia Olander and Robert McCoppin — Here’s who endorses each Chicago School Board candidate, by WBEZ’s Kate Grossman — CPS School Board: The race in the Southwest Side’s District 7, by WBEZ’s Mary Norkol — Gen Z voters around Chicago want solutions, not social media vitriol from presidential candidates, by the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout and Mariah Rush — Obama raps Eminem's "Lose Yourself," after being introduced by the rapper at a rally for Harris in Detroit, via MSNBC on X — ��VERY CRAFTY: The Women’s PAC held its fall fundraiser Monday and got crafty making campaign flags and yard signs ahead of Election Day. Hosted at Becky Carroll’s C-Strategies office, board members in attendance included Tiffany Elking, Liz Brown-Reeves, Stephanie Vojas Taylor, Alison Anderson, Kristin Rubbelke and Samantha Brill. Also spotted: Kaitlin Fahey, Jordan Abudayyeh, Brooke Kelley and state Reps. Mary Beth Canty, Dagmara Avelar, Lilian Jimenez and Laura Faver Dias.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Madigan co-defendant’s lawyer tells jury legal lobbying is not bribery, says feds’ view ‘just wrong’: Michael McClain did “perfectly 100 percent legal favors for Mike Madigan,” for the purpose of “building trust and maintaining and increasing access to Mike Madigan,” McClain attorney John Mitchell said in his opening statement, by the Tribune’s Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau and Ray Long. — Madigan’s team shows it’s challenging theory that the former House speaker punished lawmakers who didn’t support him, by the Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and Matthew Hendrickson and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney — Nearly 140,000 Illinois residents sent checks for unclaimed property: 'It is not a scam,' treasurer says: “Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs on Tuesday reminded residents who receive these unclaimed property checks that it is not a scam. “All you have to do is open that envelope and cash that check,’” via the Sun-Times. — More than 1,000 Illinois students are signed up to receive plant-based lunch, a year after law went into effect, by WTTW’s Eunice Alpasan
| | CHICAGO | | — Mayor Brandon Johnson appoints 7th Chicago School Board member: “Rafael Yáñez, a hate crimes investigator with the Chicago Police Department, and the other new appointees will meet for the first time Thursday to review the board’s October agenda,” by Chalkbeat’s Mila Koumpilova. — Chicago named ‘Rattiest City In America’ for 10th straight year: “Los Angeles and New York City have held the other top spots for the inglorious honor since 2017,” by the Block Club’s Mack Liederman. — South Siders urge slowdown on Quantum Computing Campus, by Leigh Giangreco for the Block Club
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Kankakee County Board chair steps down after taking job with firm building controversial EV battery plant, by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner — Landlord tells court she’s been unable to serve eviction papers to Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, by the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan — Cook County commissioners sound alarm on syphilis spike, by the Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn — New Aurora casino construction going well, mayor says, by the Daily Herald’s Susan Sarkauskas
| | | | A message from Capital One:   | | | | | TAKING NAMES | | — Denise Brown, an activist and sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, will keynote the Chicago Bar Association and Wings Inc. “Domestic Violence Summit. Some of the other participants include state Sen. Cristina Castro, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Jesse Reyes, Illinois Atty. Gen. Kwame Raoul and Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans. Details here — Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart received the annual Joyce Fitzgerald Award by A Safe Place, which focuses on advancing the rights of victims and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
| | SPOTTED | | — Nancy Stevenson , a Democratic stalwart and wife of the late Sen. Adlai Stevenson III, was feted for her 90th birthday the other day at the Old Town Triangle Association. Sen. Dick Durbin spoke and Sheila Simon, the former Illinois lieutenant governor, served as the emcee. Also in the room: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Bob Creamer; Democratic activists Bettylu and Paul Saltzman; former Surface Transportation Board member Marty Oberman and Bonnie Oberman; former Democratic DuPage County board member Jane Spirgel; attorney Jill Wine-Banks and Mike Banks; author Regan Burke; Democratic donor Susan Manilow; Democratic organizers Terry Stephan and Barb Guttmann; political consultants Nancy Kohn and Art Friedson ; former Democratic DuPage County board member Jane Spirgel, who served on the unity ticket with Adlai Stevenson in 1986, and Kathy Howlett, the widow of Mike Howlett, who also was on the unity ticket in 1986.
| | Reader Digest | | We asked what your wrestling name would be. Steve Hild : “Diablo Azul... there's a blue and silver lucha mask displayed in the back of my classroom. My students (many of whom are Mexican-American here in Plano) always ask if el Diablo Azul is ever going to make an appearance.. I always respond with a cagey ‘Nunca se Sabe’ (You never know).” John Howell: “Back in the day I was known as the Flying Dutchman, more recently I go by Juan Grande.” Carlton Hull: “C Money.” Kevin Lampe: “The Schaumburgler or the Streetervillian.” Marilynn Miller: “In a play on my childhood nickname of Mairzy Doats, I'd be called ‘The Fabulous Mare-Zee-Doats.’” James Straus: “From the Great Zambini family of fictional wrestlers, I AM Sent-Etta Pfeinholtz with a P.” Timothy Thomas: “Wordsmith: defeats opponents physically AND verbally.” Next question: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen on an airplane? Email skapos@politico.com
| | A message from Capital One: At Capital One, we are committed to changing banking for good here in Illinois. We proudly employ more than 1,700 Chicagoans – who support this city from our offices and Cafés each day.
In the last 10+ years, we’ve provided over 500 grants to nonprofit organizations in Illinois, including programs that focus on community service, education, and workforce development. Our efforts are informed by a long-standing belief that our partners—who are closest to the needs of the community—are best positioned to develop effective and sustainable solutions. Deep community relationships with affordable housing developers, nonprofit organizations, local government, and civic leaders are at the heart of our community programs.
We are committed to continuing to spend with diverse suppliers operating in the state of Illinois, with over $8M in one year period spent with businesses owned by people of color, veterans, and women. Learn more here. | | | | | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | — Resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi passes U.S. Senate almost one year after murder: The resolution was backed by Congresswomen Delia Ramirez and Lauren Underwood and Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, by the Daily Northwestern’s Lily Ogburn.
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Don’t let Trump’s buzzy sideshows distract you from his traditional swing-state strategy, by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky, Jessica Piper and Meridith McGraw — John Kelly says Trump is an authoritarian, disdainful of military sacrifice service and lacks empathy, by POLITICO’s Kierra Frazier — Dems see warning signs for Harris with youth vote in Arizona, by POLITICO’s Megan Messerly
| | | IN MEMORIAM | | | — Robert Helman, helped diversify Mayer Brown client base, dies at 90, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune — Ken Dunn, Hyde Park’s 'zero waste man,' dies at 82, by the Hyde Park Herald’s Zoe Pharo
| | TRIVIA | | TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Andy Shaw for correctly answering that King Peter II, the last king of Yugoslavia, was interred at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery Church in Libertyville in 1970 and repatriated to Serbia in 2013. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the winner — and loser — in a high-profile Illinois political race that imploded when divorce records were unsealed? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Evanston Ald. Devon Reid, The Crusader Publisher Dorothy Leavell, Bel Brands Corporate Comms Director Taryn Williams Clark, University Club Comms Director Amy Carr, , PR pro Elizabeth Neukirch, orchestra leader Chris Sarlas, TMW Center for Early Learning External Affairs Director and columnist Heidi Stevens and Pioneer Press reporter Daniel Dorfman. -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 | | | | |
