| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. We’re in Springfield, where lawmakers will meet for the first time post-election.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | 
McLean County Democratic Party Chair Patrick Cortesi credits focused messaging for election-night wins. | Merlin Mather | KEEPING IT LOCAL : Democrats have been doing a lot of handwringing since last week's election results, but in McLean County it was just fist-bumps. For the first time, Democrats won majority control of the McLean County Board when they unseated two incumbent Republicans in last week’s election — the county otherwise voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris, 51 percent to 47 percent, according to the county clerk. The County Board has been inching to blue. It wasn't so long ago that the county was as blue as they come. Now, there's Republican and Democratic representation in Springfield. In the 2022 election, the 20-member board moved from Republican to being split 10-10. And now, Democrats have a 12-8 majority. The secret sauce: McLean County Democratic Party Chair Patrick Cortesi credits hard work and keeping the messaging local. “We really talked about local issues,” he told Playbook. “When our candidates were going and knocking on doors, it wasn’t ‘Vote for me because I’m a Democrat,’ it was ‘Vote for me because I believe in women’s rights or promoting labor unions or fair wages or the environment.’ It depended on the district, and they all knew their districts well.” Cortesi also credits organized efforts by college students to get out to vote. The ‘keeping-it-local’ strategy is something McLean Democrats modeled after campaigns by Stacy Abrams in Georgia and Anderson Clayton in North Carolina. “Of course, we're proud to be Democrats, and we didn’t shy away from that,” Cortesi said. “But you gotta lead with the issues and then, once you find out they agree with you on the issues, you're like, ‘Well, congratulations. You're actually a Democrat.’”
| | THE BUZZ | | |  Sen. Dick Durbin, speaking during the Democratic National Convention in August, has yet to say if he’ll run for reelection in 2026. | Paul Sancya/AP | DOING THE MATH: Donald Trump’s victory and Republicans likely taking control of Congress are now part of the calculus being considered by Sen. Dick Durbin on whether he’ll run for Senate again. “I’m going to watch and see what this means,” Durbin told the Tribune’s Rick Pearson. “I enjoy serving in the Senate. I’m a realist about the future. But I want to see how the relationship works.” Durbin, who turns 80 later this month , chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, a post that he relishes. He’s been in office since 1997 and is up for reelection in 2026. Now that Dems are likely in the minority in Congress, Durbin will lose his committee gavel, and he told Pearson he hopes South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham gets elevated — though he can “live with” Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley if he’s chosen. Durbin’s reasoning: “What I tried to do when I was chairman for four years at judiciary was to establish some bipartisan standards,” Durbin said, such as retaining the “blue slip” process that allows the home state senator of a judicial candidate to block a nomination. “It was being challenged by my own party. I can go chapter and verse and tell you people who are madder than hell at me because I said I’m going to respect the blue slip because Lindsey Graham told me he’ll respect it if he’s chairman,” Durbin told Pearson. “So it remains to be seen how that works.”
| | 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
| | | | The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | IN THE SPOTLIGHT | | — Sen. Tammy Duckworth, disappointed by Trump victory, hopes for bipartisanship: “That’s what I’m going to be focused on,” Duckworth said Monday after attending a Veterans Day celebration in Belleville. “Obviously, with Donald Trump as president, my work is cut out for me to really work to counter many of his authoritarian tendencies. I will make sure that we maintain the checks and balances in government, and we don’t just have a dictator.” St. Louis Public Radio’s Will Bauer reports. It’s ‘Alive Day’ for Duckworth. Twenty years ago today, she almost died when her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq. “I’m only alive today because my buddies — who thought I was dead — refused to leave my body behind,” she said in a statement. Duckworth, who calls this day “Alive Day,” met with those soldier buddies for a reunion over the weekend. Interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe — Solving mysteries behind unclaimed Purple Hearts may restore medals to families – and one surviving vet, by the Tribune’s Christy Gutowski — Stormy Daniels yuks it up at The Donald's expense in Riverton show, by the State Journal-Register’s Steven Spearie — Column: An exhibition and a book revisit the life and death of Emmett Till, by the Tribune’s Rick Kogan
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — What a second Trump term could mean for housing in Chicago and Illinois: “The president elect’s housing agenda was light on specifics during the campaign, but his former housing czar’s plans are outlined in Project 2025,” by WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang. — Officials aim to bolster Illinois protections as trans Midwesterners consider moving before 2nd Trump term: “State Rep. Kelly Cassidy said there has been a coalition effort to protect trans and reproductive health care, and Gov. JB Pritzker has been a part of that. Now legislators are looking at Project 2025 and Trump policy proposals to find holes in existing state protections,” by the Sun-Times’ Violet Miller. — Should terminally ill patients be able to get help in ending their own lives? The Illinois legislature is grappling with that question, by Harris Meyer for Chicago magazine — Legislation to nix senior road tests not likely to be introduced until next year, by the Daily Herald’s Marni Pyke — Almost half of 87 Great Lakes drownings this year were in Lake Michigan, by the Tribune’s Adriana Pérez
| | CHICAGO | | — Johnson's $300M property tax increase will be "significantly decreased," top mayoral aide says: “Twenty-two of the City Council’s 50 members met Saturday with top mayoral aides, including Johnson’s budget team, to begin negotiations that, some alderpersons said, should have started long before Johnson belatedly introduced his $17.3 billion budget,” by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — The Bears are reconsidering the Michael Reese site for a new stadium: “The financial structure for a Michael Reese campus is not known, but the Bears understand a larger private investment is needed and may hope planting the stadium on a long-vacant South Side development could gain more political support, especially among the Chicago delegation in the state capitol,” by Crain’s Justin Laurence and Danny Ecker. — City officials announce $17.5M expansion of Malcolm X College West in Austin, by the Tribune’s Sarah Macaraeg — Pitchfork Music Fest leaving Chicago, by the Block Club’s Kelly Bauer and Melody Mercado
| | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | | — Cook County official charged with drunken driving: “Democratic Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele was arrested Sunday when officers responded to a two-car crash in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue. Police found an open bottle of wine in her car, and she refused a field sobriety check,” by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and the Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba and Rosemary Sobol. — South suburban casino opens to huge crowds, patrons ‘blown away’ by first look, by the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan — Signatures and name change at center of Naperville candidate petition challenges, by the Daily Herald’s Alicia Fabbre
| | Reader Digest | | We asked what government job would be for you. Graham Grady: “Director of rodent control.” Carlton Hull: “The U.S. Congress.” Kevin Lampe: “Northwest Mosquito Abatement District - Head Bug Zapper.” Mike Lieber: “Air traffic controller.” Jesse Magallon: “CIA agent. I’m a huge John LeCarré fan and love reading and watching espionage pop culture (have to recommend the Gary Oldman “Slow Horses” series on Apple).” Dan Mattoon : “Being an old researcher, director of the National Archives.” Kathy Posner: “A dictator. I would consolidate power through force or manipulation, hold onto authority through intimidation and rely on persuasive propaganda techniques to maintain popular support.” Enza Raineri: “Special events director for the City of Chicago.” Raymond Sendejas: “I think I'm pretty good at my current federal job, as an auditor in the U.S. GAO. But, I also think I'd be pretty good at any job with the U.S. Postal Service!” John Straus: “White House chief of staff.” Timothy Thomas : “Given my work in government service (I’ve retired)., various individuals have suggested I run for local political office. I am inclined to agree.” Patricia Ann Watson: “Behind-the-scenes obscure back office doing intelligence research/investigations and writing reports.” Next question: If you were president, what would your first executive order be? Email skapos@politico.com
| | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Trump plans to nominate Rubio for secretary of State, by POLITICO — Chicago native Ruben Gallego wins Arizona Senate race against Republican Kari Lake, by POLITICO’s Katherine Tully-McManus — Scenes from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago transition, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison — Fed chair is in a position to brush off Trump’s pressure because Wall Street has his back, by POLITICO’s Victoria Guida
| | | | Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy. | | | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Eric Herman has joined Teneo, a large global consulting firm that's growing its Chicago presence. He's spent the past 12-plus years at Avoq (formerly Kivvit and earlier ASGK Public Strategies). Some will remember Herman for his work as a reporter at the Sun-Times. — Allison Peters Quinn is the new executive director and chief curator at Elmhurst Art Museum, by the Tribune’s Doug George — Amber Nettles becomes publisher of the Chicago Reader in January. She’s been associate publisher for the past year. Current CEO and Publisher Solomon Lieberman will retain his role as CEO of the Reader Institute for Community Journalism.
| | | TRIVIA | | MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Kevin Conlon for correctly answering that Dr. Loyal Davis, a Chicago neurosurgeon, adopted Nancy Regan when her mother married him in 1929. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the Peoria native who played major league baseball, managed and went on to be a sportscaster? Email skapos@politico.com
| | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | | Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, economist and Nobel Prize winner Michael Kremer, Baxter International digital marketing exec Mark SooHoo, North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Executive Director Susan Shulman , Stealth AI Startup Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Patrick Hillmann and digital marketing pro Moriah Meeks. -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 | | | | |
