Campaign 2022: Illinois decides in midterm primary elections

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Illinois) won his primary bid for another term Tuesday night, but in a closer contest than expected.

With 95% of the vote counted, Davis had 52 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District, while challenger Kina Collins had 45 percent. A third candidate, Denarvis Mendenhall, had 2 percent of the vote.

Davis is seeking a 14th term. Collins, a community organizer, is mounting her second primary challenge against Davis. In 2020, Collins defeated Collins and two other challengers, taking 60% of the vote, with Collins coming a distant second with 14%.

Former Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias won the Democratic nomination for Illinois Secretary of State on Tuesday, defeating three other candidates, as longtime Democratic incumbent Jesse White prepares to retire.

With 63% of the vote counted, Giannolias was leading with 53% of the vote over his closest rival, City Clerk Anna Valencia, who had 34%. Chicago Ald. David Moore (17th) and Homewood resident Sidney Moore both were in single digits.

Giannoulias will go on to face Republican Dan Brady in the general election.

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In the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District seat, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau was ahead late Tuesday, with 39 percent of the vote compared with 13,665 for former Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso.

Niki Conforti, Catherine O'Shea, and Scott Kaspar rounded out the filed with 12, 10, and 6 percent, respectively.

The winner will take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.

In his victory speech at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center Tuesday night, Jonathan Jackson was joined on stage by members of his family – including the Rev. Jackson.

Jonathan Jackson thanked members of his family, and retiring U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush for his years of service. He also spoke about his love for the South Side of Chicago.

"The South Side has been left behind, and I want you to know the South Side of Chicago matters. I have heard you loudly and clearly, that people have said as they shook my hand and said they were voting for me, I heard something that echoed over and over again. They said, 'Brother Jackson, don't forget us. Don't forget us,'" Jackson said. "I've been taught to lift as I climb. The South Side is going to Washington, D.C. with me."

Jackson also thanked his parents, saying he will look up to them no matter how far he goes.

In conceding the race, Dowell said she will work with Jonathan Jackson. But she decried "dark money" from outside the district that a cryptocurrency billionaire contributed to Jackson's campaign.

"We need you to mobilize your friends, family, and neighbors to go vote in November," Dowell said. "We need to you fight the disinformation, the misinformation, the dark money that targets our community, and influences our politics, to the detriment – to the detriment – of the people who live in the state, who live in the city, and who live in the First Congressional District."

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi declared victory Tuesday night in his Democratic primary bid for another term in office.

He came out ahead of challenger Kari Steele.

"The voters of Cook County have spoken. Reform was on the ballot and voters have made it clear they want to continue moving forward in repairing our property tax system," Kaegi said in a news release. "I am humbled the voters have trusted me to continue our work in making our property tax system fair and equitable. We have a lot of work ahead. I am grateful and eager to continue serving the taxpayers of Cook County."

Kaegi took office in 2018, defeating former Assessor Joe Berrios.

Illinois State Rep. Dan Brady declared victory Tuesday night in the race for the Republican nomination for Illinois Secretary of State, holding a comfortable lead over former prosecutor John Milhiser.

With 45.6% of the vote counted, Brady was leading former prosecutor John Milhiser 77.6% to 22.4%.

"Tonight has shown that hard work still counts for something in Illinois politics," Brady said.

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U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Illinois) won renomination Tuesday night – but in a different district than he currently represents.

LaHood's 18th District was eliminated, as Illinois lost a congressional seat as a result of population loss in the 2020 census.

The newly-drawn 16th District comprises a large chunk of central and north central Illinois – including Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Rockford, and Galena.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger had represented the old 16th District and is not seeking reelection.

In a statement, LaHood said in part:

"Illinois and America are at a crossroads. The November election is the most consequential of my lifetime as President Biden, Governor Pritzker, and Democrats in Illinois and Congress put our country on a path of decline. As we move past the primary, it is critical the Republicans in Illinois and across the country come together to support our candidates this fall. Working together, we can elect strong Republicans throughout Illinois, take back Congress, and fire Speaker Pelosi for good."

Extremist U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, who just last weekend said the reversal of Roe v. Wade was a victory for "white life," has defeated fellow incumbent Rodney Davis in the 15th Congressional District primary. 

"She is the most extreme of the extreme in Congress," said CBS 2 political analyst and former Illinois Republican Party Chair Pat Brady said  "This is a bad development for the party." Brady added that Davis was due for a leadership role in Congress. 

Miller, who made her "white life" comment at a rally with former President Trump, represents the 15th District and, because of redistricting, she ran against Davis, who represents the 13th District. 

At a rally in 2021 she praised Hitler, but she later apologized for that comment.  Over the weekend, a spokesman claimed Miller meant to say a victory for "right to life."

Jonathan Jackson has declared victory in the 1st Congressional District race, though an official winner had not been called.

Jackson was ahead with 28 percent with 79 percent of the precincts reporting – compared with 19 percent for Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), and 14 percent for Karin Norington-Reaves.

Norington-Reaves conceded the race to Jackson. She issued a statement that read in part:

"I have dedicated my life to public service, advocating on behalf of people most in need and providing critical resources to Illinois' working families. I know firsthand the struggles that we are living through - struggling to pay for everyday items due to rising costs and inflation, and living with a nagging fear for my children's lives, praying they aren't taken too soon due to gun violence. 

"These are the issues I talked about, these are the issues I know we all care about, and these are the issues Jonathan Jackson now has the responsibility of addressing in his campaign. The people of the 1st District deserve a leader who will fight on their behalf. So I hope Jonathan will listen to the voters, work collaboratively with them, and represent this District with integrity and a sense of duty to honor its extraordinary history.

"Although I won't be representing the people, I will still work on their behalf. The 1st District is my home and I will do everything in my power to strengthen and support our working families and adults for years to come."

Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez handily defeated Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) and two other candidates on Tuesday to take the Democratic nomination for the newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District.

With 52.5% of the vote counted, Ramirez was leading Villegas 65.8% to 24%, with Iymen Chehade and Juan Aguirre both in single digits.

Ramirez will go on to face Republican Justin Burau, who was unopposed in the GOP primary.

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U.S. Rep. Sean Casten won the Democratic primary for the redrawn 6th Congressional District Tuesday evening.

Casten fended off a challenge from Rep. Marie Newman – who now represents the 3rd Illinois Congressional District, but instead ran in the 6th after the 3rd was redrawn.

Casten won 63 percent of the vote compared with 33 percent for Newman, and 4 percent for Charles Hughes.

Casten essentially stopped campaigning after the death of his 17-year-old daughter, Gwen, earlier this month. He did not have a victory party, but he did release a statement reading in part:

"In the conversations I had with folks across the district, I found that we have a shared set of values, and voters wanted someone in Congress who would not only stand up and fight for those values, but live up to them. The 6th District is full of people who trust science, believe in democracy, and know that we are only as good as the world we leave to our children.

"We flipped the 6th District in 2018 because of the hard work of the thousands of volunteers who knocked on doors, made phone calls, and did everything they could to show the country what the values of the 6th District truly were. Then, in 2020, we rejected racism and bigotry and chose science, compassion, decency, acceptance, and love.

"Tonight, the people of the 6th District sent a resounding message. We have been given a mandate to continue our fight against the climate crisis, to end gun violence, to lower costs for families, and to protect every woman's right to make her own health care decisions."

In delivering a concession speech outside her campaign headquarters in Countryside, Newman congratulated and endorsed Casten Tuesday evening -- before inviting supporters to drown their sorrows in a tent with lots of beer.

"While this is not the result we wanted, we now have to unite – and I know that's going to hurt a little bit for some folks, but I really need you to do it, because the Democratic Party needs you – and we all need to be together," Newman said.

An ebullient Bailey thanked his supporters Thursday night at a victory rally in Effingham, about 30 miles north of his home in Xenia.

Bailey said his victory sent "a clear message to the establishment and the political elites: we will not be ignored."

"Your voices were finally heard. The voices of working families, parents, taxpayers, law enforcement, and everyday citizens. Voices from the farms, the suburbs, the city of Chicago, and every place in between," he said.

Indeed, Bailey is winning in virtually every county in Illinois, as well as in the city of Chicago, where he got 45% of the Republican vote, with approximately 84% of the vote counted.

However, while praising Chicago in victory, during the campaign, he called the city a "hellhole," and during his time as a state senator, supported a resolution calling on Chicago to be separated from the rest of Illinois.

Bailey said it will be his goal to "Fire Pritzker" in November, blasting the Democratic incumbent's stance on taxes, law enforcement, abortion, and more.

In the Democratic primary for Cook County Board president Tuesday, three-term incumbent Toni Preckwinkle was running away with the race against former County Board commissioner Richard Boykin.

With 86 percent of the precincts reporting, Preckwinkle had 75 percent of the vote, compared with 25 percent for Boykin.

In other primaries for Cook County elected offices, incumbent Fritz Kaegi was ahead as of 8:45 p.m. in the Democratic primary for Cook County Assessor, compared with 45 percent for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Kari Steele.

Incumbent Tom Dart was also far ahead against challenger Noland Rivera for Cook County Sheriff, with 87 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary up against 13 percent for Rivera.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin was upbeat Tuesday evening in conceding defeat to Illinois State Rep. Darren Bailey in the race for the Republican nomination for governor.

"In this race for governor, we may not have reached our goals tonight, but we are victorious for daring to step into the arena," he said. "We dared to step into the arena. We forced the issues we care about to the forefront in this November election."

"I'm a winner just by being a strong competitor for governor of the great state of Illinois," he added.

Irvin also quoted former President Theodore Roosevelt as he shrugged off critics of his campaign, after he went from the consensus frontrunner in the early part of the year, to trailing Bailey by double digits in recent weeks.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, but where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dirt and soot and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort with out error and shortcoming," he said.

Irivn's campaign was bankrolled by $50 million in contributions from billionaire Ken Griffin, the state's richest man, but Griffin announced last week that he was moving his family and his Chicago-based hedge fund, Citadel, to Miami.

While the Griffin camp insisted the move had nothing to do with Irvin's flagging poll numbers in recent weeks, it was no less of a blow to Irvin's image.

Former Illinois Republican Party Chair Pat Brady said Tuesday evening that Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin's gubernatorial campaign was handled poorly.

Irvin lost Tuesday night to Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey pulling ahead in the Republican primary for governor.

Brady said Illinois GOP powerbrokers "wholesale adopted" Irvin – and consultants "shoved (Irvin) down Republicans' throats."

"They just picked this guy, anointed him, and everybody was supposed to buy into it," he said.

Brady characterized Irvin as "a guy that consultants could control," and indeed, Irvin never stepped out of line from what consultants expected – and even changed many of his positions compared with when he was mayor.

"This was the biggest political debacle, the biggest waste of money, I've ever seen," Brady said. "It was all consultant-driven."

Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey cruised to victory in the race for the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, handily defeating Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and four other candidates. Irvin had once been the frontrunner thanks to a $50 million infusion of campaign cash from billionaire Ken Griffin.

With 23.5% of the vote counted, CBS News is projecting Bailey as the winner, leading Irvin 49.5% to 17.8%, with venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan in third, at 17.8%, just a few dozen votes behind Irvin.

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The Associated Press is projecting Gov. JB Pritzker has won the Democratic nomination for governor in the Illinois primary election, setting him up to face the winner of the six-way Republican race, where Illinois State Sen. Darren Bailey is leading in early results.

Pritzker led challenger Beverly Miles 93% to 7% in early returns.

Shortly after being declared the winner of the Democratic nomination in his bid for re-election, Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated his victory with a statement from his campaign spokeswoman, Natalie Edelstein:

"Four years ago, Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton told Illinoisians they would work tirelessly to put Springfield back on the side of working families––and today's resounding primary victory is proof that voters are eager to continue this progress,"

"They've passed bold legislation to raise the minimum wage, improve our roads and bridges, protect reproductive rights, expand access to health care, child care, and education, and get our state's fiscal house in order. They've eliminated our bill backlog, earned six credit upgrades for Illinois, and rebuilt state government after it was hollowed out by Republican Bruce Rauner. And in the face of rising right-wing extremism, Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton are the only candidates ready to fight back to protect the rights of women, Black and brown Americans, our LGBTQ+ neighbors, union workers, and every Illinoisan who wishes to live a life of their own design. Governor Pritzker and Lt. Governor Stratton understand what is at stake in November and remain committed to making government work for working families."

CHICAGO (CBS) – Voter turnout in the city of Chicago was a meager 20% when the polls closed on Tuesday, Election Day for several county, state and federal primary races.

A total of 299,490 ballots have been counted in the city as of 7 p.m. on Election Day, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Those numbers don't include mail-in ballots that could have been mailed in by Tuesday's deadline, but have yet to arrive at the board. Turnout numbers also could increase slightly as officials begin counting votes.

The board also released data on voter demographics. Voters between the ages of 65 and 74 cast the most amount of ballots as of 7 p.m. on Tuesday with 62,447.

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In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion was expected to be a major motivation for voters on both sides.

Abortion remains legal in Illinois. Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker last year signed legislation establishing abortion as a "fundamental right" for women in Illinois, to protect abortion access if Roe v. Wade were struck down.

Pritzker said he is working with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon to call the state legislature into special session in the coming weeks to take "swift action to further enshrine our commitment to reproductive health care rights and protections."

Pritzker's Democratic primary challenger, Beverly Miles, is also pro-abortion rights.  

All six Republican candidates for governor are against abortion, but they differ when it comes to supporting abortion if the mother's life is in danger, or in cases of rape or incest. 

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan, Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, businessman Gary Rabine and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf support abortion if a mother's life is in danger.

Irvin, Sullivan, and Schimpf also support abortion in cases of rape and incest. Rabine does not.

Bailey's campaign manager didn't directly answer the question about abortion in cases rape or incest, but would only say Bailey would back legislation supporting the expectant mother and saving unborn lives. Bailey elaborated on his policy beliefs to CBS 2's Tim McNicholas this week.

He called the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade "a welcome move because that right belongs to the states, number one. And number two, I think we both know the current legislature is not going to allow that to happen. So I think we do something different."

He continued: "We get rid of taxpayer funded abortion. We return parental notification. And then we work with churches, civic groups and religious organizations. And I've already been talking to some wonderful groups on the South Side of Chicago to work to make sure abortion here in Illinois becomes unnecessary."

Meanwhile, there are 17 Democratic candidates running to replace Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois) in the 1st Congressional District, and all support abortion rights except one. Pastor Chris Butler does not support abortion and issued the following statement following the Dobbs decision:

"Today's Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey initiates a momentous shift in this nation's landscape. While I am thankful for the protection that pre-born children will receive in many states in this new post-Roe environment, I want to emphasize that this change signals the need for this nation to adopt a new way forward in how it deals with the issue of abortion. Now that the question of how to address this issue is sent back to the people and their elected representatives, we cannot let the political class continue to capitalize on dividing Americans with inflammatory rhetoric and false binaries. Americans know that abortion ends precious lives, but they also recognize that vulnerable expectant parents, facing record-high costs of living, unaffordable healthcare, inaccessible childcare, and more need support. We need to adopt a holistic approach that meets the needs of our families. This means opting for (1) real conversations, listening to the concerns of the diverse families who face abortion decisions, (2) unprecedented investment in these families, offering them real support and empowering them to choose life for their pre-born children, and (3) a fresh group of leaders who can move beyond the old paradigm and bring real change. I have taken this approach since the beginning of my campaign, and plan to continue to do so in Congress. I hope the rest of this nation's leaders join me."

Former U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, also a Democrat who does not endorse abortion rights, endorsed Butler.

WVON radio host and political commentator Kimberley Egonmwan noted that there has not been a lot of polling in the 1st Congressional District race, and it is not clear how important the issue will be.

The issue of abortion even became central in campaign advertising for the Illinois Secretary of State's office. Candidates Alexi Giannoulias and Anna Valencia put out ads comparing their records on abortion, but went each to on set themselves up as being in a position to save abortion rights for Illinois.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush is retiring when his term ends next winter, and a crowded field has emerged to replace him in the 1st Congressional District.

There are four candidates on the Republican side, and 17 on the Democratic side. Among the Democrats is Jonathan Jackson, the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

As CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reported Tuesday evening, Jonathan Jackson has job creation on the top of his platform.

Also among the challengers is longtime Illinois state Sen. Jacqui Collins. Collins is endorsed by her pastor, the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina.

Collins' platform emphasizes fighting violence, gun trafficking and ghost guns.

Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) is also in the race. As CBS 2's Jim Williams reported, Dowell was running for Illinois Secretary of State when Rush announced he would not seek reelection.

Dowell quickly switched gears and jumped into the 1st District congressional race. One aide said Dowell wanted to continue to work in a legislative body.

Dowell has been alderman for 15 years. Before that, she was a deputy commissioner in the city's Department of Planning and Development.

Karin Norington-Reeves got a big boost when she was endorsed by Rep. Rush himself. Norington-Reeves on leave as chief executive officer of Chicago-Cook Workforce Partnership.

She has never held elective office, but says she knows how to navigate the political world - as she oversees federal employment and job training funds.

The Democratic field also includes teacher Kirby Birgans; Pastor Chris Butler; community activist and My Block, My Hood, My City founder Jahmal Cole; entrepreneur and banking professional Steven DeJoie; attorney and professor Cassandra Goodrum; educator, negotiator, and activist Terre Layng Rosner; minister Marcus Lewis; violence intervention expert Dr. Ameena Matthews; real estate broker Robert Palmer; realtor Nykea Pippion McGriff; Black Bench founder and former Chicago Board of Elections commissioner Jonathan Swain; workforce development manager Michael Thompson; and former Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority deputy director and chief of staff Charise Williams.

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When Illinois Democrats drew up new congressional maps for Illinois after the 2020 Census, they redrew the 3rd District to create the state's second district likely to elect a Latino to Congress, to capitalize on Chicago's growing Hispanic population.

With current 3rd District Congresswoman Marie Newman opting to challenge 6th District incumbent Sean Casten instead of running for re-election in the new heavily Latino 3rd District, it's an open race, with four Democrats vying for the seat: Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez, professor Iymen Chehade, and businessman Juan Enrique Aguirre.

While not quite a Hispanic majority district, approximately 44% of the 3rd District's voting age population is Latino.  

Although it's an open race, Villegas and Ramirez quickly emerged as the frontrunners, both far outraising their rivals.

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Two incumbent members of Congress are running against each other in the 6th Congressional District Democratic primary.

As CBS 2's Chris Tye reported, it was a hot, busy, and chippy Primary Election Day between designates for candidates of all stripes at the Orland Park Sports Complex at the southern border of the redrawn district.

From the south, the district includes Orland Park, Alsip, and Oak Lawn, and it goes as far west as parts of Wheaton up to Lombard and Elmhurst. The district used to extend north into McHenry and western Lake counties.

The two Democratic frontrunners in the race are Rep. Marie Newman (D-Illinois) who now represents the 3rd Illinois Congressional District, and Rep. Sean Casten (D-Illinois) who represents the current 6th.

There are several storylines here – not the least of which is that Casten has essentially stopped campaigning since the death of his 17-year-old daughter, Gwen, earlier this month. He is not having a victory party if he wins.

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Voters are weighing in on who will replace retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, who has held that office since 1999.

With White going unchallenged in every Democratic primary since he took office in 1999, and never taking less than 63% of the vote against any Republican opponent in a general election, it's the fist time the outcome of the secretary of state race has been in question in more than two decades.

The Democratic candidates include former Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, Chicago Ald. David Moore (17th), and Homewood resident Sidney Moore.

The Republican candidates are Illinois State Rep. Dan Brady, of Bloomington, and former prosecutor John Milhiser, of Springfield.

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The Chicago Board of Elections tells CBS 2's Lauren Victory there were 56 delayed openings at precinct polling locations within the city of Chiacgo.

But so far, election investigators have not marshaled sufficient evidence to obtain a court order to keep them open late.

Six suburban Cook County voting precincts are staying open late for the Illinois primary election Tuesday.

The precincts are located at five polling places:

--Kennedy School, 1013 Division St., Chicago Heights (Bloom Township Precinct 12)

--Golf Middle School, 9401 Waukegan Rd. Morton Grove (Niles Township Precinct)

--Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 1114 N. 22nd Ave., Melrose Park (Proviso Township, Precinct 14)

--Roosevelt School, 1927 S. 15th Ave., Broadview (Proviso Township, Precincts 44 and 88)

--Douglas MacArthur School, 1800 Chippendale Rd., Hoffman Estates (Schaumburg Township Precinct 31)

The precincts all opened late Tuesday, and thus, they will stay open until 8 p.m., rather than the statutory time of 7 p.m.

The Cook County Clerk's office sought and received a court order to keep the precincts open late.

CBS 2's Meredith Barack is keeping an eye on some top races, specifically on the 1st and 6th district congressional races.

The 1st Congressional District Primary has a wide-open field. The district stretches along the city's South Side and proceeds southwest through Will County all the way to Braidwood and Bourbonnais.

A total of 17 candidates are vying for the democratic nomination for the 1st District, which has no incumbent for the first time in 30 years with representative Bobby Rush retiring.

Experts say the winner of the Democratic Primary in the 1st District is also virtually sure to win the general election too.

A contentious race is also under way in the 6th Congressional District, most recently redrawn as a west and southwest suburban district stretching from downers grove to Orland Park.

Democratic representative Sean Casten, of Downers Grove, was elected to the seat in 2018, defeating republican incumbent Peter Roskam to become the first democrat to lead the district in nearly half a century.

He is running against another sitting member of Congress, representative Marie Newman, whose 3rd Congressional District was remapped and radically altered during the most recent redistricting.

One of the biggest races to keep an eye on Tuesday is the Republican Primary for Illinois governor. Tuesday's winner will challenge JB Pritzker for his job in the fall.

GOP candidate Richard Irvin spent Monday campaigning in west suburban Cary.

He's backed by billionaire Ken Griffin, who gave  $50 million to Irvin's campaign.

Irvin, Aurora mayor, hopes his experience and willingness to reach across the aisle will also help his chances to win.

One of Irvin's opponents, Darren Bailey was riding high at a campaign stop in Des Plaines Monday after being endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

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