Inside the Race for Democratic Chair
Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson), the chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, is in a dogfight to keep her position.
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With around 24 hours to go before Illinois Democrats hold a contentious vote for Democratic Party Chair, both sides are digging in while some on the outside aren’t digging it at all.
Governor JB Pritzker, House Speaker Chris Welch, and others have endorsed Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), a close ally of both men, to replace Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson), as Democratic Party of Illinois Chair.
Pritzker opposed Kelly for the job after Michael Madigan’s resignation last year and she was pushed for the job by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. Both Pritzker and Durbin have been working to wrestle control of the party away from the other for some time.
Kelly recently told NBC News she didn’t understand the reason for Pritzker’s objection to her position.
“I can’t explain why he is doing this,” Kelly said. “You have to ask him.”
But a source close to Pritzker’s says Kelly’s statement isn’t true.
“It is not personal, has not, and never will be personal,” the source said. “The governor has a great deal of respect for Robin as he's said publicly and privately. Over a year ago the governor and others raised serious concerns about a federal officeholder's ability to raise and spend money on behalf of state and local candidates. She legally cannot have anything to do with raising or spending money for state and local office candidates.”
A top Democrat and Kelly supporter tells The Illinoize, Kelly has been an ally for Pritzker even though he opposed her in the first race for Chair last year.
“She worked with the Pritzker campaign, she sent mail in support of Pritzker in the primary,” the source said. “The relationship is professional. They’ve asked her to do things to support the Governor and she’s always said yes. You really have to ask them why this fight is one they’ve taken to this level.”
But Pritzker’s allies bring the conversation back to finances and not personal beef.
“In one of the most competitive election years in the last decade for Democrats, the DPI has only spent $21,000 on state and local candidates, said the Pritzker source. “We have over 70 legislative candidates, two Supreme Court seats, and local races all across the state that need the party's support and they are not delivering.
But a source close to Kelly disputed the Governor’s side of the story, claiming Kelly has raised over $2 million since becoming chair last March.
The state party did report $1.5 million in contributions from Pritzker’s campaign during the most recent quarter, but that was to take advantage of a postal service rate discount for the state party. Pritzker’s campaign spent multiple pieces of mail during the primary to shadow boost Sen. Darren Bailey’s campaign in the GOP race for governor. In the first quarter of the year, the party raised around $350,000. The DPI’s federal account has raised about $1.4 million this year and last.
Just for reference, the Illinois Republican Party federal PAC has raised about $1.9 million in the same time frame. The GOP state PAC has raised around $250,000 since last June.
Kelly’s supporters also seem to believe Pritzker will use the state party only to benefit his campaign, comparing it to the way former House Speaker Michael Madigan ran the party for decades.
“This is a philosophical question. Do we want to move the party forward or backward,” the Kelly supporter said. “Do we want [an organization] that helps county parties and registers voters and trains people or do we want to go backward where the party is yielded as a tool to accomplish the political goals of a small number of people?”
There also appear to be grumbling legislators on either side of the battle or those not involved in the fight. Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) issued a statement Thursday criticizing Pritzker’s efforts to oust Kelly.
“She [has] successfully built out a robust, diverse, and accessible party, all while raising the necessary funds to move our state party forward, notably within the approved guidelines of the [Federal Election Commission],” Davis said. “Now we have a Governor who wants her out. Why? Because he has to control the party. It’s shameful that he wants to fight now on the eve of an important November election.”
Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) said in a statement Thursday reiterated the beef is over fundraising and fundraising alone.
“In the face of right wing extremism and an emboldened Republican Party, it is absolutely critical that Democrats at every level have the resources they need to effectively fight back,” he said. “This starts with a Democratic Party that can fundraise and spend on state and local candidates in a successful and constructive manner.”
One Democratic lawmaker, who asked we don’t use their name, says the intraparty squabble is distracting from more important things.
“[This is] yet another example of Dems taking their eyes off the ball and allowing internal division to keep us from working on the common goal of a successful general election,” the lawmaker said. “It's unfortunate when that happens at local level between the amateurs but inexcusable when the top of the ticket "pros" get mired in it.”
Democrats meet tomorrow morning in Springfield. Dems use a weighted vote based on congressional district, with multiple undecided and uncommitted committee members out there, it isn’t clear if there is a favorite in the race, though sources on both sides tell me it will likely be close.
