The Illinoize Election Day Live Blog (Updated 5:45 P.M.)
DuPage County voters in 2020.
Good morning. Welcome to primary day in Illinois. Drop us a note with any observations, thoughts, photos, or questions at patrick@theillinoize.com.
(Updates will come from Patrick Pfingsten (pp), Ben Garbarek (bg), and Rebecca Holland (rh).
6:00 A.M.:
Good morning. Polls are open. -pp
7:00 A.M:
Here’s the link to today’s newsletter.
Our one-on-one with Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is here. We spoke to him exclusively before his rally in Des Plaines last night. -pp
8:00 A.M.:
GOP gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan was shaking hands at the Arlington Heights Metra station this morning. I’ll have some thoughts later today on his path to victory (hint: it involves overperformance in the suburbs). -pp
9:00 A.M.:
Text from a top congressional candidate this morning: “is it too early for tacos and tequila?” Amen. -pp
9:45 A.M.:
Chicago City Clerk and Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Anna Valencia speaks with voters at the Roosevelt CTA station just south of downtown this morning. -pp
10:00 A.M.:
Today’s name of the game: turnout.
From a respected Republican source: “Lower turnout helps Team Bailey, Tom DeVore, Mary Miller, etc. It helps insurgents like Jed Davis (facing Rep. David Welter of Morris).”
10:15 A.M:
From a downstate GOP county chairman. Lots of concern about Darren Bailey’s chances in the fall.
10:30 A.M.:
Via Lisa Chavarria of NBC 5, Gov. Pritzker & Lt. Gov. Stratton greeting commuters at the 95th St. Red Line station this morning:
10:55 A.M.:
Anna Valencia with Secretary of State Jesse White at Manny’s Deli about an hour ago. (via the Valencia campaign, I can’t be everywhere!) -pp
11:05 A.M.:
My friend John Lopez of McHenry County Blog thinks the 11th District primary is a two person race.
We spoke to Republican candidates in the 13th District here. We spoke to Republican candidates in the 6th District here.
11:15 A.M.:
Jesse Sullivan greets volunteers and speaks to media at a campaign office in Wheeling this morning. (Photo from Sullivan campaign and if I had a candidate that handsome, I’d be sending photos, too.)
11:25 A.M.:
Pretty neat response from Regan Deering’s campaign in the 13th Congressional to be monitoring social media and responding directly. That’s working for every last vote.
11:30 A.M.:
GOP candidate for Governor Gary Rabine voting this morning in McHenry County:
11:35 A.M. :
Darren Bailey votes this morning in Clay County (via Blueroomstream)
11:45 A.M.:
SoS candidate John Milhiser votes in Springfield (via our friend Brenden Moore). Dan Brady voted early this morning in Bloomington, we’re told.
Here’s Brady in Bloomington this morning via his campaign.
12:00 P.M.:
State Treasurer Mike Frerichs voting with daughter Ella this morning in Champaign. Frerichs is unopposed in the Democratic primary and faces Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) in the fall.
12:30P.M.:
It may be worth the reminder that it’s possible the most important races on any ballot today are those for the Supreme Court of Illinois. The legislature redrew the districts for the first time in something like half a century earlier this year and it’s led to some competitive races for control of the court.
In the new 2nd District (Lake, McHenry, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall), Lake County Judge Dan Shanes is the choice of the GOP establishment. I spoke to him a few months ago and he’s really impressive. He faces Kane County Judge John Novereni, who was a Republican, then Democrat, and is now a Republican again. A flip-flopping charge he denies. Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, who was the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020, is at the top of the ballot, so his name ID is of concern to Shanes folks. The winner will face either Lake County Judge Elizabeth Rochford or Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, in what will be an expensive and wild race in the fall.
The 3rd District (DuPage, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois, LaSalle, Grundy, Bureau) will also be a battle in the fall. Republican Justice Mike Burke has been redistricted from the 2nd District to the 3rd and is seeking a full term. He’ll face popular former State Representative and Appellate Justice Mary K. O’Brien in the fall. These races will be some of the wildest and most expensive court races we’ve ever seen. If the GOP wins them both, they’ll hold a 4-3 majority on the court. That’s what makes them the most important races you’ve likely heard nothing about.
12:45 P.M.:
Just got off the phone with Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville), who is locked in a huge member vs. member primary with Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) in the new 15th district.
"I feel really good, really confident," he told me. "We anticipate a great night."
Obviously, Trump’s endorsement is out there for Miller, but the visit may have come too late to get people who aren’t paying close attention.
Davis says his team knocked on 125,000 doors. Keep an eye on Sangamon, Adams, and Macon counties in that 15th district tonight. -pp
1:00 P.M.
Looks like Richard Irvin is in DuPage County this afternoon talking to volunteers.
Meanwhile, the great Natasha Korecki has a piece for NBC News calling the Irvin campaign a $50 million “debacle.” Read it here.
3:45 P.M.:
Republican Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder, who is running for the 14th Congressional District, texted he brought his daughter with him to vote this afternoon.
5:45 P.M.:
Just heard from GOP frontrunner for U.S Senate Kathy Salvi:
“…spent the day meeting and talking to voters, at train stops and diners. On my way to working with our volunteers to make sure we are getting our message out,” she said. “Voters everywhere are excited to use their votes today to change the course of Illinois and this country. I am energized by the commitment Republicans here making to make a red wave happen."
She says the whole office is getting Chick fil A tonight.
