The rise of lawlessness in our area - a shooting rate 5x that of NYC - needs to be addressed - but it’s so hard to distinguish rhetoric from problem solving - while the law-and-order party continues to exemplify the opposite with great enthusiasm.
Lots of one-candidate races in this Democratic primary - none of which are listed below
How I wish that some well-informed blogger would write about those who actually do face competition.
I feel like I'm shooting in the dark to pick amongst them - but here goes -- despite my ignorance:
Governor and Lieutenant Governor, State of Illinois
4 Year Term Vote For 1
JB Pritzker & Juliana Stratton
Beverly Miles & Karla Shaw
Not believing in plutocracy, I'm usually inclined to vote for the under-funded candidate instead of the billionaire.
But Miles has ZERO on her campaign website about issues. It's all resume.
Pritzker, on the other hand, goes on extensively about what he's done or wants to do.
I'll vote for the billionaire.
Secretary of State, State of Illinois
4 Year Term Vote For 1
Alexi Giannoulias
David H. Moore
Anna M. Valencia
Sidney Moore
Here's the first head scratcher.
Valencia's husband is a political lobbyist - so it makes little sense to vote for the two of them.
The two Moores look like real long shots: no major endorsements, no experience running large organizations.
I'm still angry at Giannoulias for losing his senate race - but I'll give him another chance. He looks to me like a goof from a wealthy family who wants to play politics. But Barack likes him -- so he can't be all that bad.
U.S. Representative, 7th Congressional District
2 Year Term Vote For 1
Kina Collins
Danny K. Davis
Denarvis C. Mendenhall
Mendenhall doesn’t even have a website.
Davis has one - but there’s nothing about what he wants to accomplish —only the rather mundane things he has done —- the votes in Congress and the committees to which he has been assigned.
Kina Collins is all about helping the poor - which I do not believe is entirely synonymous with advancing the country and humanity.
But I’ll vote for her anyway — at least she’s got some energy
Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
6 Year Term Vote For 3
Mariyana T. Spyropoulos———— pick by Sierra Club (incumbent, ,attorney)
(She got the most votes _ probably because her name was listed first - actually the first three names on the ballot all got the most votes and were elected to the position. Sad. )
Yumeka Brown
Patricia Theresa Flynn
Frank Avila
Rick Garcia
Cristina P. Nonato
Precious W. Brady-Davis………. Pick by Sierra Club
Sharon Waller…………. Pick by Sierra Club
Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
2 Year Term (Unexpired Term)Vote For 1
Daniel "Pogo" Pogorzelski
Elizabeth Joyce (no website - no nothing)
Chakena D. Perry (incumbent, appointed by Pritzker)
….. I’ll pick Sharon Waller because she’s a water management professional. The rest are politicians and I really can’t tell the difference between them
Board President, Cook County
4 Year Term Vote For 1
Toni Preckwinkle
Richard R. Boykin
Boykin's website is devoted to public safety - but is it any more than hot air ?
This one's a toss up for me.
Sheriff, Cook County
4 Year Term Vote For 1
Thomas J. Dart
Carmen Navarro Gercone- has a plan-- but has yet to post it (a week prior to election)
LaTonya Ruffin- website is vaccuous
Dart has held the job for over 15 years - none of the incumbents convince me that he needs to go
Assessor, Cook County
4 Year Term Vote For 1
Fritz Kaegi
Kari K. Steele
It sounds like Kaegi’s assessments have aroused the commercial development industry.
That’s OK - I’ll vote for him again.
*****************************************
Even though I’m not in her judicial district, I just received the above flyer on behalf of Shawnte Raines-Welch - the wife of Chris Welch, the Speaker of the House and the representative of my district.
Welch claims that she’s a great attorney even if she is his wife — and it’s good that he supports his mate - given his history of domestic abuse.
But were legal qualifications really the reason that 500k was donated to the wife of the speaker of the house?
Chris Welch is running unopposed in this primary - and he may never face a serious opponent again.
This is why I cannot call myself a Democrat - even if I do vote in their primary.
Note: I just discovered injusticewatch.org which is a serious upgrade to voteforjudges since it includes controversies and donations. I’ll be using it from here on out.
(results: Raines-Welch won by under 2000 votes out of 318,000 ballots cast -- most of the difference coming from Proviso Township where her husband was chair of the school board for many years)
*****************************************
Judge, Illinois Appellate Court, 1st District
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Russell "Russ" Hartigan
Democratic
151
Dominique C. Ross——- no
Democratic
152
Debra B. Walker——— yes
Democratic
153
Judge, Illinois Appellate Court, 1st District
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Raymond W. Mitchell——- yes
Democratic
154
Devlin Joseph Schoop——- no
Democratic
155
John H. Ehrlich
Democratic
156
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Howard B. Brookins, Jr……yes
Democratic
161
Ubi O. O'Neal….. no!!!!!
Democratic
162
Lisa Michelle Taylor
Democratic
163
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Diana López……. Yes
Democratic
167
Monica G. Somerville
Democratic
168
Mable Taylor
Democratic
169
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Thomas E. Nowinski……. Yes
Democratic
171
Carmen Migdalia Quinones
Democratic
172
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Elizabeth "Beth" Ryan…… yes
Democratic
173
Yolanda Harris Sayre
Democratic
174
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Rena Marie Van Tine…… yes
Democratic
175
Wende Williams
Democratic
176
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Deidre Baumann
Democratic
177
Paul Joyce……. Yes
Democratic
178
Michael Weaver
Democratic
179
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Ruth Isabel Gudino……. Yes
Democratic
180
Chelsey Renece Robinson
Democratic
181
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Araceli R. De La Cruz….. yes
Democratic
182
Jacqueline Marie Griffin
Democratic
183
Dan Balanoff
Democratic
184
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Thomas More Donnelly….. yes
Democratic
185
Claudia Silva-Hernandez
Democratic
186
Meridth Vanae Hammer
Democratic
187
Judge, Cook County Judicial Circuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Mary Bernadette McMahon
Democratic
164
Suzanne Therese McEneely
Democratic
165
Tracie Porter……… yes7
Democratic
166
Judge, 7th Cook County Subcircuit
Candidate Name
Party
Ballot #
Marcia O'Brien Conway….. yes
Democratic
191
Owens "Joe" Shelby
Democratic
192
