Happy Thursday, Illinois. It’s Danny again, back for Day Four hosting this good ship Playbook.But first, our Andrew Atterbury brings you a familiar face in a new place, writing from Tallahassee, Florida, where today’s expected high of 68 degrees is slightly higher than Chicago’s 39 degrees.
FAMILIAR NAME: A fixture in Illinois politics is attempting a comeback — nearly 1,000 miles away.Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis — a Republican now living in Bonita Springs, Florida — was the first Republican to announce a candidacy for the congressional seat set to be vacated by Rep. Byron Donalds as he runs for governor of the Sunshine State.A Republican is sure to score the seat in deep red Florida. But can it be the former dairy magnate born in Aurora?Oberweis is certainly experienced in politics, after running for office multiple times over the last two decades. He most recently lost a tight congressional contest against incumbent Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood in 2020’s Illinois 14th District race. At the time, Oberweis declared victory with thousands of mail-in ballots still outstanding and even attended new member training, where he rubbed elbows with Donalds coming off his win that sent him to Congress. Underwood ended up winning the election by less than 6,000 votes.That loss, at least in part, triggered Oberweis to move to Florida, where he claims to have owned a condo for more than 15 years with his wife, Julie. The two live in Bonita Springs, a beach community in Lee County where Republicans outnumber Democrats by a more than 2-to-1 margin.Oberweis appears to align with Florida Republicans on several key state issues, such as supporting school choice and taking a hard line against illegal immigration, two of the top priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis.At the same time, the Oberweis campaign indicates he has taken up a few “newer” concerns during his time in Florida. Notably, Oberweis is vowing to “protect and restore” the Everglades and “find ways to mitigate future hurricane damage,” both of which are longstanding issues facing the state.“The state Legislature has taken some action to curb the harm of byproduct runoff from the Florida sugar producers, but more needs to be done in terms of environmental protection coordination at the Federal and state level,” Oberweis wrote on his website.Oberweis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.He chose a very safe Republican seat to run in. But the last time it was open, it sparked a bitter and heavily contested GOP primary. It wouldn’t be surprising if Donalds’ decision to run for Florida governor could trigger another crowded affair.And there’s the hometown factor. While southwest Florida is a growing area that has attracted retirees from the Midwest, it’s not always easy for outsiders to suddenly build the connections and name recognition needed for a race like this.So far, the field squaring off to replace Donalds appears to be thin. Outside of Oberweis, only one other candidate, Democrat Howard Sapp, a Ft. Myers community leader, has filed for the 19th District seat.But there’s plenty of speculation on who could else run — including other well-known Illinois names. State news outlet Florida Politics reported last week that Jack Lombardi and Catalina Lauf, two former Illinois GOP congressional candidates, could possibly consider runs in Donalds’ current district.We’ll see if Oberweis can beat the field and employ the right strategy to finally take a seat in Congress. He obviously knows how to read a game board: Oberweis is a former president of the Illinois Chess Association.— Gary Fineout contributed to this Top Talker.
ENDORSEMENTS: We’ve got two big endorsements in suburban mayoral races that will be decided April 1.In Evanston, Gov. JB Pritzker is backing incumbent Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in his re-election bid. “I’m proud to endorse Daniel Biss for re-election as Mayor of Evanston. Daniel is a friend, a colleague, and has been a partner to me in fighting for working families,” Pritzker said in a statement. Biss faces challenger Jeff Boarini.Pritzker once competed against Biss in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.In Aurora, watch for former Gov. Pat Quinn to announce he’s endorsing John Laesch, the Aurora Alderman-at-large, in the mayoral runoff. Laesch, a Democrat, is challenging mayoral incumbent Richard Irvin, a Republican, in a rematch from Feb. 25, when the two faced off during a five-candidate primary.In a statement, Quinn said: “As mayor, John Laesch will lead a long-overdue movement to enact tough no-nonsense political integrity standards that will put Aurora taxpayers first.”
—Child Welfare Agency Failed Repeatedly to Produce ‘Critical’ Reports After Child Deaths, Injuries: “The state’s Department of Children and Family Services is legally required to make the reports public after examining what went wrong but did not in thousands of instances,” by Illinois Answers Project’s Peter Nickeas.—After testimony from Anjanette Young, state lawmakers move bill aimed at tightening rules on search warrants: “Six years after Chicago police officers wrongfully searched the home of social worker Anjanette Young, she told state lawmakers about the trauma she experienced in testimony on legislation that would essentially bar no-knock search warrants in the state,” by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner.—Tense City Hall meeting on CTU contract, CPS budget vote ends with ‘handful of issues’ still unresolved: “Mayor Brandon Johnson gathered CPS and CTU leaders ahead of a critical vote to amend the school district’s budget to pay for the teachers contract and possibly cover a city pension payment,” by the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa and Fran Spielman and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp.—Immigration crackdown leads to numerous reports of ICE agents near Chicago public schools, emails show: “The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has led to a string of concerned reports from principals and parents to Chicago Public Schools officials, according to a review of internal communication from district security personnel,” by the Tribune’s Nell Salzman.—Federal complaints lodged against Chicago, Deerfield for accommodating trans students: “A north suburban mom says her teenage daughter was forced to change in front of a transgender classmate. Advocates and the district say it isn’t true,” by WBEZ’s Michael Puente.—Five years since Covid, how Chicago works to improve the health of the city: “Chicago has the largest life expectancy gap in the country. As threats to federal funding loom, health experts hope they can still shrink that gap,” by WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch.—Richard Roeper leaving the Sun-Times after 37 years: Roeper is stepping away March 21 but will “continue reviewing films and TV shows on ABC7’s ‘Windy City Weekend,’ hosting ‘The Richard Roeper Show’ podcast and writing reviews regularly,” by Crain’s Pawan Naidu.
—Police end Casten’s town hall after fiery confrontations: “A heated confrontation broke out at Democratic Congressman Sean Casten’s town hall on Wednesday in Downers Grove, Illinois, forcing police to escort constituents out of the building,” CNN.—ETHS teachers rally to protest Trump/Musk budget cuts to education programs: “We’re here to stand up against the policies of the Trump administration in Washington,” said Rick Cardis, the head of the teachers’ union at Evanston Township High School Wednesday morning, by Evanston Now’s Jeff Hirsh.
— LAHOOD IS BACK: Republican Congressman Darin LaHood has finally broken his silence after weeks dodging questions from his constituents about whether he would hold a town hall and face people eager to confront the lawmaker about the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts to the federal workforce, according to 25News Now’s Mike Brody.Republicans at town halls across the country have faced fierce backlash from people beleaguered by DOGE, whose cuts are starting to manifest in real-world consequences for Americans including diminished service at national parks.
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FAMILIAR NAME: A fixture in Illinois politics is attempting a comeback — nearly 1,000 miles away.Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis — a Republican now living in Bonita Springs, Florida — was the first Republican to announce a candidacy for the congressional seat set to be vacated by Rep. Byron Donalds as he runs for governor of the Sunshine State.A Republican is sure to score the seat in deep red Florida. But can it be the former dairy magnate born in Aurora?Oberweis is certainly experienced in politics, after running for office multiple times over the last two decades. He most recently lost a tight congressional contest against incumbent Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood in 2020’s Illinois 14th District race. At the time, Oberweis declared victory with thousands of mail-in ballots still outstanding and even attended new member training, where he rubbed elbows with Donalds coming off his win that sent him to Congress. Underwood ended up winning the election by less than 6,000 votes.That loss, at least in part, triggered Oberweis to move to Florida, where he claims to have owned a condo for more than 15 years with his wife, Julie. The two live in Bonita Springs, a beach community in Lee County where Republicans outnumber Democrats by a more than 2-to-1 margin.Oberweis appears to align with Florida Republicans on several key state issues, such as supporting school choice and taking a hard line against illegal immigration, two of the top priorities of Gov. Ron DeSantis.At the same time, the Oberweis campaign indicates he has taken up a few “newer” concerns during his time in Florida. Notably, Oberweis is vowing to “protect and restore” the Everglades and “find ways to mitigate future hurricane damage,” both of which are longstanding issues facing the state.“The state Legislature has taken some action to curb the harm of byproduct runoff from the Florida sugar producers, but more needs to be done in terms of environmental protection coordination at the Federal and state level,” Oberweis wrote on his website.Oberweis didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.He chose a very safe Republican seat to run in. But the last time it was open, it sparked a bitter and heavily contested GOP primary. It wouldn’t be surprising if Donalds’ decision to run for Florida governor could trigger another crowded affair.And there’s the hometown factor. While southwest Florida is a growing area that has attracted retirees from the Midwest, it’s not always easy for outsiders to suddenly build the connections and name recognition needed for a race like this.So far, the field squaring off to replace Donalds appears to be thin. Outside of Oberweis, only one other candidate, Democrat Howard Sapp, a Ft. Myers community leader, has filed for the 19th District seat.But there’s plenty of speculation on who could else run — including other well-known Illinois names. State news outlet Florida Politics reported last week that Jack Lombardi and Catalina Lauf, two former Illinois GOP congressional candidates, could possibly consider runs in Donalds’ current district.We’ll see if Oberweis can beat the field and employ the right strategy to finally take a seat in Congress. He obviously knows how to read a game board: Oberweis is a former president of the Illinois Chess Association.— Gary Fineout contributed to this Top Talker.
ENDORSEMENTS: We’ve got two big endorsements in suburban mayoral races that will be decided April 1.In Evanston, Gov. JB Pritzker is backing incumbent Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in his re-election bid. “I’m proud to endorse Daniel Biss for re-election as Mayor of Evanston. Daniel is a friend, a colleague, and has been a partner to me in fighting for working families,” Pritzker said in a statement. Biss faces challenger Jeff Boarini.Pritzker once competed against Biss in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.In Aurora, watch for former Gov. Pat Quinn to announce he’s endorsing John Laesch, the Aurora Alderman-at-large, in the mayoral runoff. Laesch, a Democrat, is challenging mayoral incumbent Richard Irvin, a Republican, in a rematch from Feb. 25, when the two faced off during a five-candidate primary.In a statement, Quinn said: “As mayor, John Laesch will lead a long-overdue movement to enact tough no-nonsense political integrity standards that will put Aurora taxpayers first.”
—Child Welfare Agency Failed Repeatedly to Produce ‘Critical’ Reports After Child Deaths, Injuries: “The state’s Department of Children and Family Services is legally required to make the reports public after examining what went wrong but did not in thousands of instances,” by Illinois Answers Project’s Peter Nickeas.—After testimony from Anjanette Young, state lawmakers move bill aimed at tightening rules on search warrants: “Six years after Chicago police officers wrongfully searched the home of social worker Anjanette Young, she told state lawmakers about the trauma she experienced in testimony on legislation that would essentially bar no-knock search warrants in the state,” by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner.—Tense City Hall meeting on CTU contract, CPS budget vote ends with ‘handful of issues’ still unresolved: “Mayor Brandon Johnson gathered CPS and CTU leaders ahead of a critical vote to amend the school district’s budget to pay for the teachers contract and possibly cover a city pension payment,” by the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa and Fran Spielman and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp.—Immigration crackdown leads to numerous reports of ICE agents near Chicago public schools, emails show: “The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has led to a string of concerned reports from principals and parents to Chicago Public Schools officials, according to a review of internal communication from district security personnel,” by the Tribune’s Nell Salzman.—Federal complaints lodged against Chicago, Deerfield for accommodating trans students: “A north suburban mom says her teenage daughter was forced to change in front of a transgender classmate. Advocates and the district say it isn’t true,” by WBEZ’s Michael Puente.—Five years since Covid, how Chicago works to improve the health of the city: “Chicago has the largest life expectancy gap in the country. As threats to federal funding loom, health experts hope they can still shrink that gap,” by WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch.—Richard Roeper leaving the Sun-Times after 37 years: Roeper is stepping away March 21 but will “continue reviewing films and TV shows on ABC7’s ‘Windy City Weekend,’ hosting ‘The Richard Roeper Show’ podcast and writing reviews regularly,” by Crain’s Pawan Naidu.
—Police end Casten’s town hall after fiery confrontations: “A heated confrontation broke out at Democratic Congressman Sean Casten’s town hall on Wednesday in Downers Grove, Illinois, forcing police to escort constituents out of the building,” CNN.—ETHS teachers rally to protest Trump/Musk budget cuts to education programs: “We’re here to stand up against the policies of the Trump administration in Washington,” said Rick Cardis, the head of the teachers’ union at Evanston Township High School Wednesday morning, by Evanston Now’s Jeff Hirsh.
— LAHOOD IS BACK: Republican Congressman Darin LaHood has finally broken his silence after weeks dodging questions from his constituents about whether he would hold a town hall and face people eager to confront the lawmaker about the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts to the federal workforce, according to 25News Now’s Mike Brody.Republicans at town halls across the country have faced fierce backlash from people beleaguered by DOGE, whose cuts are starting to manifest in real-world consequences for Americans including diminished service at national parks.
