News & Notes from Governor's Day
Gov. JB Pritzker, Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias share a laugh on Governor’s Day at the State Fair. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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Some news, notes, and observations from Governor’s Day Wednesday:
There were more than 2,700 people in attendance at yesterday’s Democratic County Chairman’s Association brunch at the BOS Center. It’s the largest political event yearly in the state and Dan Kovats and his team do an incredible job putting the event on.
They did a video at the event with a Star Wars theme highlighting Democratic lawmakers resisting President Donald Trump. The video used a bunch of AI and was titled “Star Wars Episode II, the Orange Menace Returns.” It was a little weird, but it got people talking.
Gov. JB Prtizker’s remarks at the brunch were some of the better, more focused anti-Trump comments he’s made in recent months.
“We have lived it in Illinois when we had Republicans in charge,” Pritzker said. “But I’m optimistic that the nation will have a chance to play out on the national stage the story of restoration that we are writing here in the Prairie State. Ours is a story that doesn’t have a cult telling us what to believe, or sycophants telling us what to say or a king telling us what to do.”
All three major Democrats running for U.S. Senate got speaking slots at the brunch and none really separated themselves from the crowd.
I had Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton on the radio yesterday.
Senator Dick Durbin looks and sounds very frail, but people close to him have repeatedly told me he’s ok. But there were definitely people who noticed yesterday.
Out at the Fair, Dems were serving beer in Pritzker branded cups: “JBeer.”
Rep. Margaret Croke’s (D-Chicago) Comptroller campaign was easily the most organized on the ground at the brunch and fair, but Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim had a strong showing. She joined me on the radio and was super interesting.
Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) still hasn’t announced she’s running for Comptroller, but I walked into the BOS Center with her yesterday and she was circulating petitions for the gig.
The typically lengthy speechifiying at the Director’s Lawn was really short yesterday. The statewide officials spoke for what had to be less than 20 minutes.
