Incumbents face primary challenges as Democrats try to maintain supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.
State Sen. Natalie Toro, D-20th District, left, speaks with Howard Simon, right, outside his home while Toro canvasses for her reelection throughout the Bucktown neighborhood in Chicago on March 2, 2024. Democrats will try to maintain their supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly in this year’s elections, with several incumbents facing challenges in the March 19 primary and big money pouring into some races.
Challenger Graciela Guzmán, an organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, has garnered support from the same progressive leaders who helped elect Mayor Brandon Johnson. At the end of 2023, Guzmán had a little over $65,000 in her campaign fund, but has since raised significantly more, including more than $240,000 from teachers unions, most of it from the CTU.
Also running is Dr. Dave Nayak, who owns a farming business and runs a free asthma and allergy clinic in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood, and Geary Yonker, a community organizer in Logan Square who has also worked as an executive for the Chicago Reader and WBEZ-FM 91.5. The contest reflects the country’s urban Democratic move to the left with traditionally moderate and conservative parts of the city electing increasingly progressive aldermen in their wards. Mayor Johnson tapped Toro’s predecessor, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, as his deputy chief of staff after he defeated a more conservative Democrat, Paul Vallas, in last year’s mayoral election.
Ryan Hurley, left, a campaign staffer, hands flyers to state Sen. Natalie Toro, D-20th District, while canvassing for her reelection in in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood on March 2, 2024. Toro said it feels like candidates are playing “the progressive Olympics” and “ultimately voters have to decide based on the facts.”
State Senate candidate Graciela Guzman, left, talks with voter Michael Kurtz as Guzman canvasses through Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood on Feb. 28, 2024. Late last month, Nayak was sued in Cook County Circuit Court for failing to pay a former aide for work done on his campaign. Nayak said he parted ways with the aide about six months ago and has downplayed the lawsuit as a “frivolous” attempt to “defame me.”
He stresses the importance of addressing the underlying causes of crime on his site, but in an interview said he also favors penalty enhancements for people convicted of illegal gun possession, especially for gun trafficking. Her challenger, Michael Crawford, started the year with less than $1,000 in his campaign fund, state records show, but has since raised more than $1.3 million in large donations, including nearly $600,000 from Welch and other House Democrats. Flowers had about $174,000 in available funds at the end of last year, and has since raised about $6,000 in large donations.
“I would like to be able to work with other people,” Flowers said. “And I think I’m pretty good. I didn’t pass all that legislation because I was a horrible person.”Running in the Democratic primary to replace state Rep. Kelly Burke of Evergreen Park, who is retiring after 13 years representing a Southwest Side and southwest suburban district, are Sonia Anne Khalil, who works for the city of Markham, and attorney Rick Ryan.
“When I’m knocking on doors, I meet countless people who face prescription drug prices that are too high, they’re struggling to pay for necessary care and they’re experiencing medical debt,” Khalil, of Palos Hills, said in an interview last month. “I know that I will fight to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all.”
Joyce, who has held his seat since 2019, said in an interview last month that his priorities include reducing property taxes, increasing neighborhood safety, and addressing the migrant crisis in Illinois. Joyce beat a Republican challenger, Philip Nagel, by about 11 percentage points in 2022. Nagel, of Braidwood, is running unopposed in the GOP primary this time and is so far poised to be his party’s candidate in November.Democratic state Rep. Lance Yednock, of Ottawa, is stepping down from his seat representing a narrow J-shaped district that ranges from DeKalb south and then west along the Illinois River valley.
“I was knocking doors just yesterday and must have heard from five different people who lost their jobs, their whole family lost their jobs, and then on top of that, nobody can get health care nearby,” Zasada said in an interview last month.
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