chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Referendum that would have closed late-night Tai’s Til 4 fails in Chicago’s 44th Ward

Had it passed , it would have effectively shuttered Tai ’ s , which has been open near the corner @ @ @ @ @ Street since 1961 , since nearly all beer and liquor have alcohol by volume that @ @ @ @ @ .

Chicago police investigate a shooting that began with a disturbance outside the bar Tai's Til 4 where an officer shot and killed a man Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020 in the 3600 block of North Ashland Avenue in Lakeview. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Longtime late-night Chicago bar Tai’s Til 4 will get to keep the party going until 4 a.m. in the Lakeview neighborhood, after an effort by neighbors to vote the precinct dry failed Tuesday by a wide margin.
A referendum to outlaw the takeaway sale of drinks with an alcohol content above 4% in the precinct west of Wrigleyville failed 63% to 37%, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners unofficial vote totals.
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Had it passed, it would have effectively shuttered Tai’s, which has been open near the corner of Ashland Avenue and Addison Street since 1961, since nearly all beer and liquor have alcohol by volume that exceeds the 4% threshold.
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A letter sent to registered voters in the precinct by supporters of the referendum who wanted the bar closed pointed to a February shooting outside Tai’s as merely the latest trouble there.
But Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, sent his own letter to residents urging them to vote against the referendum.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Marijuana ballot measures ahead in several Chicago suburbs including Wilmette, Park Ridge, Batavia a

Marijuana ballot measures ahead in several Chicago suburbs including Wilmette, Park Ridge, Batavia and Elk Grove; Western Springs seems to reject bid

Oak Park : With more than 95 % of precincts counted , Oak Park voters appeared to support two citizen-placed @ @ @ @ @ spending .
In one question , more than 75 % of voters signaled that government @ @ @ @ @ to taxpayers when they exceed six months ' operating expenses .
The other question , @ @ @ @ @ exceeds $ 5 million should be subject to approval by voters via binding referendum , @ @ @ @ @ margin .

Isa Gomez, 10, of Algonquin, watches as her mom, Donna Oshana, votes inside of the greenhouse of Tom's Farm Market in Huntley on Tuesday. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Below the presidential and congressional races, down past the proposed graduated income tax amendment, many voters across the Chicago region also faced various other referendum questions on their general election ballots.
There were the perennial requests from taxing agencies to, well, issue new taxes or raise new revenue — often in the form of bond sales — as well as various proposals to change the formats of local governments. There were some curious nonbinding referendums, such as DuPage County voters being asked if the county should continue to consider support of law enforcement its top budgeting priority.
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But nearly a year after recreational cannabis was legalized in Illinois, marijuana continues to be a major ballot-box issue, with voters in several suburbs asked to consider whether allowing sales in their communities.
Here’s a look at some of the referendum highlights, with all vote tallies unofficial.
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Cannabis, liquor sales and gaming
Voters in seven suburbs — Batavia, Elk Grove Village, Glen Ellyn, Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Western Springs and Wilmette — weighed in on whether to allow the licensed sales of recreational marijuana and in unofficial returns, most of the measures appeared to be passing.
In Elk Grove Village, with all 24 precincts reporting, 63% of voters supported such a measure. A slightly larger percentage of voters in the village cast ballots in favor of limiting the number of video gambling locations.
With a few precincts still to report, initiatives to allow cannabis sales were ahead by similar margins in Mount Prospect, Batavia and Park Ridge. At about 56%, the rate of yes votes in Wilmette was lower, with totals from two precincts yet to be reported, but initiative still seemed poised to succeed.
Glen Ellyn was the most sharply divided, with less than 200 votes separating the “yes” and “no” camps, but the measure was leaning toward approval.
Western Springs appeared to be the exception to the rule, with only about 40% of those who cast ballots favoring local cannabis sales.
In Lombard, with about 11,000 votes counted, 52% supported allowing video gambling, and 48% opposed it, but the measure’s fate was still unclear.
In Northlake, with seven of eight precincts reporting, 64% opposed allowing service stations to sell alcohol, while 36% supported it. Gas station owners were hoping to be allowed to sell alcohol in order to also have video gambling. State regulations require that any site offering video gambling must have a liquor license.
State lawmakers legalized retail sales of cannabis Jan. 1, leading to steadily climbing sales through the year, reaching a record $68 million in September.
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Though local governments in Illinois cannot ban the possession of pot, some opted not to allow retail stores to sell it. Arlington Heights and Naperville, for instance, initially allowed only medical marijuana sales, but their elected officials this year changed course and decided to allow recreational sales after all. In Naperville, the change came after 53% of voters gave their support to the idea in the March primary.
The trend toward broader acceptance of the cannabis sales is likely to continue, according to Jason Erkes, a spokesman for multi-state cannabis company Cresco Labs.
“You’re going to see people accepting cannabis,” he said. “You see it in the money being spent. You see the sky hasn’t fallen, and there’s nothing to say a cannabis store has had a negative impact on our community.”
Local officials generally are also eager to collect the tax revenue from pot sales, Erkes said, rather than see it go to the town next door. “They’d rather generate the revenue that way than through property taxes,” he said.
The state has licensed 67 recreational dispensaries in Illinois. State law called for awarding another 75 licenses by May, but that process has gotten held up amid the coronavirus pandemic and complaints about the scoring process.
School issues
Norridge-based Pennoyer School District 79: A property tax hike proposal to fund school improvements appeared headed to defeat. With five of six precincts reporting, more than 57% of voters cast their ballots against the measure, which would have allowed an $11 million bond sale for repairs, upgrades and a school addition to address issues like leaking ceilings, lead in the drinking fountains and a lack of elevators for students with mobility issues.
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Northlake: Voters signaled that they support enlisting the city’s help with efforts to place all of Northlake in one high school district. With seven of eight precincts reporting, more than 70% favored the nonbinding measure. Most of Northlake is included in Leyden High School District 212, while a small portion south of North Avenue is part of Proviso High School District 209. Some residents for decades have advocated to send all students to District 212.
In three school systems in DuPage County — Itasca District 10, Winfield District 34 and Willowbrook-based Gower District 62 — votes in support of bond sale propositions were all leading. But election officials had not yet provided a breakdown of the number of precincts counted.
District 10 proposed a property tax hike that would allow officials to issue almost $27 million in bonds for repairs and improvements on school buildings at Raymond Benson Primary, Elmer H. Franzen Intermediate and F.E. Peacock Middle schools.
District 34 requested voter authorization to issue $4.7 million in building bonds for physical improvements and safety upgrades.
District 62 sought permission for a $15 million bond sale for building upgrades at Gower West School.
Law enforcement support and COVID-19
DuPage County voters were asked to weigh in on three advisory questions. Two dealt with whether to continue current law enforcement funding and training. The third asked whether the county should stockpile personal protective medical equipment for nursing homes, first responders, health care providers and at-risk communities that can’t get it elsewhere.
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The questions arose in part from a partisan split. Democrats wanted a referendum to ask whether to consolidate the county recorder of deeds with the county clerk’s office, and whether to reduce the size of the county board from 18 to 12.
Last year, board members indicated they would put the merger question on the ballot, but this year decided not to. Board Chairman Dan Cronin said the merger was not in the best interests of the county after a study suggested the county would not see significant savings.
The board can only place three questions on the ballot per election, though a fourth question can be added regarding the size of the county board. The existing questions, while not likely to cause great changes in current operations, left no room for the merger question.
Taxing, spending and governing
Lake Zurich: A measure to increase the local portion of the sales tax by a half percent to raise more revenue for infrastructure spending was failing by a wide margin in early returns.
Homer Township: An advisory proposal that asked whether officials should seek grants to build a multipurpose building appeared to have passed with nearly 64% of the vote with all precincts counted. The building, which would serve as a community center for social and educational events, would be funded by grants and would not involve a tax increase.
Crestwood: With seven of nine precincts reporting, 72% of voters opposed giving the south suburban village home rule authority, while 28% supported the measure. Home rule allows a municipality to levy its own sales tax, among other things.
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Oak Park: With more than 95% of precincts counted, Oak Park voters appeared to support two citizen-placed, nonbinding referendums on government spending. In one question, more than 75% of voters signaled that government agencies should return cash reserves to taxpayers when they exceed six months' operating expenses. The other question, on whether capital spending that exceeds $5 million should be subject to approval by voters via binding referendum, was leading by a wide margin.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in tight race with Republican Jim Oberweis; Rep. Sean Casten hol

Freshman U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in tight race with Republican Jim Oberweis; Rep. Sean Casten holding on to lead over Jeanne Ives

In the 3rd Congressional District , which stretches from Chicago ’ s Southwest Side deep into the southwest suburbs , @ @ @ @ @ keep the seat in Democratic hands but take it in a decidedly more progressive direction @ @ @ @ @ Will County Board member Mike Fricilone .
With 99 % of the precincts counted , @ @ @ @ @ Newman had 53 % of the vote to 47 % for Fricilone .

Patrick M.  O'Connell, Jamie Munks, John Byrne

The closely watched campaigns for a pair of suburban congressional districts were tightly contested Tuesday night, with one race a dead heat and another close, with many early votes and mail-in ballots still to be counted.
Voters are deciding representation in each of the state’s 18 congressional districts.
First-term Democrat Rep. Lauren Underwood, of Naperville, was in a virtual tie with Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis, the dairy magnate from Sugar Grove, in the far northern, western and southwestern suburban 14th Congressional District. With 82% of precincts reporting, and many early and mail-in ballots not yet tallied, Oberweis had a slight edge in votes but each candidate each had about 50% of the vote.
“While we don’t have our results yet, I’m pumped,” Underwood said late Tuesday during a virtual campaign event.
Underwood has been focusing on the coronavirus pandemic and health care issues during her reelection campaign. Oberweis, who previously ran unsuccessfully for governor, U.S. senator and U.S. representative, has been highlighting his conservative, small government credentials.
In 2018, Underwood flipped the district, which had been Republican for a decade, in the process becoming the youngest Black woman elected to Congress and helping Democrats take control of the U.S. House.
In the west and northwestern suburban 6th District, Rep. Sean Casten, another freshman Democrat, was facing Republican Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, who nearly knocked off then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Illinois Republican primary two years ago. With 47% of precincts reporting, Casten had 52%, Ives 46% and Libertarian Bill Redpath less than 2%, according to unofficial results.
Casten, of Downers Grove, has not been shy about his distaste for President Donald Trump and how the federal government has handled the coronavirus pandemic. He also has been focusing on climate change and civil rights issues.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 U.S. Rep Sean Casten appears near his office Nov. 4, 2020, in Downers Grove. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Ives had been visiting many local restaurants and businesses during the final days of the campaign, highlighting the economic ramifications of shutdowns and forced closures as the state and country grapple with COVID-19. She also has emphasized her fiscally conservative views and law-and-order messages.
In the 3rd Congressional District, which stretches from Chicago’s Southwest Side deep into the southwest suburbs, Marie Newman was trying to keep the seat in Democratic hands but take it in a decidedly more progressive direction in her race against Republican Will County Board member Mike Fricilone. With 99% of the precincts counted, according to unofficial results, Newman had 53% of the vote to 47% for Fricilone.
During livestreamed remarks late Tuesday, Newman thanked Fricilone “for running a passionate race.” And in a reference to Holocaust-denier Art Jones, who ran as a Republican in 2018 and lost to Lipinski, Newman said Fricilone’s campaign showed “every single one of us in the 3rd District stands against Art Jones and his hate.”
In her second straight run for the post, Newman beat eight-term Democratic incumbent Dan Lipinski in the March primary election. Newman, of LaGrange, said she would work to address the economic inequality in the district that’s worsening because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fricilone says it’s Newman who’s out of step with area voters. He called her a socialist during an October debate and said her “plans are not focused on the 3rd District. They’re taken from the most extreme leftists in Washington.”
The Homer Glen Republican has pointed to Lipinski’s “commonsense, bipartisan” approach to the job as a template he will follow if he wins Tuesday.
Downstate, the rematch between four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis and Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan was a reprise of the 2018 battle when Davis eked out a win by just over 2,000 votes. With 96% of precincts reporting, Davis was leading Dirksen Londrigan 61% to 39%, according to unofficial results Tuesday night.
Davis commended Dirksen Londrigan for running “a spirited race, once again,” at a news conference shortly before 11:30 p.m. in downstate Taylorville. Though Londrigan had not conceded before Davis spoke, he called his lead “insurmountable.”
Much as it did in 2018, dialogue in the race centered on health care policy. Londrigan has been highly critical of Davis’ vote in 2017 to repeal key pieces of the Affordable Care Act and replace them with significantly different policies, contending it was a vote to strip coverage from people with preexisting conditions.
Davis, of Taylorville, has said he favors a replacement for the Affordable Care Act that includes coverage for preexisting conditions, while Londrigan, of Springfield, has indicated she would support a “public option,” a plan that would allow people to buy into a government-run insurance program as an alternative to private insurance plans.
The race for the 13th Congressional District, which sprawls from Champaign to the Missouri border and includes parts of Springfield and Bloomington, has drawn national attention, and Democrats identified it as a top 2020 target not long after the close finish in 2018. The district went for President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by 5.5 percentage points in 2016.
In the 17th Congressional District race, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, the Democrat from Moline who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, was in a tight race with GOP challenger Esther Joy King. With slightly more than 99% of precincts counted, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos was leading Republican challenger Esther Joy King 52% to 48%, according to unofficial results, with 11,267 votes separating the two.
Bustos was seeking her fifth term representing the district where she was reelected in 2018 with a 24-percentage-point advantage over the Republican in the race, the largest margin of victory for a district Trump carried in 2016.
In the other Downstate congressional races, Republicans held leads, according to unofficial partial results.
Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, of Channahon, seeking a sixth term, had 64% of the vote and Democratic challenger Dani Brzozowski of La Salle, had 36%, with 62% of precincts reporting.
Kinzinger, who had been critical of Trump in the past, was the only Republican congressman from Illinois to be left off the list of co-chairs for Trump’s reelection effort in Illinois. The district wraps around the collar counties and shares a border with Wisconsin, near Rockford, and Indiana, south of Kankakee.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, of Peoria, had 72% of the vote, with Democratic Springfield attorney George Petrilli at 28% with 81% of precincts reporting. LaHood was seeking a third full term in the GOP-dominant west-central congressional district that also includes Quincy.
Petrilli was a latecomer to the race, announcing in July he would challenge LaHood, who was seeking his third full term.
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, was being challenged by educator Ray Lenzi in his bid for a fourth term representing the southern Illinois district that includes Carbondale and part of the Metro East region, the suburbs that sit across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
There’s an open race for the heavily GOP southern Illinois district with the retirement of U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, with Republican Mary Miller of Oakland facing off against Democrat Erika Weaver of Mattoon.
The next time congressional races occur throughout the state, the districts may look quite different. Illinois is expected to lose one of its 18 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives through the congressional reapportionment, which will be based on the results of the recently completed 2020 census. The redistricting process will take place next year.
poconnell@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Chicago-area voters shatter records as they cast ballots with ‘a sense of hope and purpose’

Derrick Brown of Evanston said he wanted to wait to go to the polls on Election Day to get the @ @ @ @ @ all the ballots cast via mail and early voting , he was expecting it to @ @ @ @ @ said it was an even faster process than he had anticipated .

Javonte Anderson, Laura Rodríguez Presa, Hal Dardick, Shannon Ryan, Kelli Smith

Dozens of voters line up outside as they wait to cast their ballots at the Election Day super site polling place set up inside the United Center in Chicago, Nov. 3, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Long before sunrise Tuesday morning, Nakiea Love headed to the United Center after a sleepless night in her South Side home.
Armed with a Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee and a determination to have her voice heard, she sat alone outside the stadium — one of two super sites in Chicago where anyone could vote regardless of assigned polling place — and waited for the doors to open. She said she could not remember a more important election in her lifetime.
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“It’s just been a lot,” she said. “It’s been a lot going on. I think it’s been a lot of issues that need to be addressed.”
In the face of a crippling pandemic and months of social unrest, Chicago-area voters came out in large numbers to cast their ballots in one of the most divisive presidential campaigns in modern history. Nearly all, regardless of party affiliation, said they believed the country’s future to be at stake as they chose between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
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“I think this is a moral choice and not just a political choice,” said Oak Park resident Monica Khetarpal, who voted at her local high school Tuesday morning. “The rhetoric has increased civic engagement, which is good, but I think a lot of people are voting out of dread instead of enthusiasm.”
With massive early voting numbers already announced in DuPage, Kane and Will counties, all three shattered records Tuesday for the total number of ballots cast in a single election. More than 1.06 million people voted in suburban Cook County, just short of the 1.08 million in 2018 with mail-in ballots still coming it.
In Chicago, more than 1 million city residents had voted early, by mail or in person on Election Day, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesman Jim Allen said. Turnout was expected to easily top 70%, a strong performance that didn’t come close to matching the modern-day record of 83% set when Harold Washington won his bid for mayor in 1983.
Allen said the city saw the greatest turnout among 25- to 34-year-olds, who cast 191,000 ballots, followed by people aged 35 to 44, who had cast 168,000 ballots. Senior citizens traditionally own the turnout title, but the urgent issues surrounding this election appeared to help boost turnout among young voters.
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“Things are changing, I feel like all my friends were telling each other we have to vote and show up,” 23-year-old Megan Wood said after casting her ballot in Lakeview.
Allen also reported “a relatively smooth and uneventful opening” of the city’s 2,069 precincts. Some opened just a tad late, but voters who were in line then indicated they would be able to make it back by the 7 p.m. poll closing time to cast their votes, he said.
A polling place in West Town was closed and moved because a sprinkler system went off there. The polling site at James Otis Elementary School had to relocated to the Goldblatt Building a few blocks away.
“It was a lot of water,” Allen said.
Otherwise, the voting process went so smoothly that polling hours weren’t extended in any of the city’s 2,069 precincts.
Chicago is one of 44 jurisdictions nationwide where the U.S. Justice Department sent Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor for compliance with the federal voting rights laws, including any allegations of intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, or stuffing ballot boxes.
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With suppression efforts taking place on social media and in local courthouses across the country, many voters worried about how these tactics could affect the final tallies. The concern was particularly high on the city’s South Side, where Black residents have long borne witness to such discrimination.
“I’m just hoping it comes off right,” said 69-year-old Craig Houghton, who lives in the South Shore neighborhood. “I just want it to be a fair election.”
The pandemic loomed large over polling sites, as voters were encouraged to wear face masks and use hand sanitizer before touching the voting machines. Voters were also required to line up 6 feet apart, a reflection of social distancing rules that made long-looking lines move more quickly than expected.
With the majority of votes cast early in light of the pandemic, many polling sites reported no wait times Tuesday.
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“It was the easiest voting experience in my life,” Lake Barrington resident John Bochniak said. “I didn’t trust mail-in voting entirely. I figured I’d vote in person to make sure my vote got counted.”
Just outside the entrance to Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy in the Lakeview neighborhood, Birdie Everett Brachbill loitered with a black mask on and an “I Voted” sticker on his chest, a symbol of his decision to defy his doctor’s advice and vote in person.
Brachbill, 21, has cystic fibrosis, which puts him at higher risk for more serious complications from COVID-19. But Brachbill, who’s a student at the School of the Art Institute, said he wanted to cast his first presidential vote on Election Day — even if it upset his doctor.
“I felt that my vote mattered more than doing it from home,” he said.
Derrick Brown of Evanston said he wanted to wait to go to the polls on Election Day to get the traditional voting experience. Given all the ballots cast via mail and early voting, he was expecting it to be quick, but he said it was an even faster process than he had anticipated.
“I just want to do my part,” Brown said. “They say every vote counts, and I believe that. If one person says, ‘Well my vote doesn’t count.’ Just think if a million people say, ‘My vote doesn’t count.’ That’s a million votes that didn’t get in.”
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In addition to giving Biden a decisive victory in Illinois, area voters also weighed in on whether the state should amend its constitution to overhaul its tax code from a flat tax to a graduated-rate system. And they decided Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, should get a fifth term.
There were elections involving the state’s 18 congressional seats, as well, including the reelection bids of suburban Democratic freshmen Sean Casten and Lauren Underwood.
It is the presidential election, however, that drove the day and the turnout.
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Rosa Figueroa and her daughter Erika Castillo cast their first presidential ballots Tuesday after becoming citizens two years ago. The Little Village residents said they encourage each other to participate in the country’s democracy because they believe in it.
They both voted for Joe Biden. By doing so, they said, they were speaking up for others who cannot.
“I’m voting for all of those in my community and in my family who give so much to this country but cannot vote because they are undocumented,” Figueroa said in Spanish. “Those of us who can vote, should do it.”
Fifty miles to the northwest in Fox River Grove, Grace Krasno, 80, voted a straight Republican ticket, just as she has every election since immigrating to the United States.
“We came from a social communist country,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to that.”
Her daughter Lucy Ana Krasno said they voted for Trump to oppose abortion, boost the economy and restore order.
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“It’s been crazy, especially with the coronavirus and all the looting and disruption. We need order,” she said.
In Rogers Park, Aana Vigen volunteered to work as a Democratic judge for this election in honor of an 80-year-old neighbor who couldn’t do it because of COVID-19 concerns. By raising her hand, Vigen hoped to set an example for her teenage son.
“In the midst of all the grief and heartache of this year, doing active things helps me with the anxiety and the sadness,” Vigen, an ethics professor at Loyola University, said. “It gives me a sense of hope and purpose, and I just hope we keep that spirit regardless of how this election plays out.”
Austin Rodger, 23, and Michelina Ban, 22, plan to do exactly that.
The Gold Coast couple walked together Tuesday to the drop box outside Wrigley Field, where Ban submitted her ballot for Joe Biden — and where a few days earlier Rodger dropped off his ballot for Trump.
Both wearing masks, they talked openly about their political differences. Rodger said he perceived Trump as better for small businesses and the economy. Ban said she believed voting for Biden is better for social reforms.
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The pair planned to watch election results together Tuesday night.
With cocktails.
Chicago Tribune reporters Stacy St. Clair, Robert McCoppin, Elyssa Cherney and Jessica Villagomez and Pioneer Press reporter Steve Schering contributed.
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chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Chicago Tribune's presidential election front pages

The `` Dewey Defeats Truman '' headline might well have been quickly forgotten but for a chance encounter two days @ @ @ @ @ Truman , traveling by rail to Washington , stepped to the rear platform of the @ @ @ @ @ copy of the Tribune 's early edition .
He had as low an opinion of @ @ @ @ @ of him .
Truman held the paper up , and photographers preserved the moment for @ @

The "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline might well have been quickly forgotten but for a chance encounter two days later in St. Louis. Truman, traveling by rail to Washington, stepped to the rear platform of the train and was handed a copy of the Tribune's early edition. He had as low an opinion of the Tribune as it did of him. Truman held the paper up, and photographers preserved the moment for history. (Frank Cancellare/UPI // Getty Images)


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--AP: Durbin wins Illinois U.S. Senate reelection as polls close

“ To those who supported my election : thank you for once again trusting me to represent you , your @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois .
It is an honor .
And for those who were on the @ @ @ @ @ for your participation in our election .
I pledge that I will listen honestly to @ @ @ @ @ you to bind the wounds of our nation , ” Durbin said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ work to do to vanquish this virus and rebuild our broken economy .
I am @ @ @ @ @ ”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin signs an autograph for students after touring health clinics at Drake Elementary School in Chicago on April 21, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin won reelection to a fifth term on Tuesday, continuing a pattern of Democratic dominance in the state, according to the Associated Press.
More than 3.5 million people cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.
Durbin is the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. The candidates vying to replace him in Illinois' only statewide race were Republican former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran; wealthy Chicago businessman Willie Wilson, running under his own party; Green Party candidate David Black; and Libertarian Danny Malouf.
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“To those who supported my election: thank you for once again trusting me to represent you, your family and our home state of Illinois. It is an honor. And for those who were on the other side, thank you for your participation in our election. I pledge that I will listen honestly to your thoughts and work with you to bind the wounds of our nation,” Durbin said in a statement. “Now we have work to do to vanquish this virus and rebuild our broken economy. I am ready for the challenge.”
Durbin, 75, has served in the Senate since 1996 after 14 years in the U.S. House.
Six years ago, he won reelection with his smallest percentage victory in any of his statewide races against Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove who is now making a bid for the U.S. House.
In addition to a healthy campaign bankroll that totaled $4.5 million as of Oct. 1, Durbin received free exposure over the last four years on national TV in taking on Trump and, more recently, in attacking the president’s handling of the pandemic and on the Senate Judiciary Committee in opposing the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
Curran, 57, the former three-term sheriff of Lake County, won a six-way contest for the Republican nomination in March. He won the race for county sheriff in 2006 as a Democrat, then switched parties for wins in 2010 and 2014 before losing by 137 votes in 2018.
Wilson, a wealthy food and medical glove distributor, twice ran unsuccessfully for Chicago mayor and made a brief bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination before casting his vote for Republican Donald Trump.


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Mayor Lori Lightfoot confronts activist in defense of Cook County Judge Michael Toomin: ‘Your teache

Mayor Lori Lightfoot confronts activist in defense of Cook County Judge Michael Toomin: ‘Your teachers union is wrong about that’

Lightfoot then repeatedly steps toward Difino and says , “ You ’ ve got your facts wrong , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ , you ’ ve got them wrong.
” Two members of Lightfoot ’ s security @ @ @ @ @ and the activist as the mayor points her finger toward Difino and adds , “ @ @ @ @ @ about that .
”

Dozens of voters line up outside as they wait to cast their ballots at the Election Day super site polling place set up inside the United Center in Chicago, Nov. 3, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot mixed it up with an activist Tuesday outside a Far North Side polling place over Cook County Judge Michael Toomin, accusing the woman of having her facts wrong and tossing in a shot at the Chicago Teachers Union.
Toomin’s reelection is opposed by the Cook County Democratic Party and its chair, Toni Preckwinkle.
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Party leaders are critical of Toomin’s stances on juvenile justice, though some suspect they’re trying to remove him as payback for appointing a special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett scandal, which harmed Preckwinkle ally Kim Foxx in her reelection bid as state’s attorney.
In a video posted on Twitter by teachers union activist Mary Difino, Lightfoot approaches Difino after she criticizes Toomin.
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“I’m happy to endorse Judge Toomin because he’s a good judge,” Lightfoot says.
Lightfoot then repeatedly steps toward Difino and says, “You’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got them wrong.” Two members of Lightfoot’s security detail then step between Lightfoot and the activist as the mayor points her finger toward Difino and adds, “Your teachers union is wrong about that.”
A CTU spokeswoman later said the union doesn’t endorse judicial candidates.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-04--Eric Holcomb wins reelection as Indiana governor

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday , Hollis said election officials had processed 50,700 early ballots from Indianapolis voters .
With @ @ @ @ @ needing processed , Hollis said it will likely take the rest of the week before @ @ @ @

Republicans won continued control of the Indiana governor’s office as voters cast the final ballots Tuesday, although Democrats had some chances to claw back to greater political relevance in the state.
Gov. Eric Holcomb won reelection and President Donald Trump appeared likely to also win the state. Democrats, meanwhile, concentrated their fall campaigns on capturing the state attorney general’s office and a central Indiana congressional seat that’s competitive after decades as a GOP bastion.
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A record number of more than 1.7 million voters cast ballots ahead of Election Day as coronavirus health concerns prompted more use of mail-in ballots and early voting sites.
Governor’s race
Holcomb won a second four-year term as governor, fending off challengers who criticized his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Holcomb went into his campaign for a second term with a huge fundraising advantage and didn’t face any well-known challengers. Holcomb sidestepped any criticism of President Donald Trump even as Holcomb promoted face mask use and issued a statewide mask mandate in July.
Holcomb overcame Democrat Woody Myer, a former state health commissioner who called for tougher anti-virus actions as Indiana’s COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations climbed steeply since nearly all state restrictions were lifted in September.
Some conservatives called Holcomb’s actions excessive and were, instead, backing Libertarian candidate Donald Rainwater.
Holcomb was lieutenant governor under then-Gov. Mike Pence and replaced Pence as the Republican governor candidate in 2016 after Pence became Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
Lines and lots of counting
Long lines of voters formed at some polling places in Indianapolis and its suburbs before doors opened in the cold, predawn darkness.
Many polling sites continued to see lines into Tuesday evening but most were expected to wrap up soon after the 6 p.m. closing time, said Russell Hollis, deputy director of the Marion County clerk’s office.
“Overall, things have gone well. It’s been an interesting day with lines, but other than that, things for the most part have all gone pretty smooth,” Hollis said.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Hollis said election officials had processed 50,700 early ballots from Indianapolis voters. With about 160,000 such ballots still needing processed, Hollis said it will likely take the rest of the week before all are counted.
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Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody said the record number of mail-in ballots around the state means people might need to be patient while waiting for election results.
“That is perfectly reasonable given the circumstances,” Zody said. “I’m willing to experience a little bit of a delay here if that means all the votes are going to be counted in the right way.”
Presidential voting
Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, appeared securely in Trump’s column as Democrat Joe Biden’s campaign paid little attention to the state that has gone for Republican candidates in 12 of the last 13 presidential elections.
Trump won Indiana by 19 percentage points in 2016 over Hillary Clinton. Republicans admitted his popularity had eroded in some areas, contributing to a contentious campaign for a longtime GOP-controlled congressional district in suburban Indianapolis that Democrats were trying to capture.


chicagotribune--2020-11-03--The Spin: Election Day — races to watch, waiting | Trump in Kenosha wonders aloud: Who will win?  |

The Spin: Election Day — races to watch, waiting | Trump in Kenosha wonders aloud: Who will win?  | How the Tribune is working to avoid ‘Dewey defeats Truman’ repeat

`` We will follow the lead of the AP , as we normally do .
We will update stories and @ @ @ @ @ webpage every few minutes .
We will print election results tables in the newspaper for @ @ @ @ @ takes to capture the outcomes .
And , of course , we will check the @ @ @ @ @ races that have a clear outcome .

James Smith, with his dog Ace, votes at the Election Day super site polling place inside the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 3, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Like so many in the voting public today, President Donald Trump wondered aloud at a campaign rally in Kenosha last night — albeit with a bit of sarcasm — about the outcome of the presidential race between him and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden.
With a pandemic that’s claimed 230,000 lives in the U.S., cost countless jobs and altered life as we know it, voters who had not cast their ballots ahead of time went to the polls on this, the official Election Day. For the procrastinators out there, polls for in-person voting in Illinois close at 7 p.m.
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While some pundits suggest we may have a sense of which presidential candidate is on the road to victory, others are saying record-breaking vote-by-mail numbers along with varied cutoff dates to get those in could mean it might take days for a front-runner to emerge. If court challenges ensue, that would just extend the time.
Similarly, extended vote-by-mail deadlines in Illinois mean it could take a week before we know the results of the Gov. J.B. Pritzker-backed referendum atop the Illinois ballot that asks voters whether the state should change its constitution to replace the flat income tax to a graduated tax.
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While Trump vs. Biden is the big show, also at stake is which party will lead the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate — coequal branches of government. Polling shows Democrats are expected to hold onto the House, but polls and pundits are at odds about whether Republicans will maintain control of the Senate.
At least one of Illinois' 18 congressional races this year is a nail-biter and could help cement or change the contours of the chamber. Likewise, four-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, of Springfield, is a favorite to win, but he’s facing his first serious challenge in years.
So grab that leftover Halloween candy, put on a fresh pot of coffee and get ready for what lies ahead.
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President Donald Trump listens as Ivanka Trump, right, speaks during a campaign rally at Kenosha Regional Airport Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Kenosha. Also listening are Jared Kushner and Tiffany Trump. (Evan Vucci/AP)
At one point during a campaign rally last night in Kenosha, President Trump wondered out loud whether he could lose, the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart reports.
“Could he really win?” Trump said of Biden. “Are we serious about this?”
“No!” the crowd of faithful shouted back.
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Trump narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016 but with polling showing Biden with a narrow lead there and in other battleground states, it’s among the races to watch. Read the full story here.
Final polling averages show uphill battle for Trump: Track the race for president in the key battleground states: The Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart, Chad Yoder and Jonathon Berlin have the details here.
Big picture — 10 pivotal states in the presidential race to watch on election night: The Associated Press has the details here.
What’s 270? The math game behind the presidential election and the Electoral College: Read The Associated Press story here. This fun little New York Times online tool can help too.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot talks about elections after meeting with State’s Attorney Foxx at the 8th Ward Office in Chicago on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune) (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt: Mayor Lori Lightfoot mixed it up with an activist outside a Far North Side polling place over controversial Judge Michael Toomin, accusing the woman of having her facts wrong and tossing in a shot at the Chicago Teachers Union.
Toomin’s re-election is opposed by the Cook County Democratic Party and its chair, Toni Preckwinkle. Party leaders are critical of Toomin’s stances on juvenile justice, though some suspect they’re trying to remove him as payback for appointing a special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett scandal, which harmed Preckwinkle ally Kim Foxx in her re-election bid as state’s attorney.
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In a video posted on Twitter by teachers union activist Mary Difino, Lightfoot approaches Difino after she criticizes Toomin.
“I’m happy to endorse Judge Toomin because he’s a good judge,” Lightfoot says.
Lightfoot then repeatedly steps toward Difino and says, “You’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got your facts wrong, you’ve got them wrong.” Two members of Lightfoot’s security detail then step between Lightfoot and the activist as the mayor jabs her finger toward Difino and adds, “Your teachers union is wrong about that.”
A lot of Election Night traditions, like the boozy parties at a nondescript hotel conference room, have gone the way of Zoom in the age of COVID-19.
What Trump and Biden are up to once the polls close: Trump will entertain supporters at the White House tonight as results come in while Biden will be at his home in Delaware, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Both were expected to make public remarks at some point tonight: Reporters who caught up with President Trump at his Virginia election headquarters today asked him about another tradition: delivering an acceptance or concession speech. He said he hasn’t worked on either.
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“I’m not thinking about concession speech or acceptance speech yet,” he said, adding, “Winning is easy. Losing is never easy – not for me it’s not.”
Closer to home, Mayor Lightfoot, who criss-crossed the city to meet up with Democratic candidates and thank poll workers, plans to watch election results from her Chicago home, a spokesman said. Gov. Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference this afternoon that he, too, would be watching the results at home and encouraged others to do the same.
According to a 47th Ward assistant most of the Biden signs next to a voting poll on Welles Park were gone Saturday morning, and someone painted Trump 2020 on the back of a "vote yes for a fair tax" sign in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, in addition to cars found with proud Boys leaflets on the front windshields near the area Saturday Oct., 31, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The most expensive state contest on this year’s ballot: A proposed state constitutional amendment asking voters to end the state’s mandated flat-rate income tax system and replace it with a graduated-rate structure that increases the tax levy along with income.
Under the rules of the state constitution, ratification of the amendment requires the support from either at least 60% of those voting on the question or from at least 50% of the total ballots cast in the election. More on that below.
Election Day also figures to feature some close local races. Two years ago in central Illinois' 13th Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis of Taylorville won reelection by 2,058 votes out of nearly 271,000 ballots cast over Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigran of Springfield. And this year, Davis and Londrigan are in a rematch.
14th District congressional race features first-term incumbent Lauren Underwood vs. state Sen. Jim Oberweis: Underwood, a Naperville Democrat, flipped what had been a reliably Republican seat in the 2018 midterms. Now Oberweis, a Sugar Grove Republican, is trying to reclaim the seat in one of the most closely watched races by party leaders on both sides of the aisle. The race reflects a larger trend of conservative suburbs tilting left. Read more here.
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6th District congressional race pits rookie Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten against former Republican state lawmaker Jeannie Ives: Like Underwood, Casten, of Downers Grove, flipped a GOP seat in the 2018 blue wave. Now he’s up against Ives, of Wheaton, who nearly defeated then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 Republican primary for governor when she ran to his right. More about the race here.
The Cook County state’s attorney’s race is among the most bitter in recent memory: First-term incumbent Kim Foxx is facing Republican challenger Pat O’Brien in a high-profile contest that has focused on the incumbent’s handling of the high-profile Jussie Smollett case and O’Brien’s role in a wrongful conviction case he worked on when he was in the prosecutor’s office decades ago. More on that race here.
U.S. Senate race pits incumbent Dick Durbin vs. four opponents in Illinois U.S. Senate race: Durbin’s challengers include Republican Mark Curran, the former Lake County sheriff; businessman and third-party candidate Willie Wilson; Danny Malouf; and David Black.
The key House races to watch across the United States tonight, via CBS News and National Public Radio.
What to watch for in the battle for the Senate: The Washington Post breaks it down here.
Janet Villanueva, who works on the vote-by-mail team in the Will County clerk's office, feeds a ballot into a tabulator Saturday. (Alicia Fabbre / Daily Southtown)
From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson: Each state sets its own election laws, including how and when to count its mail-in and early ballots. In some critical battleground states in the race between Trump and Biden, it could even take weeks before ballot results are known.
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In deeply blue Illinois, expectations are for a quick result in the presidential race — the Democratic candidates have taken the state by 17 percentage points in the previous two elections. Illinois also processes its mail-in and early-voting ballots as they are received through Nov. 1, stopping short only of hitting the total button, which is done when the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day.
However, it could still take a while to know winners in close cases; Illinois allows ballots that are postmarked no later than Election Day to arrive and be counted for two weeks afterward, so totals could change through Nov. 17.
Data points on voting: With record-setting vote-by-mail numbers in the 2020 general election, the Illinois State Board of Elections reminds that unofficial vote totals reported on election night may change significantly in the two weeks to follow.
The count: 1.83 million in-person early votes had been cast as of yesterday. Additionally, 1.76 mail-in ballots had been returned for a grand total of 3.6 million votes cast, according to the state election data.
In 2016, Illinois voters cast 370,740 votes by mail and 1.5 million in-person early votes.
Another record: Illinois has, so far, logged 8.3 million registered voters for the 2020 general election, an all-time hight according to the state election board. Unofficial pre-election reports indicate that 43 percent of registered voters have already voted.
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Chicago turnout could hit 75%: Read about that and other Election Day stories from the Tribune team here.
In this Nov. 4, 1948, photo, U.S. President Harry S. Truman holds up an Election Day edition of the Chicago Daily Tribune, which, based on early results, mistakenly announced "Dewey Defeats Truman." (BYRON ROLLINS/AP Photo)
The Tribune’s editor-in-chief Colin McMahon writes: "At the Tribune, we compile our electoral results using The Associated Press for larger races and local or county official sites for smaller races. AP and the major television networks are taking extra precautions this year to account for the unprecedented manner in which so many people are voting, and the state-by-state differences in tabulations.
"We will follow the lead of the AP, as we normally do. We will update stories and results on our Elections 2020 webpage every few minutes. We will print election results tables in the newspaper for as many days as it takes to capture the outcomes. And, of course, we will check the “winner” box in races that have a clear outcome.
"But the Tribune will also do our best to inform you about the vote-counting process, not just the vote totals. We will report on and share responsible reporting on voting or counting irregularities. We will not call races independently, and in some cases we may refrain from reporting a winner even when one candidate claims victory or another concedes defeat.
“The Chicago Tribune as an institution remains cognizant of its famous ‘DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN' blunder, even if none of the editors making the calls today were even alive back in 1948. We are a careful bunch in calling races generally, and we will be especially so this year.”
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-11-03--Beecher fire destroys family home of South Chicago Heights nonprofit director

Hernandez said his nephew ’ s family is covered for their immediate needs of food and shelter .
However , @ @ @ @ @ too early to say what might be needed over the long term .

A two-story home in the 500 block of Woodward Street in Beecher was deemed uninhabitable after it was severely damaged by a fire on Nov. 2. (Beecher Fire Protection District)
Despite efforts of nine fire departments, the Beecher family home of a well-known nonprofit director was rendered uninhabitable by a fire that tore through it Monday morning.
Beecher Fire Chief Joe Falaschetti said the report of the fire in the 500 block of Woodward Avenue came in about 10:40 a.m.
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Firefighters arrived to see fire and heavy smoke within the two-story house, which was the longtime family home of Juan Hernandez.
“It’s the house I grew up in,” Hernandez said. “My dad moved there 55 years ago. It is the Hernandez home.”
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Along with his wife, Stella, Hernandez founded Alicia’s House in 2001 in honor of their late granddaughter Alicia. The nonprofit food pantry is based in South Chicago Heights. Hernandez is also known in the Beecher area for his work in teaching martial arts.
Though he no longer lives there, the house stayed in the family and was the home of Hernandez’s nephew, Brian Hernandez, with his wife, Jennifer, and their three sons.
Fire crews aggressively attacked the fire, according to a news release from Beecher Fire Department, but were forced to spend “a great deal of time chasing the fire through the many concealed spaces of this balloon frame constructed home.”
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
This additional challenge triggered calls for assistance from nearby departments including South Chicago Heights, Park Forest, Peotone, Monee, Crete, Grant Park, Manteno and Cedar Lake, Indiana. Departments in Crete and University Park assisted by providing station coverage.
The effort involved 32 firefighters and seven commanding officers who staffed nine engines, three ambulances and three ladder trucks, according to the news release.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. One person was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, but there were no injuries, officials said.
“Nobody was hurt,” Hernandez said. “The house is a total loss, but everyone is OK.”
Hernandez said his nephew’s family is covered for their immediate needs of food and shelter. However, he said it’s too early to say what might be needed over the long term.
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“You really don’t know how it’s going to affect you until it happens,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of memories in that place.”
Carole Sharwarko is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.


chicagotribune--2020-11-03--Mail-in ballots processed at Chicago Board of Elections

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chicagotribune--2020-11-03--Voters in line at suburban Cook County polls Monday told to go home at 7 p.m. cutoff

“ The Cook County election judge manual itself states that anyone in line when early voting ends for the day @ @ @ @ @ their ballot and must be allowed to vote , '' Ami Gandhi , senior counsel @ @ @ @ @ Committee for Civil Rights , said in a statement.
`` But tonight , voters came @ @ @ @ @ waited for hours to cast their ballots , only to be turned away without explanation @ @ @ @ @ disenfranchised Cook County voters .
”

Gregory Pratt, Alice Yin, Kelli Smith, Elyssa Cherney

Poll workers at some Cook County early voting sites sent home voters who were still in line about 7 p.m. Monday, but officials said Tuesday that election judges made that decision because not everyone was social distancing and preparations needed to get underway for Election Day.
Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s office, said voters in line at eight to 10 polling locations were waiting but could not cast their ballots. Anyone who was inside the facility at 7 p.m. was allowed to vote, Daly said, but others were sent away.
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Election judges at the county’s 53 early voting sites planned to close at 7 p.m. to prepare for Election Day, which means reprogramming equipment, cleaning and stocking up on PPE, Daly said. She said voters who are still in line at 7 p.m. on Tuesday will be allowed to vote, unlike what happened at some locations Monday.
At least one attorney’s group challenged what happened, implying the decision could have contributed to voter suppression.
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“The Cook County election judge manual itself states that anyone in line when early voting ends for the day has the right to cast their ballot and must be allowed to vote," Ami Gandhi, senior counsel for the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, said in a statement. " But tonight, voters came out in the cold and waited for hours to cast their ballots, only to be turned away without explanation. That needless barrier undoubtedly disenfranchised Cook County voters.”
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Edmund Michalowski, Cook County’s deputy clerk of elections, said in a media call Tuesday that his office did not intend to infringe on anyone’s rights. He said some of the county’s early voting sites stayed open until 10 p.m. so everyone who had been in line could vote.
But at certain sites, he said, “the judges felt threatened, and they felt very uncomfortable because people were crowding and they weren’t practicing social distancing.”
Michalowski said his office contacted “several dozen” voters Tuesday morning who had been referred by the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and felt they had been turned away. Michalowski said his office inquired what it could do to help those voters participate Tuesday but said he decided not to reopen the polls Monday night after the incidents were reported.
“As an election authority, we can’t open up a polling place for a particular group of voters over another group of voters,” he said. “We have to be fair and impartial, but we also have to be caring and I think that’s what our goal was.”
On Tuesday, Gandhi, of the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, said her concerns remained.
The organization received about 70 calls from affected voters, she said. Volunteers answering phone calls and monitoring these reports Monday night estimated that “hundreds” of voters could have been turned away too early.
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The issue was relayed from numerous early voting locations, and multiple voters called to say there were lines of up to 100 people or that would take hours to get through, she said.
“The reason that we were concerned about this is because of the widespread nature of the problem and the fact that it seems a large number of voters were affected,” Gandhi said. “We don’t know sitting here today whether all the voters who were unfairly turned away were indeed able to vote."
In addition to local polling places, the county will have seven supersites available on Election Day, Daly said. Those locations include the five suburban courthouses in Cook County — Markham, Rolling Meadows, Bridgeview, Maywood, Skokie, as well as Union Station in Chicago and a location at 69 W. Washington St.
Any voters with a mail-in ballot must also bring it to a supersite location, Daly said.
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ayin@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-11-03--GOP Indiana AG candidate Rokita tops Dem challenger

“ You know our state has come so far under commonsense conservative leadership over the last 15 years , ” @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We have become a leader in the nation in every category that matters @ @ @ @ @ it that way .
”

Republican Todd Rokita staged a political comeback in winning the Indiana attorney general’s office on Tuesday.
The former congressman defeated former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel in a race that Democrats had targeted in hopes of winning their first statewide election since 2012.
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Rokita’s campaign announced Tuesday he had tested positive for COVID-19 after developing “some symptoms” but was doing well and working from home. His campaign didn’t reply to questions about when he began feeling ill and was tested.
Rokita, a Munster native, lost the 2018 Republican U.S. Senate primary but started his comeback by defeating current Attorney General Curtis Hill for the GOP nomination after Hill was tarnished by allegations that he drunkenly groped four women during a party. Rokita will take office in January.
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Democratic attorney general candidate Jonathan Weinzapfel (Darron Cummings/AP)
Rokita cast himself as an unabashed President Donald Trump supporter with an aggressive law-and-order and anti-abortion agenda that will continue Hill’s tactics of joining Republican lawsuits against what they regard as federal overreach, such as the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.”
“You know our state has come so far under commonsense conservative leadership over the last 15 years,” Rokita said in a statement. “We have become a leader in the nation in every category that matters. Now we must keep it that way.”
Weinzapfel said during the campaign he wanted to tone down partisanship in the office of state government’s top lawyer.
Weinzapfel said he saw no difference between Rokita and Hill over what he called “gross politicization of the office.”
Rokita avoided defending Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb against conservative critics of the coronavirus-related executive orders he’s issued since March, including restrictions on personal movement, forcing some businesses to close and a statewide mask mandate.
Rokita won statewide elections as secretary of state in 2002 and 2006 before he held a central Indiana congressional seat for eight years. He lost a 2018 bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination to Mike Braun and unsuccessfully sought the party’s 2016 nomination for governor after then-Gov. Mike Pence became Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
Rokita has faced several controversies, including allegations that his congressional staffers often felt obligated to do political work to help his campaigns. And a 2018 Associated Press analysis of state and congressional spending records revealed that Rokita had spent more than $3 million in public money on advertising campaigns that often coincided with his bids for office.
With Holcomb holding big fundraising and organization advantages for his reelection campaign, Weinzapfel was trying to put a Democrat back in a statewide office for the first time in four years. Republicans also hold commanding majorities in the Legislature, giving Democrats little influence in state government.