>> Good evening and thanks for joining us on the week in review.

I'm Nick Blumberg.

Julianna Stratton emerges victorious after a bruising Democratic primary for Senate.

>> I we shot what's possible when you listen to the people and give the people what they want.

>> After weeks of neck-and-neck polls, unofficial results show Stratton with the commanding 7 point victory.

What he's proposing to do is bad for the people of our state.

Illinois is less affordable because and JB Pritzker its 2022.

All over again as Governor JB Pritzker is set to face a challenge from Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey.

If I got a veto something to make sure that black and brown women are protected.

it is.

Mayor Brandon Johnson slams and Aldermanic effort to reverse course on phasing out tipped minimum wage.

Meantime, dueling accusations after the mayor swiftly fires his deputy mayor for public safety and the Chicago Housing Authority board Bucks the mayor and appoints the CEO of its own choosing.

>> And now to our week in review panel.

Joining us are Patrick thanks to of the Illinois political newsletter just buckholts of WBBM Newsradio Rufus Williams of Wv Owen and sure the seeing of Bloomberg News.

Thank you all for being here.

Let's get right to it.

couple 3 things happened this week.

A little bit busy.

Jeff Roger Krishnamurthy had a consistent lead in the polls.

He was also up with ads very early and there are plenty of undecided in the end.

Did it sort of feel like Stratton ate away at his Lee pretty quickly.

It.

I think it was more state was more It was sort of the tail of the tortoise and the hare rip across the >> Democratic political landscape because indeed, Roger was leading a lot of the polls until probably 6 weeks out, I think.

And then you started to see the impact of finally Juliana Stratton campaign ads getting on the air and also the ads from the Illinois Future PAC controlled by Governor JB Pritzker, who has been her political champion through this whole cycle.

And in the end, as you as you point out in the opening as as of right now is 7 point lead, a pretty substantial lead over a really strong field, including, you know, not only Roger, but Robin congresswoman from the south side of the south suburbs.

Well, let's call this what it is.

This is one of the most incredible comebacks we've seen in Illinois politics in.

>> Some years.

I mean, she was left for dead around the new Year politically.

Rick, Rick Morty had all the name ID had dominated TV since July.

Completely unchecked Pritzker's Stark money hadn't come in yet.

Nobody knew what she was doing.

And then all of a sudden they just get and somebody texted me Tuesday night said never doubt.

Team Pritzker.

>> You know, it out thinking about the La Marathon, the American came from behind and caught him right at right at the finish line he collapsed 0.8 seconds was the winner.

What it looked like through all of this and it was so much conversation around this raise so much money that was spent certainly our Roger was putting out at a year ago.

So everybody knew Rodger was we know how it carries in the city.

We don't know how Kerry's downstate into early Ultimately, are the Lieutenant Governor ultimately because she's there and the governor has such sway it made.

difference is impact made a lot of the differences.

>> And I think this race has been watching that watched nationally as well.

I mean, this is you know, a race that it's for the U.S.

Senate.

And it's also race of people were sort of talking about in terms of what it means for Governor Pritzker.

Is he going to run in 2028?

and what would happen to his political capital whether she or lost.

Now she won.

We're going to see how that's going to play out for him if he decides to And we were just talking to he and another win in the form of Parker Croquet, you know, the candidate for Illinois comptroller that he backed.

>> Going against outgoing Comptroller Susana Mendoza's endorsement there.

So another another Pritzker takeover of the state Democratic Party is pretty much completed this point and and there's been a lot of wrestling over the years between me and Senator Durbin and >> and there have been some ruffled feathers in the last few months between he and Comptroller Mendoza in the African-American community trying put his thumb on the, you know, on the scale to get Julianna Stratton across the line.

>> I would assume that that hurt feelings ended after an election.

But the money is part of this.

And it's part of this narrative and and people are going to keep talking about it for a long time.

I do want to jump back for a second to the Senate race, though, because this is really big and there was a thought that there will be a split of the vote between Robin Kelly and Juliana Stratton.

nice.

But some remnant Kelly is very well respected, very well regarded.

>> In Washington, D.C., but in the end, Julianna Stratton comes through and now that she will be only the 6th black woman to be in the Senate.

Should she be successful in the fall?

And, you know, Democrats Illinois, there's not any real reasonably.

She won't be, although there's still a race to run is really historic.

When you look at how this thing turned, Governor Pritzker was on the West side on Thursday talking about film and television production in the state of Illinois.

And I asked him.

>> If the results of Tuesday's election made him a king maker in the state of Illinois and he said, did you use the word king or take the fly?

He's clearly getting ready.

going to be in 2028 form.

>> it's just to jump back to that one.

But, you know, Robin Kelly herself, you know, made the comment at a certain point.

I believe that.

>> You know, a lot of folks were concerned about having to, you know, female African-American candidates.

And she essentially said you wouldn't say this if it were 2 black men, if it, you know, for 2 white women and, you know, has this helped perhaps put that to bed?

I certainly hope so because it's always been the case.

any time you see 2 black people in the race.

>> That's a story that commerce.

We are certainly black people are voting bloc.

>> But we're not a monolith.

And so it goes in so many different ways and hopefully it has, in fact, with that a different had won.

He didn't.

And so I think this changes the narrative and that split never really amounted to much in the end because I mean, she >> dominated Stratton, dominated the city of Chicago so much Ted, the really what Kelly did didn't matter in the end, there was a point Tuesday night where Stratton was leading by 71,000 votes in the city and leading statewide by 69,000 votes.

So that mean that domination was the key.

>> And one of words that I heard consistently on on Tuesday and before and after is the word fight and fight and Governor Pritzker has been saying that she has been someone who has fought for the people of Illinois and that's type of person we want to send to Washington, D.C., from the state of Illinois.

So that theme seems to be resonating either.

They're trying to make it resonate or is coming up naturally by itself.

But the theme of fighting in Washington, D.C., for what the people of Illinois want.

I keep hearing that over and over again.

Pretty saucy commercial what's happening in Washington.

that's right.

Shall not be repeated One of the things, though that we really have to recognize is the impact of Citizens United Chair.

>> And all of the money that comes into the race, it becomes more familiar line with was putting money who has money.

>> That is impacting the outcome of these races.

And I wonder how much it had to do with the turnout because the turnout was truly abysmal for this race and such an important race.

Only think about trying to get guardrails around what happened.

But the money didn't fully.

>> Get what they wanted.

You know, Africa other races to the right.

I mean, it was it was really a mixed bag because you saw a flood of money coming in from different interests.

You know, there was this whole thing about, you know, the the Pritzker dollars versus the crypto dollars and you get so many different alliances coming in.

But the big money didn't exactly get everything they want to money without money.

One, everybody lead money want just a matter of whose money it Particular pack believe Yeah.

Its affiliated groups elect Chicago women which apparently is a division of a packed, you know, for a lot of money at this race.

And particularly you saw that in the 9th district up on the north side in the North Shore.

>> Where more find the state senator who was the beneficiary of a PAC money pull money against her opponent in that race.

The eventual winner of the primary, Dan Dennison, cat of Ali, the social media influencer she wound up or find one 38 in that race and pack was then came out and took credit for helping to block of because Ali, but, you know, coming in as a second place finish, that's a little bit hard to and >> becoming the issue.

One of issues in the race is not something super PAC wants to do.

Right.

And a pack became an issue in this race which says a lot about where the Democratic Party is, particularly in a district with really well-known Jewish enclaves Skokie and in Rogers Park.

And the and the places where a pack spent a ton of money that they didn't become the story which were the 7th where Shawn Ford one and the age where Melissa being the second as well.

Donna Miller, the Donna Mueller got.

It's true that that they work to the issue in the race and >> ended up doing pretty well.

Yeah.

And the into the 7th district, the folks at Fair Shake, the crypto super PAC spent a ton of money against LA Shawn Ford.

Right.

And that didn't work.

>> I also want to point out that this particular Senate race has other ripple effects of a new now to members of the House that left their positions.

they're running for You have a member the reason this whole race became a big deal is because Senator Durbin decided to leave his seat after 30 years.

I mean, you've had so much turnover and new people coming into these positions.

I think it just really begs questions now about what they're going to do, what they're going to be really positioning themselves leading up to November.

So this race just had so many themes that, you know, hitting politics, whether it's money, whether it's internal fighting within parties.

And I just feel like coming into November, we're going to have more questions than answers club.

Had well.

And of course, you know, as congressional musical chairs, but there was a gubernatorial primary as well the GOP side.

>> Set for a rematch between Governor Pritzker and former state lawmaker Darren Bailey.

Patrick Bailey has been striking a different tone this time somewhat trying to make amends, particularly with Chicagoans.

Do you think this approach might prove more effective for him?

Well, I mean, he certainly softened his tone, right, whether it's being humbled by the weapon that he took in 2022.

Or.

>> Or certainly the tragedy that he and his family face last fall.

When is his son and daughter-in-law and 2 of their grandkids were killed in a helicopter crash.

He admits openly that that changed in that it did.

That change is how he how he sees the world, how he talks to people healthy approach to this race.

But when you dig deep into it and it read, the policy changed.

Is right?

He still southern Illinois conservative, right?

And you somehow got to convince suburban voters who have abandoned the Republican Party and mask since 2016 that that this guy with a Southern drawl is going to be your your change here.

Even with the frustration out there for Governor Pritzker.

And while his his approval rating has ticked back up above 50% post ice.

It was below 50% before that.

So he's not swimming in popularity.

But if Bailey can somehow convince suburbanites who said sorry the Republican Party is dead to me, there's there's no path forward.

And there D emphasizing a lot of the social issues that they're Bailey talked about 4 years We talked to Darren Bailey and air and Omar few weeks ago when they are out.

And we go.

>> And they've really been trying to focus on the kind of bread and butter issues that they believe will make a difference in this race.

Affordability and that sort of thing.

But the number to look at is 42.

That's the percentage of the vote.

Darren Bailey got in 2022.

Governor Pritzker is going to want to make sure that he gets less than 42 as he looks to 2020 to make sure that there's a nice sign of strength there.

Exactly.

So I mean, it's smart for Bailey to focus on those.

They're saying the 80 20 issues right there saying the economics, the cost of living.

>> public safety sort of things.

And you're going to see the governor every every sentence he puts out between now and November is going to be abortion, abortion, abortion, right?

He's going to make Darren Bailey look like a far-right crazy man and Bailey's even tried to soften his his stance on abortion when he came out against a person Hood sponsored by conservative state senator from downstate that also at the same time had bring back the death penalty bill.

So so the messaging was right there that, hey, Republicans want to, you know, give you the death penalty for having an abortion in Bailey came out against That's a smart political move.

The 2022 Darren Bailey never gets near.

if he's grown, I don't know that he's grown enough to as a challenger was believable and it's good that it will focus on the suburban counties because it's not going to happen in the city.

>> I think so often think we start to look at what's happening and I don't know how he will distance himself from all Nelson is considered Republican.

>> In this moment, which is not good, particularly for those of us in the city.

>> Well, a lot interesting local races as You know, Pat Hynes, unseating incumbent Cook County Assessor, Fritz K E.

>> Sure.

think this is maybe down to folks upset about big property tax hikes.

Always something that that has on voters minds.

I think property taxes are on people's minds for various reasons.

One is the increases that they've seen in the last year and the less assessment.

Also, the questions about the delays have also been on people's minds because a lot of the.

>> The taxing bodies, the school districts and other, you know, libraries and things like that.

They gotten their money fully on time.

And that's cause ripple effects for a variety of different things.

So I think it's the increases.

It's the how does city, the county and everybody divvy up what's being charged.

Men?

Is it going to be on time?

So I mean, I think there's a variety of issues.

And and, you know, that the county taxes are not one person right there.

Just like formula of like the assessor.

Then you've got like somebody who sets the rate, somebody who sets the levee dislike a mix of different peoples, you know, input into that system.

And so, you know, I don't know if you can never really blame one person, but it's definitely on something that's on people's minds.

You can't.

But people somehow anyway.

And it seems that there is a tech property tax is a complicated.

>> And when people don't like it in the answer seems to be let's change I talked to both.

>> For its kahe and Patrick Hynes throughout and I didn't get a good sense that we're going to see anything different going forward.

In fact, I don't expect to see anything different as a result taxes and when asked directly, parents told we see some changes in 3 years, which means by the time saying we won't even remember still mad about our property Put this in context.

A lot of these property taxes have nothing to do with the assessor's office.

nothing to do with.

>> You know anything other than a lot of them go to existing liabilities, existing debt pensions are a huge factor.

mean, almost 80% of the city of Chicago's property taxes still going to, you know, the pension.

So I don't know if any one person coming into office every 4 years can change that long-term viability of the real estate bubble that we're in is part of the reason for its Katie took.

>> Took took a loss here because the values of homes have gone up, which have raised the equal has assessed value, which is made him have to raise that number, at least according to that formula.

So people in my suburbs saw 20% higher property tax bills and they said to heck with that, we want somebody else.

So it's.

>> he he was partly a victim of of the environment, but also, >> you know, he had some stumbles to like the 180 million dollar potential property tax for the bears because of how they they they assessed the Arlington Heights site, right?

There were some stumbles there that that he could have either explained better down the numbers better was and it is always tough because there is often one person who who wears the jacket for is that somebody gets the plane and within those things, that is a complicated situation.

>> And property values did increase, but then there's still the equalizer.

There's there's the levee.

You know, however, that levee is coming with pensions with this because the schools need more whatever these local school district is a lowering their their love.

Even if property values are going read was the economy between personal taxes and and commercial taxes.

And that's what really harmed a lot of people certainly and the black and brown communities in Chicago with their taxes went up astronomically to what they had been before.

Right?

Because property in the loop is not as valuable as was a cause.

Nobody's there, right?

Exactly.

>> Well, we can do elections until about 10 o'clock when things happened chef.

Some surprising news out of City Hall yesterday.

Deputy Mayor Gary in gate would to unceremoniously let go.

What do we know about why?

Yeah, this was interesting hearing gate would the head the deputy mayor for community safety has been in many ways.

Mayor Johnson's point person on his whole initiative, too.

>> Bringing down crime by addressing the root causes of crime.

This is something the mayor is talking about pretty much since he got into office.

And Gary Gatewood has been there virtually from the beginning.

And as the city has seen numbers showing a decrease in violent crime, Gary in gate, which efforts have very much been front and center in the mayor is appeared with him and he's talked about those efforts and alliances with community violence.

Intervention, specialist and that kind of thing.

And then Thursday afternoon happened in.

He's at he's Mr.

when he's been a number of media outlets talking about how he was dismissed because he was trying to hold people inside the administration accountable by the Johnson administration is notoriously want well, no, no reluctant to talk about personnel issues in public.

But a spokesperson for the mayor's office told me this morning that that was not what he was First deputy mayor who came over from the Pritzker administration back in May name Jason Sanford is going to take the position on an interim basis.

I asked if we should get used to seeing Mr.

Sandford in that role.

I was told no that there will be a permanent appointment coming up probably next month.

other than that, the mayor's office isn't really saying much other than they're committed to continuing to shoring up alliances with cvi groups and others to make sure that the mayor's initiatives on crime continue to move forward.

All right.

Another personnel announcement this week, Chicago Housing Authority been without a permanent leader for nearly a year and a half.

The mayor had hoped to have former Alderman Walter Burnett takeover.

But Rufus, the board instead chose the head of Washington DC's Housing Authority.

Were you surprised to see them go against Johnson's wishes?

Hear that anymore.

That seems to be commonplace.

Thing now is that however, that goals but >> the person that they brought in didn't have experience in New Orleans in DC and was steeped in that.

So the board there's still controversy in on the board numbers, enough members to vote it that he should that they should bring a. But as I understand to the mayor's office is also looking to see if the resolution that brought them forward.

Okay.

So that's it's it's done.

But it's not done because there's still legalities that they're looking at.

But, yeah, it was a surprise because the mayor push for Alderman Burnett, Alderman Burnett had stated very obviously one of the job.

So this was this one caught a lot of people buy quick City Council so that could take this job that he ha.

>> Garza gave the mayor the opportunity to install his son, Burnett into that aldermanic spot on the West Side.

But yeah, now Walter Burnett is left waiting in the wings as the mayor and his team.

Look at regularity is with that resolution.

And there's other administration positions also.

I mean, the CFO recently left as well.

They've acting person and they're in that position.

Cta also looks like it's permanent, but I don't know.

And more than a year.

I think there's a a number of positions across that are interim or acting or whatever you want to call but not the permanent person necessarily.

Yeah.

Susan Capello the head of the animal care and control finally confirmed by city council.

She had been the acting head of the city's animal shelter for 3 years.

That is quite the trial, sometimes you got to be sure.

And you write what they believe in Sure.

That's the right.

Just don't quite a bit of push the Ocps who has an interim leader and they that has been kind of interesting than others.

And just took themselves out of the rounds yet for the lady from New York to herself out of the running.

So now you have the interim and the person from bedroom.

>> Which is a somewhat smaller system than Chicago being So we'll see.

We'll see how that comes out as well.

>> Members of the board had suggested that they should not put anyone permanently in the place until fully seated.

21 member board is now elected, which to happen later this year and then be installed next year.

So there's a lot of empty.

There's a lot interim empty moving seats and actually at this point out related CPS, we're now sitting here in March and the CPS fiscal year is different.

Then.

>> The Chicago fiscal year.

So Chicago is January to end of December and CPS is mid-year.

You know, school lets out and they're getting going, but that budget.

So that's not that far away.

Yeah.

Well, you mentioned CTA.

>> Ct filing suit against the federal government just this afternoon.

Tell us about that.

>> department transportation Tober so started doing a review practices for contractors who is being hired.

There's a longstanding practice of the federal government and certainly here in Chicago of using different ways of including race or gender based preferences.

Now the Trump administration recently around October, said that is not supposed to be.

That's not a policy that's supposed to be used going forward.

There's a few different transit agencies actually just like to really major ones that have been impacted by the federal freeze that the Trump administration has put into place.

One is in New York and one is in Chicago.

New York filed a lawsuit earlier this related to the freeze saying that that should be on pause and then Chicago filed the suit today and it's several billion dollars.

You know, in terms of what could be going into the red and purple line.

These are not questions about like, how long is going to go on?

It's already been a few months if it continues to go on is working to of course, the you know, the Biden administration in the final days of its tenure.

>> You know, they were rushing to get this red line extension agreement in get, you know, they have a full funding agreement executed.

So a lot of folks have said, you know, this is not a legal move by the Trump administration.

There's a contract in place.

It's interesting.

The red and purple modernization have the same thing in the last days of the Obama administration.

And they didn't, you know, play funny with the money there.

This time, it seems like they're taking a more aggressive approach trying to claw back those funds it.

I mean, we've seen so many differences in the Trump administration in the second term compared to the first time, right?

But what is happening right now is that you have >> pauses freezes, whatever you want to call it.

And then it goes into the courts.

And so we've seen a variety of different maneuvers from the state and local governments as well as the federal government.

And they had a wind themselves through the courts.

And then you don't actually know which way it's going to go because sometimes it's like, oh, this court said move ahead.

Now, the next court says don't move ahead.

So it's a question mark and >> it is a challenge for state, local governments because some of these these projects are years long, right?

And they have to plan year after year.

Now that can us really do that.

there's one thing you can be sure of the fights between.

>> Local and state government and the federal government will not be stopping anytime Indeed, it might be a question mark for a CTA, but I think the 4 of you are an exclamation mark.

unfortunately, we're out of time.

So our thanks to Patrick Kingston, Jeff Buckles, Rufus Williams and sure he saying.

And we're back to wrap things up right after this.

>> Tonight's presentation of Week in review is made possible in part by an and rich com BNSF railway.

And Francine and Doctor Anthony Brown.

Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexander and John Nichols fate.

The Pope Brothers Foundation, additional support is provided by.

>> And that's our show for this Friday night.

Be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter, the Daily Chicago and that's a W t tw Dot Com Slash newsletter.

Now for all of us here at the week in review, I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay informed.

Have a great weekend.

All Patrick, I ll I took time out of a Friday to the Final 4.

I just want you to hear first from a lot of treating not a good day for them.

Almost a bad day for Kentucky today.

They'll miracle just to get over to on my bracket.

Duke is number one.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Robert a cliff and Clifford law offices, Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death with more than 40 years