Conyears-Ervin eyes Davis’ seat – POLITICO

Happy Tuesday, Illinois. We’re remembering that day three years ago when Gov. JB Pritzker walked with the penguins.

SCOOP: Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago city treasurer and former Democratic state representative, is launching an exploratory committee to run for Congress in the 7th District now held by longtime Democratic Rep. Danny Davis — making it one of the most important races to watch in Illinois in 2024.

“I’ve lived in this district my entire life and I understand the bold leadership that is needed to breathe new life into our communities,” Conyears Ervin said in a prepared statement.

Her backstory: Conyears-Ervin won an underdog race for treasurer in 2019 against former Ald. Ameya Pawar. She ran unopposed this year. Before her work as treasurer, Conyears-Ervin was a state representative in Springfield, where she focused on measures to fund affordable childcare and Chicago Public Schools.

Conyears-Ervin backed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s reelection bid, helping the mayor win most of the city’s Black wards in the first round of that contest. Conyears-Ervin then endorsed Brandon Johnson in the second round.

A person familiar with her nascent campaign told Playbook that she’s informed Davis of her plans to run.

Davis, who’s been in office for 26 years, has already filed paperwork to run in 2024. Until last year, he had next to no competition in his reelection bids. Justice Democrats targeted him last year by backing activist Kina Collins, who came within seven points of defeating Davis.

The veteran congressman is a progressive and longtime ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Davis co-sponsored the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

About the 7th District: It includes a wide swath that stretches from Chicago’s Loop to the western suburbs of Bellwood, Oak Park and River Forest.

America’s looming conflict: Red judges vs. Blue governors: Gov. JB Pritzker talks to POLITCO’s Alex Burns about conservative judges striking down liberal policies, and state lawmakers being “left to decide how to get around adverse rulings.”

Waging a war: Pritzker “made plain” in his conversation with Burns “that he is not looking for war with the federal judiciary. Yet in many respects war has come to him and other blue state governors, as a cohort of conservative legal activists on the federal bench flex their new power with rulings that strain constitutional credibility.”

The governor addressed a Texas-based federal district court judge’s ruling halting the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, a drug used to terminate pregnancy. It was a brazen ideological decision by a judge with a record of espousing far-right views, Burns writes.

A solution: In the long term, Pritzker said Democrats must “appoint rational judges” and gradually grind away the impact of former President Donald Trump’s appointments. For now, he told Burns, states like Illinois should explore every legal tactic imaginable.

At the state Capitol at 1 p.m. to give remarks for Early Childhood Advocacy Day.

On Calumet Avenue at 10:30 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking for 43 Green Phase I and II, an INVEST South/West mixed-use development — At Tree Studios at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the city’s financial turnaround at an Executives’ Club of Chicago meeting.

At the CCH Professional Building at 9:30 a.m. to unveil a new community mural.

Thank you for reading Playbook! Drop me a line sometime: [email protected]

REBRANDING: AKPD Message and Media is relaunching as Thematic Campaigns, an expanded campaign firm that has added two new partners along with its name change.

Moving up: Whitney Larsen most recently was national political director of recruitment for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Tyler Law has been promoted to partner after working on campaigns for Pete Buttigieg and various ballot initiatives and candidates across the country.

Thematic Campaigns’ name is new but its history is storied. The company started as AKPD when the “A” stood for David Axelrod, a campaign consultant who went on to advise President Barack Obama before taking the helm of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He’s now an adviser to the IOP.

Most recently, Thematic helped craft the media strategy that elected Karen Bass as mayor of Los Angeles.

— Republican Congressman Darin LaHood of the 16th District announced he raised $507,745 in the first quarter of 2023, with his campaign totaling more than $4.3 million cash on hand.

— Democratic justices, citing Republican predecessor, won’t step aside from assault weapons case: Plaintiffs in the case are asking Justices Mary Kay O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford, both Democrats, to recuse themselves from the case since “both received substantial campaign donations during their 2022 campaigns from Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, both of whom are named defendants in the case,” reports Capitol News’ Peter Hancock.

— How a FOIA loophole in Illinois puts kids at risk: “An analysis of the 16 county detention centers across Illinois has found that only three successfully completed audits mandated by federal law to enforce protections against sexual assault,” reports Sophia Van Pelt for Better Government Association.

— RECOVERING: State Rep. William “Will” Davis (30th) is recovering from “a medical emergency” caused by a “minor car accident” on April 11, according to a statement in Capitol Fax.

— On witness stand, former ComEd CEO denies knowing contractors were tied to Madigan: ‘I didn’t know who they were’: “Anne Pramaggiore testifies in her defense that she was unaware that the contractors hired by the utility through Jay Doherty’s company had connections to the ex- speaker,” by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel and Tina Sfondeles.

— Ald. Brian Hopkins blasts fractious CPD leadership for flat-footed response to violent weekend gatherings: “Officials fought amongst themselves and street cops were overwhelmed, Hopkins said, as groups of teens jumped on cars and set fires in the Loop — and at least three teens were shot. ‘Nobody knew who was in charge,’ Hopkins said,” by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba, Fran Spielman and Emmanuel Camarillo.

— Five things Chicago could do to prevent downtown mayhem: “Public safety experts and youth advocates pitched ideas ranging from paid peacekeepers to improved transportation,” by WBEZ’s Patrick Smith.

— Illinois Senate committee hears array of ideas on implementing an elected school board in Chicago: “The state legislature is facing a July 1 deadline to draw boundaries for the Chicago Public Schools’ school board districts in preparation for a partially elected board in 2025 and a fully-elected, 21-member board in 2027,” by Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner.

— Can CTA get back on track? New data show a workforce still in flux, by WBEZ’s Claudia Morell

— Ed Burke Day proposed, then pulled — at Burke’s request, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman

— 4 Wheaton College students prevented from proselytizing in Millennium Park should be paid $205K, city lawyers recommend, via WTTW’s Heather Cherone

— COLUMN | Brandon Johnson won’t turn Chicago into Detroit: “White politicians can stop wringing their hands: Chicago’s economic diversity, political traditions, and demographic realities will keep it from following in Detroit’s footsteps,” by Chicago magazine’s Edward Robert McClelland.

— Bears stadium development could hinge on TIF money — a financial tool that’s had varying success in Arlington Heights, by Tribune’s Robert McCoppin

— Barrington High School students dismissed early after multiple bogus threats, by Daily Herald’s Doug T. Graham

— Second recreational pot shop set to open Tuesday in St. Charles, by Shaw Local News Network’s Eric Schelkopf.

— Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger and Tim Heaphy, who was lead investigator for the U.S. House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, headlined a discussion Monday hosted by the Joyce Foundation, which is headed by Ellen Alberding. Politics veteran David Axelrod moderated. The topic: the events leading up to the assault and how it will impact the future of democracy.

Big question from the audience came from former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who asked: “How do we make sure young people know what truth is?”

Kinzinger responded: “A lot of it rests at the homes and in the families. And it’s about respecting differences in political opinion.”

Spotted: Heidi Heitkamp, the former U.S. senator who now heads the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics; IOP Executive Director Zeenat Rahman; former Chicago Deputy Mayor Steve Koch; The Election Group’s President Noah Praetz; Chicago Votes Executive Director Stevie Valles; Chicago State University President Zaldwaynaka Scott; Chicago Community Trust CEO Andrea Sáenz; Polk Bros. Foundation CEO Gillian Darlow; Catholic Charities of Chicago CEO Sally Blount; Obama Foundation’s VP Adren Wilson; Kids Above All CEO Dan Kotowski; former Commercial Club of Chicago’s Kelly Welsh; and media types Tracy Brown (WBEZ), Chris Jones (Tribune), Jennifer Kho (Sun-Times) and Jim Kirk (Crain’s).

— Nalo Mitchell becomes the first executive director of the Springfield and Central Illinois African-American History Museum, via State Journal-Register’s Tiffani Jackson

We asked what’s the best thing about returning from vacation:

Alison Pure-Slovin, a Skokie trustee: “Enjoying my friends and community.”

Cynthia Given, Richland County Democratic chair: “Telling people I’m returning a day later than I really return so I can enjoy one more day of relaxation.”

Lucas Hawley and Dennis Potthast: “Sleeping in your own bed.”

Andy Shaw: “Familiar routines.”

Raymond Sendejas: “Coming back to Chicago!”

Patricia Ann Watson: “Homing in my everyday space.”

What culture war issue are you most concerned about? Email [email protected]

— Reps. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Sean Casten (IL-06) teamed up to introduce legislation that would provide tax relief to Illinois families affected by changes to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. “The Republican tax law enacted in 2017 disproportionately hurt northern Illinoisans by capping the SALT deduction at $10,000, which prevents taxpayers from deducting the full amount of their state and local taxes on their federal tax returns,” they said in a statement.

— Spurred by Highland Park, other mass shootings, marchers press Congress for assault weapons ban, by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet

— Biden’s top contenders to replace Trump’s military leaders, by POLITICO’s Lara Seligman and Connor O’Brien

— McCarthy seeks to reassure Wall Street on stalled debt talks, by POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris and Ben White

MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Freeport City Manager Randy Bukas for correctly answering that the General Fry traveled the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Which Democratic congressman switched parties during the Civil War and later served as a Republican in the Senate? Email [email protected]

Obama Foundation senior VP of comms Kori Schulman, Elevate Government Affairs executive VP Bret Manley, criminal defense attorney Raymond Wigell, CLB Strategies’ impact and innovations manager and Illinois Young Democrat Kyra Jagodzinski and legal scholar Richard Epstein, who celebrated Monday.

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