A political endorsement helped me decide who to vote for (IL HD-12)

Politics & Elections
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Illinois HD 12 on the north side of Chicago was represented by Sarah Feigenholtz, but she has moved on to the Illinois State Senate so we have an open seat for the House district I’m in. Here’s the map and list of candidates.

There are two major candidates running: Yoni Pizer and Margaret Croke.

Pizer has been endorsed by Lori Lightfoot. I voted for Lightfoot for Mayor, her politics are to my left but she was a far better choice than the repulsive Toni Preckwinkle. Pizer’s campaign literature seems to indicate support for rent control which is a big fat no!

Governor JB Pritzker, who I very enthusiastically voted for in the primary and general election has just endorsed Margaret Croke and that’s a huge plus for me. I’ve got a stack of flyers and pamphlets from both that I’ve been meaning to read. Finally did this morning and I’m definitely voting Croke, pushed mainly by the endorsement. Pritzker’s politics and mine line up almost identically. Think I’ll send a small donation as state assembly races don’t get much coverage and we haven’t had one in my district since I moved here.

So yes, endorsements can matter.

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Local legislative races in my deep-red east-of Sacramento districts aren’t much affected by endorsements. I care about our rural county’s supervisors but they’re the usual Old Boys’ Club who keep control anyway. Endorsements I consider are those for ballot measures, state propositions. The only one up now, a new school bond measure, has on the PRO side the heads of the state firefighters, nurses’, and teachers’ unions. On the CON side are a rabid-red pol from San Diego suburbs, the head of an anti-tax group, and a retired teacher. Guess whose views I value more.

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I like and respect JB. He’s fatter and richer than Trump, and he’s not his niece and nephew. (Cousins? Keeping the Pritzkers straight requires more effort than I’m willing to invest at 6am.)