At Illinois State Fair, Democrats target Trump
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Gov. JB Pritzker leads local Democrats in a rally at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Election season may not traditionally kick off until after Labor Day, but in Illinois, the campaign calendar gets going in mid-August at the state fair.
Catch up quick: Democrats rallied supporters during Governor's Day at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield. Gov. JB Pritzker, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and Senate candidate Juliana Stratton headlined the affair Wednesday.
Why it matters: The ramp-up to the November election has started. That means more ads, more debates and a lot more politics.
Zoom in: Democrats largely ignored their Republican opponents and framed themselves instead as Illinois’ line of defense against President Trump.
- In fact, Republican challengers didn’t get mentioned until lieutenant governor candidate Christian Mitchell took some swipes well into the program.
- "We're fighting it out in every district; it's not a one-party state," Pritzker said as reporters questioned why Democrats didn't mention their challengers more.
Zoom out: Hundreds of supporters attended the rally, some of whom were bused in from Chicago. They cheered on every Trump attack and laughed along with the candidates' quips, like Attorney General Kwame Raoul's introduction of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias as "Sexy Alexi."
- "Let’s let that nickname die here," Giannoulias joked back.
- Giannoulias said he loves that more Chicagoans are coming to the fair. "When I first came in 2006, I was a single guy," Giannoulias tells Axios. "Now I have all four of my girls with me. It's more responsibility, more rides, more junk food, but it's worth it."
Between the lines: Some Democrats, including Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, have criticized Giannoulias for running for reelection as secretary of state while also running for mayor of Chicago in February.
- "I'm focused on solutions and ideas," Giannoulias said. "If people have nothing else to talk about, then fine. Voters want to hear about issues."
State of play: This year's may be the last state fair rally for retiring Sen. Durbin. He took the stage reminding voters not to vote for him, since he's not running.
- "I think that's the first time I've ever said that," he joked.
The intrigue: Chicago's U.S. House candidates were missing from the stage, including candidates La Shawn Ford, Daniel Biss and Donna Miller. Also absent was the party's General Assembly leadership. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is in the midst of a scandal about how his office handled sexual harassment cases, with some in his own party calling for him to resign.
- Also missing: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. It's not traditionally a stage for city leaders, but both Richard J. Daley and his son Richard M. Daley were frequent attendees while serving as mayor.
- While Johnson was not there, Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King was. The school board scrapped her budget for one that now asks state lawmakers to pony up $150 million for the district.
The bottom line: Illinois Democrats may be running against Republicans in November, but at Governor’s Day, they made clear who they see as their main opponent: Trump.
What’s next: Illinois Republicans get the state fair stage Thursday.