Illinois is far from being a battleground state, but the race for governor is highlighting the vast divide on issues like abortion, crime and curbing inflation.

Driving the news: GOP candidates statewide are focusing on violent crime and inflation, while Democrats are vowing to protect access to reproductive health care.

Voting in Chicago: Polls are open on Election Day 6am–7pm.

• Active registered voters can request a mail-in ballot until Nov. 3. Online voter registration ends Oct. 23.
• In-person early voting is open and runs through Nov. 7.
• All ballots are due by 7pm Nov. 8.

Be smart: Chicago has reduced the number of physical voting locations by about 10% since the June primary.

• Find your location here.

Here's a rundown of the most important races facing Chicagoans and residents across Illinois:

• Governor: JB Pritzker (D) vs. Darren Bailey (R)
• Secretary of state: Dan Brady (R) vs Alexi Giannoulias (D)
• Attorney general: Kwame Raoul (D) vs. Thomas DeVore (R)
• U.S. Senate: Tammy Duckworth (D) vs. Kathy Salvi (R)
• 13th Congressional District: Nikki Budzinski (D) vs. Regan Deering (R)
• IL Supreme Court 2nd District: Michael Burke (R) vs. Mary Kay O'Brien (D)
• IL Supreme Court 3rd District: Michael Curran (R) vs. Elizabeth Rochford (D)

Go deeper: Full voter guide containing breakdowns of all the key races across the state and in Chicago.

Chicago native Don McLeese chronicled the hard-living music scene for decades, including his time as the Sun-Times rock critic.

• But it was only recently that he looked at his own substance use as a big problem — one he explores in his new book, "Slippery Steps: Rolling and Tumbling to Sobriety."

What's happening: McLeese will chat about recovery, rock and covering the local music scene with Monica at the Hideout on Wednesday night.

• We asked a few warm-up questions:

Q. What inspired the book?

• "To try to make sense of how the worst day of my life became one of the best days of my life. I often understand something best through the process of writing about it."

Q. What surprised you in the process?

• "How one thing in my life led to another, including parts of my life that I haven't thought about in decades and almost seem like they had happened to a different person."

Q. What do you want people to take from it?

• "That you don't need to be a down-and-out drunk for sobriety to change your life in some very enriching ways."

McCleese's picks — and yours! — for the greatest all-time Chicago bands

Five people were shot and three were killed during an illegal drifting event in Brighton Park early Sunday. (ABC7)

⚖️ A judge wants to move up Ald. Ed Burke's racketeering trial from November 2023, but the judicial calendar is full. (Sun-Times)

⚾ SoxFest will not return in 2023. The annual fan convention is being postponded due to "several factors." (WGN-TV)

Tonight is (mercifully) the final primetime appearance for the Bears this season.

• If you're looking to feature some New England favorites in your game day spread, we've got you covered. Axios Boston's Mike Deehan gives us the must-haves:

 🙏 Deehan: Every New England tailgate starts with a brief condemnation of the British monarchy followed by a lengthy prayer to a detached and cruel Puritan God.

🍞 Brown bread in a can: A slab of cornmeal, flour and molasses baked in its very own aluminum can. Just like grandmother used to buy.

🥫 Baked beans: They aren't just for Sunday ham supper. Baked beans are a New Englander's anytime snack made with beans, salt pork and molasses.

• They're great on their own, or to scoop up with some of that canbread.

☕️ The Dunkin catering menu: Forget the weak little "Box O' Joe" for takeout coffee and get the full 3-gallon cambro of that scalding hot bean juice.

• Remember to occasionally turn on the Tampa Bay game and glare jealousy like you're looking at an ex's Instagram.

Share this story

😴 Don’t sleep on these new roles on our Local Job Board.

1. Commercial Bank - Middle Market Banking & Specialized Industries Analyst Program - Senior Analyst at JP Morgan & Chase Co.
2. Associate Director, Internal Communications Social Lead at Hill + Knowlton Strategies.
3. Senior Associate, Strategic Initiatives and Communications at KPMG.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a Job.

👋 Hi, it's Justin. If you're still searching for a cool costume with Halloween just a week away, you may want to check out the Tribune's list of Chicago-themed outfits.

The one problem: They forgot that these days, every costume has a more popular "sexy" version.

• At some point, we moved on from scary nurses and vampires to sexy medical workers and blood suckers.

Burning question: Does this trend translate to Chicago-inspired costumes? You decide.

Sexy gubernatorial candidate

This comes in two styles: One involves a flannel work shirt (sleeveless), jeans (cutoffs) and a rake from your garage. Extra points if you can drive a tractor to your Halloween party.

• For the second, pair an Elvis wig with your finest suit while holding a plunger.

Sexy Dibs enforcer

The costume: Picking up the trash left behind after a snowstorm melts away can be a pretty unsexy job.

• So spruce it up with an alluring municipal worker uniform, a wool hat and a folding chair. Streets and San fashion never looked so good!

Sexy Italian beef

The costume: What's sexier than felt taped to your bare skin while you're wearing an oversized bun coat and asking, "Wet or dry?"

• Channel Carmy in "The Bear," and don't forget the hot giardiniera.
• Extra points for seductively wrapping yourself in wax paper.

Sexy Tony La Russa

The costume: Get some tight baseball pants, sexy stirrups, a mullet wig and a Sox cap.

• Extra points for waving goodbye while dozing off.