House Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly have already announced their intentions to run for Senate next year to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin, and they could be joined by their colleagues Rep. Lauren Underwood and Republican Rep. Darin LaHood.

Why it matters: The four lawmakers would not run for reelection for their current jobs, and their seats combined with Rep. Jan Schakowsky's open seat mean six federally elected seats in Illinois could be open in 2026, the most in modern Illinois history.

The intrigue: Underwood and Krishnamoorthi have fended off strong challenges from suburban Republicans in past years.

• In 2020, Underwood narrowly defeated challenger Jim Oberweis, who had called for a recount.

Yes, but: The districts were redrawn in 2021 by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.

• With the redrawn districts, Democrats have the upper hand, holding 14 of the 17 congressional seats.

Between the lines: Gov. JB Pritzker and his state Democratic party are supporting Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the primary, giving her a leg up over the congressional Democrats.

Reality check: Krishnamoorthi may not need that support, since he's amassed over $20 million in fundraising. He's also spending time making inroads with Democrats downstate.

• Underwood has become a rising star in the national party, speaking at the DNC last summer. She went viral for pressing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a recent congressional hearing.
• Kelly is no slouch either. She has strong ties to Capitol Hill and is the only candidate who represents a large swath of Chicago voters. She has clashed with Pritzker in the past, who bounced her from chairing the state party in 2022.

The bottom line: The race to replace Durbin will bring a heated primary election to Illinois, while reshaping the state's current congressional delegation.

Go deeper

Yes, you can eat fish from Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, but not much. And you should lay off the channel catfish.

The latest: The Illinois Department of Public Health just released its latest fish eating advisory based on contaminants in the water including heavy metals and "forever chemicals."

• So we've created a handy clip-and-save guide on some of the most popular local sport fish and how many you can eat before it becomes a health risk.

Dive in: Local smelt lovers (like Monica) will be sad to learn that Illinois officials advise limiting consumption to one meal a week due to contaminants in Lake Michigan.

What they're saying: "While there is no known immediate health hazard from eating contaminated fish from any Illinois water body, there are concerns about effects of long-term exposure to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and methylmercury in fish," IDPH officials said in a statement.

Zoom in: IDPH issued additional limits, due to PFAS and mercury levels, for Cedar Lake, Chaminwood Lake, Dongola Lake, Dutchman Lake, the Illinois River, Wolf Lake and Indian Creek.

• But advisories were relaxed for the Big Muddy River, Lake Bracken, Monee Reservoir and Randolph County Lake.

Check out a complete list of consumption limits in more than 100 waterways.

🏡 Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton is no longer for sale as the owner considers its new historic significance. (Sun-Times)

🚇 Public transit advocates and officials are urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to conduct a nationwide search for the new head of the CTA. (Block Club)

👩🏻‍⚖️ A California judge issued a temporary restraining order to pause federal job cuts after Chicago joined other cities and labor unions in a lawsuit against the Trump administration. (Tribune)

Eleven young soccer players from across the U.S. will get the chance to travel to Spain to train at Real Madrid and show off their skills in front of professional coaches and scouts.

State of play: Real Madrid C.F. and north suburban Abbott are leading the program alongside Hall of Fame soccer star Clint Dempsey, who will mentor the selected players.

How it works: In-person tryouts for the "Abbott Dream Team" will be held June 17–July 24 at Lake View High School, before moving to other cities.

• Up to 250 athletes, aged 18 or 19, will be allowed to participate at each location.

Zoom in: From Nov. 21-26, the 11 selected athletes will travel to Madrid, train at Real Madrid's facilities, receive health and nutrition education from Abbott experts, and attend a match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

What's next: Registration for tryouts is open now.

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Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas made a big announcement at our Hideout show last week.

Why it matters: Pappas is widely rumored to be planning a mayoral run and told WGN last week she thinks "the city needs a grey-haired grandmother."

The latest: The 75-year-old curator of Chicago's best free Christmas tree show, a prize-winning baton twirler and star of the county's most prized calendar, tells Axios she is now… a professional senior model.

What she's saying: "I went on the internet and was fascinated by Elon Musk's [model] mother and I'm like, 'Really? I look better than her,'" Pappas tells Axios.

• "So I got all dressed up, took a copy of my calendar and a bunch of photos at Victor Skrebneski's studio where I'm lying on a couch in phony fur jackets to Lily's Talent Agency and I signed up."

What's next: Pappas also announced the fall release of her biography, a new report from her office on tax increment financing and a video series documenting her visits to cultural institutions like the Balzekas Museum, Saturday Polish school classes and the Mongolian consulate.

What we're watching: When the treasurer will officially reveal her political plans.

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