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Thursday, September 28, 2023
HomeIllinois NewsLightfoot and Preckwinkle campaigns pursue Chicago GOP endorsements

Lightfoot and Preckwinkle campaigns pursue Chicago GOP endorsements

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CHICAGO – The upcoming Chicago mayoral race is next week, and the polls show the race close. Both candidates are desperately looking for voters to take them over the top as Election Day nears. Apparently the Democrats think Republicans matter. Both contacted Chicago GOP chairman Chris Cleveland seeking endorsements.


The Lightfoot feelers came in shortly after the primary. The inquiry was indirect, through attorneys. The pitch was that she was an outsider, and against the Machine. The campaign also approached some Republican committeemen.

"My reaction was, hello? Have you read the Lightfoot website?" said Cleveland. "It's a laundry list of left-wing ideas. Give the teacher's union more power through an elected school board. No mention of school choice. Fix violence by targeting guns. No mention of supporting the police. More public housing. Support business through more minority set-asides, government job training, and $15/hour minimum wage, with no mention of excessive taxation, regulation, or corruption. Stop cooperation with ICE on immigration. Legalize cannabis."

"And across all of it, create more programs and spend more money."

"Endorsement? No, I don't think so," Cleveland said.

The Preckwinkle inquiry was a bit more ham-handed, the Chicago GOP chairman said. 

"I received a call this morning from what sounded like a junior staffer," said Cleveland. "He just asked straight out — would the Chicago GOP endorse Preckwinkle? I said, um, there's a bit more to the endorsement process than just a phone call. The staffer sounded offended — 'She's against tax increases!' he said. No, she's not, I said, and don't you think it's unlikely that the Republicans would endorse the head of the Cook County Democratic Party?

"'Well, these are strange times,' he said before he hung up," Cleveland said.

"Yes .. Yes, they are," he concluded. 

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6 COMMENTS

  1. While you endorsed Willie Wilson in the primary I suggest you endorse a republican in four years. While it might sound silly in the democratic stronghold of Chicago, my president Donald J Trump received 130,000 votes in the city in 2016. That vote total this year would had put them, a republican nominee in the runoff.
    I look forward to the Chicago GOP, along with Illinois GOP and Cook County GOP to step it up on fielding candidates along with big support for my president in 2020.
    Btw, I did make an endorsement myself in the mayor’s race. It’s “non of the above.”

  2. Chicago, Cook County & Illinois GOP need to start gearing up to fight the Progressive Income tax amendment 2020 statewide referendum.
    We can elect some candidates riding those coat tails.