CHICAGO — Illinois’ top Democrats gathered on a Fulton Market venue stage Tuesday in an attempt to present a unified front to national party officials reviewing Chicago’s 2024 presidential convention bid, masking an intensifying battle over control of the state Democratic Party.
Illinois Democratic Chair Robin Kelly stood near Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is backing state Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez of Cicero for the top party post in a vote set for Saturday, and later acknowledged the tensions aren’t a plus in Chicago’s bid for the convention.
“Any division doesn’t help, you know,” the congresswoman from Matteson told reporters of the intraparty battle amid the Democratic National Committee’s logistical review of city convention and hotel venues. “Hopefully they’re going to look at the city of Chicago and what the city has to offer and we are all united on bringing the convention to Chicago.”
