SPRINGFIELD — Weeks after a bruising state party leadership battle, Illinois Democrats on Wednesday vowed they’d stand together in the fight for abortion rights — and in combating election deniers and Republican extremists — in a return of sorts to a traditional Governor’s Day at the Illinois State Fair.
Abortion remains a key focal point, as Democrats in Illinois and nationally try to further protect women’s reproductive rights after the reversal of Roe v. Wade — and help boost November voter turnout.
“Roe Roe Roe Your Vote” T-shirts were for sale for $25 at the Democrats’ annual brunch at the Bank of Springfield Center.
“Our work honestly is far from over. To protect our fundamental freedoms and fight for working families, we have to elect pro-labor, pro-choice, pro-voting rights, pro-civil rights candidates up and down the Democratic ballot,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
“And the Republicans aren’t going to make it easy. The lunatic fringe has taken over their party and they’ll say anything, do anything, destroy anything to get elected.”
But there were lingering questions about unity among Democrats themselves — with the Democratic Party of Illinois’ former chair, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, not in attendance.
Amid intense pressure from Pritzker’s aides, the Matteson Democrat dropped her bid for another term last month a day before party leaders voted to replace her with the governor’s pick, state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero.
And despite Pritzker’s victory in helping to elect Hernandez, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s name was mentioned repeatedly by numerous Democrats in a lengthy brunch that featured 19 speakers.
The Springfield Democrat was a key Kelly backer, and his leadership and calm in the face of chaos in Washington were heralded, even in a slideshow that urged Democrats to “Keep our heroes in Congress” and turned congressional titles into punchy comic book fonts.
Durbin told thousands at the brunch that “it’s time to let everybody know that the big lie is a lie.”
“It’s time for everybody to know that stop the steal needs to stop,” Durbin said. “It’s time for us to realize that our party has a message that is positive, looks to the future and brings hope to the people.”
At a shortened rally later on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, Pritzker, standing alongside Hernandez and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, once again downplayed the intraparty tension, especially around Durbin.
“Oh, that’s something that you guys in the press are doing,” Pritzker said. “Dick Durbin and I are friends. We’ve worked together on many issues. Tammy Duckworth, Dick Durbin, [Lt. Gov.] Juliana Stratton, our statewide elected officials all work together for the good of Illinois.”
Asked if he should be mending fences after Kelly’s ouster, Pritzker noted, “Well, we had lots of Congress people here today.”
“Most of our delegation has either checked in with or come to the state fair and been part of our festivities,” Pritzker said. “I think we’re all working very well together. If people feel that way, they should stand up and come see any of us that they want to talk to.”
Asked about her absence, Kelly vowed to work with Democrats “whether or not we are unified.”
“Whether or not we are unified, I will work with leaders I trust and respect to ensure that Democrats win in my district, this state and our country on November 8th. The stakes are too high,” Kelly said, calling it “the most important election of our lifetime.”
In her speech, Hernandez said the party “must connect with voters too often left out.” She also vowed to support resources for Spanish language ads and new digital strategies targeting Black and Brown communities.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey was called a part of “Donald Trump’s new Republican Party,” by Illinois Secretary of State candidate Alexi Giannoulias, and “the Trump endorsed MAGA extremist” by Stratton.
Pritzker lumped Bailey and former President Donald Trump together as extremists “that just want us to feel alone in the struggles that we’re all facing together.”
“They want to distract us into believing that marriage equality, Black history, Disney World and library books are more of a threat to our children than AR-15s,” Pritzker said. “They’re attempting to divide America with hateful words and a radical agenda.”
Bailey’s campaign flew a plane over the fair trailing the banner, “FIRE.JBPRITZKER.COM” — despite that website not being functional.
Bailey and the state’s Republicans have their turn Thursday to poke Democrats at the Illinois State Fair’s Republican Day. The GOP nominee’s campaign has been drawing daily $100 gas cards at the fair, which it has dubbed the “Repeal the Pritzker Gas Tax Hike” giveaway.
