The Latest Breaking News from Emanuel Chris Welch

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The weather turned frigid in the state capital on Wednesday, just in time for the dedication of a marker commemorating the day nearly 16 years ago when thousands braved single-digit temperatures to see then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama announce his 2008 presidential bid from the steps of the…

State House GOP Leader Jim Durkin’s decision not to seek reelection as minority leader reflects the dissatisfaction among many establishment Republicans. “I began this journey as a voice of moderation and conclude this journey the same way I started, a voice of moderation,” Durkin said.

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.

In an interview last week, House Speaker Chris Welch called House Republican Leader Jim Durkin a “failed leader.” A Durkin spokeswoman, in turn, called Welch “unhinged.”

CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic leaders in the Illinois General Assembly are pushing back a planned special legislative session aimed at increasing legal protections for abortion providers and patients in Illinois.

Meanwhile, the four Illinois legislative leaders did not have a spectacular primary day last week.

ShawnTe Raines-Welch topped three opponents in the Democratic primary race for judge in a suburban judicial district. A candidate tied to Welch’s predecessor, ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, didn’t fare as well.

“There is no better state for a Democratic presidential candidate to introduce themselves to voters than Illinois,” said the bid, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

CHICAGO — Brooke Landrum came to Chicago from Cincinnati in 2016 to attend Loyola University, and after graduation she decided to stay and settle into the bustling Lakeview neighborhood.