Gov. JB Pritzker meets with members of the Associated Firefighters of Illinois in Springfield Wednesday. [Pritzker campaign]

One of Gov. JB Pritzker’s initiatives to reduce pension burdens on local governments is progressing well and producing better investments, a state firefighter’s union told the governor Wednesday at a campaign event.

Soldier Field in Chicago is pictured on Jan. 2, 2022. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

The Chicago Bears’ decision to consider leaving their historic lakefront home at Soldier Field to buy the Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights brought out opinions of all kinds from football fans and Chicago-area residents.

But the seven men running for governor are largely united on their opinions that public funding should not be used to help the Bears build a larger and more modern home.

Michael Rabbitt, left, and Rep. Mike Kelly (D-Chicago), right. [Rabbitt campaign site & Rep. Kelly Facebook]

Illinois’ newest Rep. Mike Kelly (D-Chicago) is facing a primary challenge from a more progressive Democrat in the June 28 primary. Michael Rabbitt, a community organizer, is attempting to paint Kelly as a “machine” politician with a voting record that leans too far to the right for Democrats.

Leaders of the Democratic Party of Illinois announced they will pursue a coordinated general election strategy this year led by outgoing Secretary of State Jesse White. And Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series race sponsored by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Tourism brought an estimated $60 million of economic activity to the Metro East region, officials said.

Javier Yañez, left, and Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), right, will face off in the June 28 Democratic primary for the 12th Senate District. [Javier Yañez and Illinois Senate Democrats] 

Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) joined the Senate 2020 as the appointed replacement of former Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) after he resigned amid a federal corruption probe. Now, she is trying to distance herself from the legacies of Sandoval and former Southwest Side Rep. Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) as she faces a June 28 primary challenge.

Jesse Sullivan, top left, Darren Bailey, top right, Richard Irvin, bottom left and Paul Schimpf, bottom right, debate on ABC-7 Thursday night. [ABC Chicago]

The six Republican candidates for governor met on the same televised debate stage for the first time this year, less than a month before the primary, and frontrunner Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin took hits from all sides Thursday night.

Gov. JB Pritzker marked the beginning of Pride Month with visits to Chicago small businesses with LGBTQ owners. And Pritzker signed a bill that requires life rings to be placed at all access points Lake Michigan to reduce drownings.

Arin Thrower, right, and Connie Cain, middle, speak during a League of Women Voters forum in Carpentersville Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

Two Kane County women are hoping to flip Rep. Suzanne Ness’s (D-Crystal Lake) seat back into Republican hands after the first-term lawmaker turned the seat blue in 2020 by unseating former Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee).

Dundee Township Supervisor Arin Thrower of West Dundee and Gilberts accountant Connie Cain both hope to challenge Ness in November and have shown they share many political views. The two candidates running in the June 28 primary are hoping to represent the 66th House District, which includes parts of Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, West Dundee and Elgin.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin speaks at a news conference in Chicago Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

As Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin tries to keep his campaign focused on public safety and supporting police in the final month before the June 28 primary, he used Chicago’s violent Memorial Day weekend to call for a leadership change to make Illinois safer.

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) presents the Future of Work Task Force at mHub in Chicago Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]  

The COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed how and where people work. Against that backdrop, state lawmakers are now looking to a new report from a task force they created to understand what labor issues they should be focused on after the meaning of work was redefined by the pandemic.