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.

This article first published Health News Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed off Tuesday on a plan to reform how nursing homes are funded in Illinois.

The law phases in a patient-driven payment model and allocates dedicated funding for staffing increases and workforce transformation. It also rewards providers for achieving higher levels of care, and boosts wages for certified nursing assistants.

Chelsea Laliberte Barnes of Palatine, left, and Nabeela Syed of Inverness, right, are running in the Democratic primary for the 51st House District. [Campaign websites] 

The Democratic primary in the 51st House District is getting attention from Illinois Democrats with Chelsea Laliberte Barnes and Nabeela Syed bringing in endorsements from high-profile voices in the party as the two candidates fight for a chance to flip a seat and bring their passions to the Illinois House.

Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) speaks Thursday during the House Public Utilities and Energy and Environment Committees join hearing. [Blue Room Steam]

Ameren customers are facing a price hike of more than $600 on their electric bills during the next year, but there’s little lawmakers can do to help bring costs down as they debate the role that a 2021 clean energy law plays into the reasons for the price hike.