Pritzker urges Illinois voters to send a message to Washington
Illinois Democrats make final midterm election push as early voting outpaces expectations
Campaign stops across Illinois over the weekend brought Democrats together ahead of Election Day.
CHICAGO - Midterm elections often draw fewer voters than presidential contests, but early voting and vote-by-mail numbers in Illinois are running ahead of local election officials’ expectations.
Illinois midterm election push
What we know:
Gov. JB Pritzker made several campaign stops across Illinois over the weekend, urging voters to send a message to Washington. Illinois voters are deciding 17 congressional races, choosing a U.S. senator and voting in city, county and statewide contests.
Pritzker spoke from the pulpit at Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn and at a Democratic Party gathering in Lincoln Square.
In Cicero, he joined the Latino community to mark Día de los Muertos. Pritzker recalled that federal agents intensified immigration enforcement in the Chicago area around the same time last year, arresting people and frightening the community. He said voters have the power to respond on Election Day.
"If Democrats can control Congress, they need to go to Washington with an agenda that truly is going to raise the minimum wage and lower prices and make sure we are fighting to protect people’s rights, against Donald Trump," Pritzker said.
U.S. Senate candidate Julianna Stratton presented awards to campaign volunteers and called for unity within the party.
"What do you think about electing democrats up and down the ticket across Illinois at every level of government so that we can keep fighting back against the most corrupt president in the history of the United States. Are we gonna do that?" Stratton asked the crowd.
Chicago school board race
Chicago voters are also choosing the leaders of Chicago Public Schools, including the school board president. Candidate Jessica Biggs spoke to the congregation at Bright Star Church on the South Side.
"Chicago, we are doing something absolutely historic in this moment. We are voting for the entire school board for the first time in our history," Biggs said.
The Source: The information in this story came from Gov. JB Pritzker, U.S. Senate candidate Julianna Stratton and Chicago school board presidential candidate Jessica Biggs.