Illinois

Illinois politicians divided: Here's who has and hasn't endorsed VP Kamala Harris

Published

5 months ago

July 21, 2024

Illinois politicians divided: Here's who has and hasn't endorsed VP Kamala Harris

ILLINOIS – Several Illinois politicians are divided on whether Vice President Kamala Harris should be the Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek reelection.

Biden shared his decision on social media Sunday afternoon and gave his endorsement to Harris.

Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race, endorses Kamala Harris

Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin and a few others haven’t voiced their support for Harris. However, some have already endorsed her.

Here are the Illinois politicians who have endorsed Harris:

Rep. Delia Ramirez:

“We must defeat Donald Trump. VP Kamala Harris is the proven, qualified leader ready to move our country forward. She has my endorsement. I look forward to working with her to realize a permanent ceasefire, immigration reform, and a bold agenda that centers working families.

“We must unite to defeat Project 2025 and Donald Trump’s extremist and hateful agenda. A second Trump presidency is an existential threat and we must do everything in our power to protect our democratic institutions.

“President Biden has led us through some of our darkest times. He is a statesman that has put our country and democracy first. I thank him for having the courage to do so again today.”

Rep. Brad Scheider:

“Now, we must come together, build on the legacy of the Biden administration and show voters that Democrats up and down the ballot are improving the lives of all Americans. I’m confident that, with Vice President Kamala Harris at the helm of the Democratic ticket, we can do exactly that. We will defeat Donald Trump.”

Rep. Sean Casten:

“The coming election is a referendum on the future of American democracy. The stakes of this election could not be higher. Donald Trump remains a twice-impeached convicted felon and adjudicated rapist who has promised to be a dictator on day one. Vice President Kamala Harris will beat him this November, and I’m proud to endorse her for President of the United States.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson:

“Vice President Harris is the visionary leader that we need now to defeat the threat of another Trump presidency. She has now proven herself as a fearless defender of our democracy. I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure she becomes our next President.”

Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia:

“As we move forward, it’s crucial that we unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris and continue the progress we’ve made. Defeating the resurgence of Trumpism is essential for the future of our democracy. Thank you, President Biden, for your unwavering dedication and service to our nation.”

Rep. Robin Kelly:

“President Biden is one of the most impactful leaders of my lifetime, and he will continue to serve the American people well. In the last four years, President Biden saved our country from a pandemic, brought back our economy better than before, and passed historic legislation for working people. He defeated an extremist in 2020, and I had full confidence that he would do it again. I am heartbroken that he felt he had to step down as the nominee, and many of my constituents feel the same way.

“However, as President Biden said, now is the time to come together. The Democratic Party must unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee. Together, we will beat Trump.”

Here are the Illinois politicians who have not endorsed Harris:

Governor JB Pritzker:

“President Joe Biden has dedicated his life in service to this nation, and its citizens are all the better for it. His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime. As President of the United States he led us through a recovery from a devastating pandemic and shepherded our economy away from a recession to prosperity. He worked across the aisle to pass some of the most consequential legislation in decades to rebuild our roads and bridges while investing in the infrastructure and jobs of the 21st century. Perhaps most consequentially, President Biden restored dignity to the Oval Office, bringing the statesmanship and honor that have been the hallmarks of his years of service, back to the White House.

“As we extend our gratitude to President Biden and reflect on his many accomplishments, we must not ignore the threat posed by Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House. Donald Trump is a 34 time convicted felon, adjudicated to have committed sexual assault, a racist, homophobe and misogynist. Trump brags about taking away a woman’s right to choose, wants to rip healthcare away from tens of millions of people, proposes economic policies that will cost the middle class thousands of dollars a year, and threatens the fundamental American ideals we hold dear. I will work every day to ensure that he does not win in November.”

Senator Dick Durbin:

“Throughout his public career, Joe Biden always put country first. His four years as President made it clear that he was determined to put our country back on track and restore the soul of our nation. America will be forever grateful for all he has given to this country.”

Senator Tammy Duckworth:

“No one has done more for working Americans than Joe Biden—and so many of us owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he’s done to improve our country.

“Over more than 50 years in public service, he’s built an unparalleled record of accomplishments. From helping write the Violence Against Women Act in the Senate to shepherding the Affordable Care Act into law as Vice President and from helping guide our nation out of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic to overseeing historic wage and job growth during his Presidency, Joe Biden has always put our country first and worked to change so many aspects of our lives for the better.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank him for his effective and successful leadership and for, once again, putting our country before himself. This difficult decision ensures that Democrats can focus on the goal that unites each and every one of us: defeating Donald Trump and preventing another four years of his destructive chaos and corruption.”

Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi:

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of lies from the Biden White House and Democrats shaming anyone who questioned the fitness of President Biden. Democrats are divided, torn apart by their own duplicity trying to pass off President Biden’s inability to fulfill his role, while Republicans stand united behind President Trump and an agenda of freedom, prosperity, and safety. Democrats have become the party of self-service while Republicans have become the voice of this nation. We as Illinois Republicans must continue to call attention to JB Pritzker’s tax-and-spend, pro-criminal agenda that drives families away from this state to protect the rest of the nation.”

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle:

“I am deeply grateful for President Biden’s unwavering and selfless commitment and service to our country. Cook County, along with this entire nation, is better and stronger because of the power of his effective leadership and policies. President Biden’s impact on our nation has been profound, far-reaching and historic.

“Your legacy is already cemented, Mr. President. Thank you, Joe Biden.”

Rep. Mike Quigley:

“President Joe Biden has been one of the most successful presidents of our lifetime. He led our nation out of the darkness of Jan. 6, oversaw our nation’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, signed into law the first gun violence prevention legislation in over 30 years, and fulfilled the promises of previous presidents by passing bipartisan infrastructure legislation. Throughout his lifetime of service, he has always put our country first.

“Today, President Biden secured his legacy by making this difficult, selfless decision. We owe him an incredible debt of gratitude.”

We’ll bring more updates to this story as they become available.

Illinois politicians react to President Biden’s decision to drop out of 2024 presidential race

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Illinois

Kasparas Jakucionis scores 21, lifts Illinois over Missouri in thriller

Published

32 minutes ago

December 23, 2024

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Kasparas Jakucionis scores 21, lifts Illinois over Missouri in thriller

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kasparas Jakucionis scored 21 points, including the go-ahead basket with 28 seconds left and Illinois defeated Missouri 80-77 on Sunday in the annual Braggin’ Rights game between the nonconference rivals.

Illinois held the lead for nearly 30 minutes of game time, but a late rally by Missouri took the game down to the wire. An 11-0 run, capped by Trent Pierce’s layup gave the Tigers a 68-67 lead with about 4 minutes to go.

Jakucionis hit a straight-on 3-pointer for a 75-72 Illinois lead with 2 minutes remaining, but Missouri’s Tamar Bates hit a wide-open 3 in transition to tie it at 75 with 1:14 to go.

After the teams exchanged free throws, Jakucionis, a freshman who has six consecutive 20-point games, drove the right side of the line, stopped, pivoted and hit a turnaround jumper to put Illinois ahead 79-77 with 28 seconds left.

After a miss by Missouri, Kylan Boswell made one of two free throws for a three-point lead. Jacob Crews missed a 3-pointer that could have tied it for Missouri.

Boswell made 11 of 12 free throws and Jakucionis went 8 for 8 for Illinois, which was 22 of 23 from the line. Missouri made 28 free throws but shot only 76% from the line. There 43 total fouls in the game.

Boswell had 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Illinois (8-3). Tre White scored 13 and Tomislav Ivisic had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Mark Mitchell and Tony Perkins scored 18 points each and Bates had 17 for Missouri (10-2), which saw its 10-game winning streak come to an end.

Illinois hosts Chicago State on Dec. 29 and Missouri hosts Alabama State on Dec. 30.

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Illinois

Illinois Coach Brad Underwood Praises Mizzou After Braggin’ Rights Showdown

Published

8 hours ago

December 22, 2024

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Illinois Coach Brad Underwood Praises Mizzou After Braggin’ Rights Showdown

ST. LOUIS — After each of the last three Braggin’ Rights games between the Missouri Tigers and the Illinois Fighting Illini have been decided by 20 or more points, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood believes gave fans “a pretty good show” Sunday.

The game was tied at 72, 75 and 77 in the final 2:30 of play before Illinois finally created separation with a successful jump shot from Kasparas Jakucionis with 28 seconds remaining to secure a 80-77 win for Illinois.

“We kept our foot on the shovel and we kept digging,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said of Missouri’s performance in the final minutes. “That’s the sign of a good team.”

Illinois has been ranked as high as 19th in the AP Poll this season before falling out of the rankings on Dec. 9. The Tigers received more votes than Illinois in the most recent AP Poll, with both just outside of the top 25. But Sunday showed why both Missouri and Illinois could continue to rise throughout the remainder of the season.

“That’s two really good basketball teams,” Underwood said after the win for Illinois. “It makes this game another game that is great for college basketball.”

Being able to compete with a team as formidable as Illinois was not something the Tigers did often through the 2023-’24 season, going 0-18 in SEC play. But, Missouri is already starting to show signs of steering the ship back in the right direction. First with an upset win over Kansas on Dec. 8, and now with this performance against Illinois.

“Dennis does a fabulous job,” Underwood said. Coming off the year they had last year, is putting together a really good team.”

Sunday’s matchup was the 55th annual Braggin’ Rights showdown, host to a historic rivalry. Even with the loss, Missouri showed why they could reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022-’23 season, Gates’ first year as the program’s head coach.

“When you get those two teams together, and you get them in the unique circumstances, you get a crowd like today, which, by the way, ours was fantastic,” Underwood said. “That’s an NCAA tournament team.”

Mizzou Loses at Buzzer to Illinois in Braggin’ Rights Game

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Illinois

What I'm looking at: Illinois

Published

16 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

What I’m looking at: Illinois

We’ve reached the second rivalry game as the Tigers (10-1) take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (7-3) in the annual Braggin’ Rights matchup in St. Louis.

Here’s what I’ll be keeping an eye on at noon at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis (ESPN).

Scouting Report

Illinois enters the 55th edition of the rivalry matchup and 43rd in St. Louis coming off a last-second 66-64 loss to No. 1 Tennessee.

The Illini have played a very tough schedule to this point, losing to No. 8 Alabama, No. 1 Tennessee and Northwestern in the Dec. 6 opener of Big 10 play, as well as beating No. 19 Arkansas and No. 20 Wisconsin.

There’s exactly one player on Illinois’ team who appeared in last year’s Braggin’ Rights matchup, 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who played 3 minutes without a stat other than a missed shot in last year’s game and is averaging about 13.8 minutes per game, appearing in all 10 this season.

Otherwise, it’s a fully new Illini roster.

Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis (6-6, 205) has taken the lead for Illinois this year, scoring 16.1 points to go with 6.1 rebounds per contest and a team-high 5.6 assists per game. The do-it-all guard hits 42 percent of his attempts from 3 (21-of-50) and is tied for first on the team in makes from deep while being 10 attempts behind 6-9, 225-pound graduate forward Ben Humrichous, who has made 21-of-60 from deep.

Sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic (7-1, 255) who is from Croatia, is second on the team at 14.2 points per game to go with his near double-double average of 9.7 boards per contest. Freshman forward Will Riley (6-8, 195) adds 13.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while 6-2, 205-pound junior guard Kylan Boswell scores 10.1 points per game to go with 4.1 rebounds per contest.

All four have played in all 10 games, though Riley has come off the bench in all 10.

The Illini have used the same starting 5 in every game with Jakucionis, Ivisic, Boswell, junior guard Tre White (6-7, 210) and Humrichous.

The Illini score 84 points a game and give up 64.6.

Illinois shoots 43.2 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3 and 73.5 percent from the free-throw line, while allowing opponents to shoot 36.9/23.9/61.5.

Illinois leads the all-time series 34-20 and holds a 26-16 advantage for matchups in St. Louis, including a 97-73 win last season. But the Illini hold just a 6-4 lead in the past 10 games.

Matchups

Mizzou’s perimeter defense vs. Jakucionis

The Tigers allow opponents to shoot just 33.2 percent from beyond the arc, which is surprisingly low considering the amount of open looks it feels like the Tigers give up every game.

Jakucionis comes in firing from deep. If Mizzou leaves him open, there’s going to be some major issues, especially if he hits a few early.

The Tiger defense needs to stay locked on Kajucionis around the perimeter as much as possible. He’s definitely a major threat closer to the basket, too, but a few early, open 3s could give the Illini the momentum and the Tigers need to take it early and run with it like they did in the Border War.

Mizzou’s defense forcing turnovers

We’re sticking with the defense with the second matchup.

The Illini commit 11.2 turnovers a game and force only 10.4, so Illinois is running a deficit game-to-game.

For the Border War, I said one of the routes to a win was the Tiger defense forcing a lot of early turnovers and building a lead, then holding onto the momentum. That’s the same case here and the 2022 Braggin’ Rights matchup is the prime example to look at.

If Mizzou is able to play in transition early and get some easy looks, that sets the Tigers up about as well as possible against a team they don’t necessarily match up well with.

Josh Gray vs. Tomislav Ivisic

This one is just interesting to me.

Watching two talented 7-footers battle it out in the post is always fun. I think Ivisic is the type of post player that’s going to go right at Gray more than Hunter Dickinson did, so another game where Gray makes a big, immediate difference in the post could go a long way to the Tigers getting their 11th consecutive win.

What I’m looking for

Has to be a quick start like we saw in the Border War.

If the Tigers are going to win both of their rivalry games this year, they have the formula and showed they can do it.

They don’t need a 29-point night from Tamar Bates again, though that would be a good way to keep the offense moving, but there’s going to have to be a big offensive night from somebody.

Both teams like to play in transition, which is going to lead to some turnovers, if the Tigers are able to take advantage and force Illinois into some early ones that lead to easy buckets, that’s the best setup Mizzou can have for this game.

And once again, gotta try to keep away that offensive lull. It’s probably going to happen at some point, we see it just about every game. The Tigers pulled out the win against kansas because they built up a big enough lead to withstand a long lull.

That’s a lot to ask them to do again, so instead, how about we ask for a shorter lull. Maybe only five minutes instead of 13 where the offense looks awful.

No lull at all would be fantastic, but feels like too big of an ask at this point until we see them go without one against a good team.

And just for my sake:

I already have one of my favorite coverage assignments I’ve gotten to experience in this year’s Border War. The 2022 version of Braggin’ Rights is another one that’s up there for me because it was my first time covering a game courtside and the way that game went, I could feel the energy from the Mizzou side of the arena all night.

I was sent up to the top of the arena for last year’s game and it definitely affected the experience, but I got confirmation Friday that I’m back on the floor this year, so hopefully the Tigers can give me a second of my favorite games I’ve ever covered in the same basketball season.

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