Capitol Information Illinois photograph by Andrew Adams
Lisa Hernandez, a state consultant and chair of the Democratic Celebration of Illinois, speaks to members of her celebration at a Democratic Nationwide Conference delegation breakfast.
It has been simply 4 months because the final election concluded, however one other election is on the horizon in Illinois: the April 1 elections for varsity boards and municipal places of work.
Although municipal and faculty board races in Illinois are nonpartisan, voters might even see most of the identical political themes that had been hallmarks of races through the 2024 presidential election cycle. The Democratic Celebration of Illinois is making use of most of the identical ways it makes use of in partisan elections to this yr’s native races.
“We because the Democratic Celebration of Illinois needs to be defending Democratic values in each single election in nonpartisan and partisan elections alike, as a result of all of those native places of work have jurisdiction over tremendous vital controls and we expect our celebration has the most effective platform for governance,” Democratic Celebration of Illinois Govt Director Ben Hardin stated.
The 2025 native elections are the second time that Illinois Democrats are getting concerned in nonpartisan races. After recruiting greater than 1,000 potential candidates final yr, the state celebration is supporting 270 candidates for quite a lot of native places of work in all areas of the state.
The celebration educated the candidates and hooked up them to “coaches” skilled in working Democratic campaigns. Candidates may also be supported by a six-figure promoting marketing campaign by DPI within the coming weeks.
“I believe our voters welcome the data,” Hardin stated. “They need to know, and they should know, who the aligned candidates are.”
It is also a part of the celebration’s technique to be extra lively year-round.
“That is how the celebration operates now,” Hardin stated. “We’re not going again to closing up store after an even-year midterm or presidential election, mendacity dormant for 18 months after which coming alive once more for the subsequent even-year basic election.”
Hardin acknowledged there may very well be some voter fatigue after November’s presidential election, however he harassed that is why the celebration needs to make Democratic voters conscious an election is approaching.
“These native places of work, if we enable them to be uncontested, particularly with the Trump administration in workplace, you recognize with our lack of management of the wheels of energy in D.C., we may enable our state to start out slipping to the correct on the native degree,” Hardin stated.
For instance, DPI is getting concerned within the mayoral race in Aurora, Illinois’ second-largest metropolis, the place incumbent Mayor Richard Irvin and Aurora Ald. John Laesch face off. The election is the primary since Irvin’s unsuccessful marketing campaign for governor as a Republican in 2022. Hardin stated that is made Irvin a simple goal for a partisan marketing campaign.
“We’re treating Aurora like the remainder of our program throughout the state,” Hardin stated. “In Aurora, you have received an government of the town who’s a Republican.”
As a candidate for governor, Irvin confronted quite a few questions on his Republican credentials. He typically prevented answering any questions on President Donald Trump or his place on abortion as he confronted accusations from opponents that he wasn’t conservative sufficient. Irvin later co-hosted a Black Republicans occasion on the Republican Nationwide Conference final yr.
DPI is working a unsolicited mail program this month concentrating on Irvin. It additionally plans to succeed in Democratic voters in Aurora by different mail and digital outreach promoting to let voters know which candidates within the metropolis the celebration helps.
Irvin’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Illinois State Board of Elections information present DPI additionally used its sources to assist Peoria Mayor Rita Ali and Calumet Metropolis Mayor Thaddeus Jones, who can be a Democratic state consultant, throughout major elections in February.
A full accounting of the celebration’s spending on municipal elections will not be out there till mid-April when stories are because of the state election authority.
Conservative affect
Jim Rule, chairman of the Tazewell County Republican Central Committee, stated his group does not usually become involved in “consolidated-type elections” just like the Morton Faculty Board, which has 5 candidates working for election – however this yr is completely different.
4 of these candidates are affiliated with Republican teams regardless of college board elections being nonpartisan. In Illinois, political events and people can nonetheless assist and endorse any candidates they want.
“It is vital to get the correct individuals in workplace,” Rule stated. “Look, we have all heard the phrase ‘all good authorities begins regionally,’ and this can be a traditional instance of that. Faculty boards are so, so vitally vital to have the correct individuals on them for our children.”
The 4 GOP candidates are backed by the Residents for Morton Colleges political motion committee, which didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Rule stated one of many essential targets of Tazewell Republicans this election cycle is defeating Dr. Ashley Fischer, a pediatrician working for the Morton Faculty Board whom Hauter referred to as “too radical for the individuals and colleges of Morton.”
Fischer stated she’s an anti-bullying advocate, which incorporates respecting all points of scholars’ identities like race, gender and sexuality.
“We need to ship a message, not solely to the residents of Morton, however to the neighborhood round us,” Rule stated. “That that is one thing that – this woke agenda – is one thing that we have to rid ourselves of, and it has no place within the college system, particularly with younger children.”
Fischer stated Republicans are attempting to scare voters.
“They’re principally stoking scorching button matters to get a concern response out of oldsters, to attempt to get them to vote in opposition to me out of concern,” Fischer stated. “I’ve by no means as soon as introduced up any coverage to do with transgender youngsters, besides that I believe no youngster needs to be bullied within the college, no matter their race, orientation, medical circumstances, something. They’re in that group. I do not suppose any youngster needs to be bullied. That’s my stance.”
Fischer additionally criticized Republicans for his or her on-line rhetoric, which she stated promotes hate.
Fischer’s advocacy has additionally been scrutinized by Mothers for Liberty, a right-wing group that advocates for conservative curricula in colleges, corresponding to by opposing LGBTQ classes.
Virg Cihla, chair of the Tazewell County chapter of Mothers for Liberty, stated his group doesn’t endorse any candidates.
The Illinois Republican Celebration didn’t reply to request for remark about their involvement in any April 1 elections.
Capitol Information Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan information service that distributes state authorities protection to a whole bunch of reports shops statewide. It’s funded primarily by the Illinois Press Basis and the Robert R. McCormick Basis.
