Happy New Year and welcome back, Illinois! Early voting for the 2026 primary starts a month from today.

Illinois Playbook at the Hideout: State Rep. Kam Buckner headlines Jan. 12. Details here

SOOTHSAYING: A few days ago, we asked several political consultants which issues they expect to gain prominence in Illinois ahead of the midterms. The economy emerged as a top concern.

Then, over the weekend, the Trump administration took over Venezuela.

Pivot mode: “Looks like Venezuela, Cuba and Iran need to be added to your list” of election issues, said Draco Strategies’ Sabha Abour, after first ticking off affordability concerns and student loans, anticipating that Trump will follow through on wage garnishments.

Still, the bigger issue: Cheri Bustos expects “outrage over higher premiums and Medicaid cuts, making health care the top issue,” the Mercury public affairs partner and former congresswoman told Playbook.

In Springfield, too: Political consultant Pete Giangreco says concerns about Medicaid could trickle into the Illinois General Assembly’s plans, too. Lawmakers “will have to deal with people getting kicked off Medicaid” but the question, he added, is whether the state finds money to address it.

Vatican vibes: John Dunn, managing director of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, predicts “Pope Leo XIV will call fellow Chicagoan Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich to Rome — permanently.”

Black representation: Ron Holmes, a Chicago-based government and political affairs consultant, questions whether Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s massive war chest (see below) will be enough to secure the Senate seat currently held by longtime Sen. Dick Durbin. And if Robin Kelly and Juliana Stratton lose to Krishnamoorthi, Holmes predicts “a serious conversation about Black representation will be convened ahead of the [Chicago] municipal cycle.”

Speaking of 2027: Looming over the year will be Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ability to rally supporters in the wake of the City Council feeling emboldened by taking control over the 2026 budget.

“It’s uncharted territory that will be tested multiple times in the coming year,” said Becky Carroll, a veteran City Hall adviser.

Another prediction: We expect Gov. JB Pritzker will continue to get under the skin of President Donald Trump, who will respond with personal cheap shots and misinformation about Chicago’s crime statistics to rally his base. It’s already started.

RELATED

— Chicago’s Venezuelan community applauds Maduro removal but questions Trump’s motives, by the Sun-Times’ Cindy Hernandez and Kade Heather

— Here’s how Trump’s attack on Venezuela could change the world, via POLITICO

— ‘An illegal war’: Democratic 2028ers scold Trump on Venezuela, by POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy and Samuel Benson

— Pritzker calls Trump’s Venezuela moves an effort to distract from Epstein files, via post

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: Illinois is poised to remain a battleground in the national fight over immigration enforcement, as Illinois’ Democratic leaders continue to battle with the Trump administration in court.

A supreme case: Over the winter break, President Donald Trump said he was temporarily abandoning plans to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland. The move followed the U.S. Supreme Court declining to allow National Guard deployments in the Chicago area. While not a final ruling, the decision marked a notable setback for the White House.

It’s a trend: More than 300 judges have rebuffed Trump’s immigrant detention policy, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney reports.

Trump is undeterred: He said the Guard would stand down “for now,” but left open the possibility of renewed action. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again — Only a question of time!” he wrote on social media.

Rejecting the premise: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the proposed deployment unnecessary and unconstitutional and pointed to a significant decline in crime.

The conflict is far from over. The Justice Department has sued Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul over a new state law restricting immigration enforcement in and around courthouses. The law bars federal agents from making arrests inside courthouses or within 1,000 feet of them and allows civil lawsuits for violations. Capitol News’ Brenden Moore has the details.

RELATED

— 64 days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz, via the Tribune

— Cost of Operation Midway Blitz: $59M and counting, by Daniel C. Vock for the Tribune

— How Operation Midway Blitz changed Chicago, via the Block Club

If you are Blase Cupich, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: [email protected]

Schedule not released

No official public events

At the Cook County Health Bronzeville Health Center at 11 a.m. with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi to call attention to the expiring ACA tax credits

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email: [email protected]

— Overview: What to know about major political races in Illinois this year, by ABC 7’s Craig Wall

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign says it raised nearly $3.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, “marking a fourth consecutive quarter of raising more than $3 million.” The campaign, which has been on TV since July, ended 2025 with more than $15.2 million cash on hand.

— Senate race: Pritzker’s political clout faces test in Senate primary: “The billionaire governor is backing his lieutenant governor in a Democratic face-off, but she has struggled to outshine two top rivals,” by The Wall Street Journal’s John McCormick.

— Senate race: Democratic Senate primary race has started slow. But contrasts emerge in bid to replace Dick Durbin, by the Tribune’s Rick Pearson

— In IL-08: Junaid Ahmed has been endorsed by powerful state Sen. Cristina Castro in his bid for Congress in the 8th District Democratic primary.

— In IL-09: Bruce Leon, a Democratic committeeman who has been outspoken in his support for Israel, says he’s considering withdrawing from the race after being pressured by AIPAC to do so, according to a message to supporters.

— In IL-09: Daniel Biss has been endorsed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in his Democratic bid for Congress.

— In IL-09: Top Pakistani-American political organizations are backing Bushra Amiwala for Congress. The Pakistani-American Public Affairs Committee and the American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee have both endorsed her.

— In IL-10: Morgan Coghill has been endorsed by The Justice Coalition and the Illinois Muslim Action Network, two Illinois-based groups led by Palestinian and Muslim Americans. Coghill is a Democrat challenging Congressman Brad Schneider in the March primary.

— In IL-06: The Justice Coalition has endorsed Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich, a Democrat challenging Congressman Sean Casten in the primary.

— Comptroller’s race: State Sen. Karina Villa has been endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union in her bid for state comptroller.

— Des Plains’ Justin Cochran sworn in to represent House District 55: He’s the former top aide to outgoing state Rep. Marty Moylan, who exited the race on the last day to file petitions, via the Daily Herald.

— 2027 mayor’s race: Quigley raising cash for possible Chicago mayor run, by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau

— 2027 mayor’s race: Joe Holberg, who’s officially announced his bid for mayor, has raised more than $500,000 from 250-plus donors since announcing his candidacy Oct. 1, according to his campaign.

— Americans are looking to the Midwest to find affordability: “The region offers housing costs below the national median and steady wage growth,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Jeanne Whalen and Paul Overberg.

— Tolls on cars haven’t been raised in years — is a hike coming in 2026? by the Daily Herald’s Marni Pyke

— $350M Illinois Capitol renovation nears completion, by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner

— Hundreds of public employees investigated by the state of Illinois improperly took millions in PPP loans, by the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner and A.D. Quig

— Chicago’s 2026 budget takes effect: Chicagoans will pay more for shopping bags, Uber rides, booze and online gaming — but the grocery tax is eliminated, by WTTW’s Heather Cherone

— Chicago records fewest killings since 1965, despite Trump’s campaign against city, by the Sun-Times’ Violet Miller, Kade Heather and Sophie Sherry

— Mayor’s tax returns more modest than his predecessors, by the Tribune’s Alice Yin and A.D. Quig

— Ald. Bennett Lawson pausing Zoning Committee meetings to pressure the mayor to pick a permanent chair, by the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan

— An Obama quote gets installed atop presidential center, by the Sun-Times’ Lee Bey

— OPINION: Chicago now boasts a legitimate bench of promising political talent at the municipal level, according to a Tribune editorial

— Cook County distributing $2.3B in property tax revenue amid long delay due to computer issues: “Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office took ‘emergency steps’ to send some of the more than $8 billion in property tax funds due to local governments. She blames Texas-based Tyler Technologies, which contracted to upgrade computers,” by the Sun-Times’ Kade Heather.

— Harvey approaches 2 months with no City Council meetings, despite mass layoffs and financial crisis, by the Daily Southtown’s Evy Lewis

— Approved. The Cook County Board approved Commissioner Donna Miller’s measure urging the U.S. House to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

— Lake County Circuit Clerk can’t undo $2.5M verdict for workers fired over politics, by Legal Newsline’s Scott Holland

— Blagojevich seeks ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore’s clemency from political corruption conviction, by the Sun-Times’ Kade Heather

— Former Congressman Bill Lipinski married his grammar school friend, via Southwest Regional Publishing

— Essay: Zeke Emanuel says his parents’ secret for living is about embracing strangers: “I have spent my career studying what makes people live healthier and longer. My mom and dad are proof that the key is staying socially connected,” via The Wall Street Journal.

— Lincoln awards: Gov. JB Pritzker has announced the 2026 recipients of the Order of Lincoln awards. They are Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett, former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, educator and civil-rights activist Reginald Petty, architecture writer Blair Kamin and Larry Gies, founder and CEO of Madison Industries, a privately-held company that invests in industries across the world, and

— Erin Aleman, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, was honored with the Civic Federation’s Motorola Solutions Foundation Excellence in Public Service Award for her work in regional planning and transit policy. She was honored at an event that included a fireside chat with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

We asked how you follow through on New Year’s resolutions.

Charles Keller: “Shia sends me an email every day, and I either enrage her or tickle her fancy. But I’m always trying to do both at the same time. It’s not easy.”

Ed Mazur: “By making a list and checking it for at least one month.”

Timothy Thomas: “By not making any because I view each day, EVERY DAY, as an opportunity to live, learn, grow and make a difference.”

Next question: What’s one good thing about January?

— Trump on return trip to Washington predicts demise of Cuba, warns Colombia, threatens Greenland, by POLITICO’s Sophia Cai

— Trump’s next plan for the U.S. education system: Lots and lots of rules, by POLITICO’s Bianca Quilantan

— Trump’s drug-pricing deals won’t benefit most Americans today. They could over time, by POLITICO’s David Lim

— Trump’s embrace of pot has Republicans in Congress fuming, by POLITICO’s Lauren Brensel and Amanda Friedman

— Jan. 15: The Tazewell County Republicans hold a gubernatorial candidate forum. Details here

— Beverly Sussman, former Buffalo Grove village president, dies at 84, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune

— Jan Grayson, who led state’s department of commerce, dies at 84, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune

— Joseph Hartzler, who led the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bomber, has died: “He remained with the U.S. attorney’s office in Springfield until 2015 and then worked for four years for Gov. Bruce Rauner,” by The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir.

LAST ANSWER: Congrats to Kevin Arndt for correctly answering that the men’s 3,000 meter steeplechase American record stands at 8:00.45, held by Algonquin’s Evan Jager, the silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

TODAY’s QUESTION: What Illinois high school drew national attention for its zero-tolerance policy against violence? Email: [email protected].

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Head of Government Affairs Rodney Davis (a former congressman), former state Rep. Chad Hayes, Pritzker campaign Senior Adviser Claire Lindberg, Emerson Collective Managing Director David Simas and writer Nash Jenkins

And belated greetings to these New Year’s folks:

Jan. 1: Lee County Industrial Development Association Executive Director Tom Demmer, former state Rep. Adam Brown, political consultant Jeff Orr, AMA Director of group partnerships Ashvin Lad, WEC Energy Group Senior Director of government relations DeShana Forney and Playbooker Marilynn Miller

Jan. 2: Former Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers, marketing and public affairs consultant Sarah Sinovic, McDonalds Federal and Diplomatic Relations exec Rachel Hicks Michael and former Tribune Editor Gerould Kern

Jan. 3: Ald. Peter Chico, Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos, McGuireWoods consultant and former state Rep. Kent Gaffney, Hawthorn Strategy Group’s Richard Ray, Sands Genova Strategic Partner Jessica Genova, Latin teacher Nava Cohen, event planner Michelle Nicole Durpetti, wine guru Chris Mack and education leader Mike Shoudy

Jan. 4: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Tiana McCall, Global Strategy Group research Senior VP Melissa Bell, business consultant Jeff Angevine, Bloomberg Law sales VP Rob Recklaus, The Sarnoff Center Program Director Judah Gavant, NewsGuard Executive Editor Jim Warren and Washington journalist Gabby Birenbaum

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