CHICAGO — At a union hall on Chicago’s South Side, a powerful Democratic Party organization decided who to endorse in the March 17 primary in one key statewide race.

The Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee decided Friday to back Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, in her bid for Illinois comptroller, the state’s chief financial officer.

That decision sparked conflict between Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, who backed different candidates.

In the race for U.S. senate however, the party declined to endorse. It’s the first open Senate election in the state since 2010.

“I think the party made the correct decision in making no endorsement in the U.S. Senate race,” Harmon told Capitol News Illinois. “It’s a marquee race with terrific candidates and I’m sure the voters will be able to make an informed decision without an endorsement.”

But Harmon objected to the party’s endorsement in the comptroller’s race, sparking a protracted closed-door debate.

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Ultimately, Croke bested a list of competitors that included state Sen. Karina Villa, a member of Harmon’s caucus in Springfield.

While an endorsement from the Cook County Democrats does not guarantee a win, it is a major step for a campaign in Illinois.

Cook County has about 40% of the state’s population, and its Democratic Party has been a dominant political force for decades. Beyond the potential for turning out votes in the state’s most populous county, an endorsement from the Cook County Democrats can be a litmus test for support from state-level Democrats.

The group of party insiders considering who to endorse includes Welch and Harmon — both from suburban Cook County — and the committee that oversees statewide endorsements is chaired by state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island.

Additionally, influential Democrats in the General Assembly, like Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago; Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Planes, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, were all present for the meeting.

Party backs Croke for comptroller 

The race for comptroller, which opened up this week after sitting comptroller Susana Mendoza announced she was not seeking reelection, sparked a clash between several of the state’s most powerful politicians.

Five candidates asked for the party’s backing. Croke, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Villa, D-West Chicago, were the favored candidates going into the meeting. Champaign County Auditor George Danos and former state Sen. Rickey Hendon also presented at the meeting.

Welch photo

Welch spoke at length in favor of Croke during the slating meeting, adding that he was “very happy to support” Croke. Croke is close to Gov. JB Pritzker, having worked in the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and on his first campaign.

Meanwhile, Harmon backed Villa.

During discussions over comptroller candidates, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle also noted she believed it is “really important for this party to support a Latino for statewide office.”

Read more: Comptroller Mendoza won’t run for reelection, opening up statewide office

In a private session and on a very narrow vote, the subcommittee that recommends statewide endorsements backed Croke. Back in the public session, Harmon fought to try and reject the recommendation.

“We have a slate that does not have any representation from the Latino Caucus, no representation from the Asian Caucus, no one from outside the city of Chicago. I think this is the problem,” Harmon said.

This sparked another closed-door debate after which Croke emerged with the ultimate endorsement, something that “disappointed” Harmon.

“I worry that the party was more divided than evidenced by the final outcome,” he said. “But it’ll be up to the voters.”

No endorsement for U.S. Senate

After Dick Durbin, Illinois’ current senior U.S. senator, announced his retirement, several candidates quickly popped up to replace him at the end of his final term.

The three frontrunners so far are Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly.

Read more: Who is contributing to Illinois’ U.S. Senate candidates?

Several other candidates are in the race and three spoke to party insiders Friday: Christopher Swan, Kevin Ryan and Jump Shepherd. Kelly did not appear at Friday’s meeting, instead having an ally speak on her behalf following travel issues after a late night of voting in Washington.

In the end, the Cook County Democrats didn’t endorse any of them, setting up a contentious primary fight between a current statewide office holder, the one-time state party chair and a man who has nearly 10-to-1 funding advantage.

Durbin, meanwhile, plans on mostly staying out of the race. The retiring senator said Friday that there are three good candidates in the race. While he said he hasn’t “ruled out completely” endorsing someone, he probably won’t.

“I’m not likely to endorse in the race,” Durbin said. “I may in some other races but not that one.”

Governor, other endorsements

The governor couldn’t make the meeting due to a family commitment. In his stead, Pritzker’s running mate Christian Mitchell addressed the collection of party insiders. In a brief speech, Mitchell echoed many of Pritzker campaign talking points.

But when the floor was opened to questions, Mitchell started taking heat.

Mitchell, who oversaw Pritzker’s cannabis legalization efforts early in the governor’s first term, once tweeted that he was “stunned at the level of ignorance” at a Chicago City Council meeting, something that multiple alderpeople in attendance on Friday took exception to.

“I don’t recall using that term, but if I did, I apologize,” Mitchell said when questioned by Chicago Ald. David Moore.

Mitchell also faced heat from Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez, who pressed him on the administration’s relationship to the Latino community. Several Chicago alderpeople also interrogated Mitchell over the administration’s plans on Chicagoland transit, Chicago Public Schools and the closure of manufacturing plants on Chicago’s South Side.

But Mitchell did have his fans in the audience, with one committee member noting that Mitchell’s appearance at a fundraiser helped increase donations, something Mitchell said he wanted to replicate.

“I want to go everywhere, I want to be everywhere,” he said.

The party voted to endorse the Pritzker-Mitchell ticket, which faces no serious challengers within the Democratic party.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also received endorsements.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.