Tength Congressional District Democrats

February 23, 2022

In this Issue: Waukegan Harbor Restoration Funding Highlighted by Democratic Leaders and EPA ● Petition Central—Your One-Stop Shop ● Volunteer Spotlight ● In Case You Missed It ● Upcoming Events

Waukegan Harbor Restoration Funding Highlighted by Democratic Leaders and EPA

From the top, State Senator Adriane Johnson, Congressman Brad Schneider, and Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash with U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth at Friday’s event in Waukegan. 

Lake County Democratic leaders, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, joined EPA officials in Waukegan on February 18 to highlight $1 billion in Great Lakes funding from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act.

This critical investment will help restore Waukegan Harbor and surrounding areas. “[T]he EPA is taking the steps necessary to finish the cleanup of Waukegan Harbor, invest in the health and well-being of Waukegan families, and return jobs, tourism, and recreation to the region,” said 10th District Rep. Brad Schneider.

Also in attendance were U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Bill Foster; and several local officials, including State Senator Adriane Johnson, Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, and Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash.

Petition Central—Your One-Stop Shop 

Whether you’re a candidate or a precinct committeeperson, don’t miss Petition Central—Your One-Stop Shop. The Lake Dems event includes petition vetting, notarizing, signing, and more.

If you have your own precinct committeeperson petitions, or petitions for candidates, you can get them notarized on the spot. If you’d like, we’ll turn the petitions in to the appropriate candidates or—in the case of precinct committeeperson petitions—to the Lake County Clerk.

We’ll have attorneys present to make sure your petitions are correct and notaries on hand.

Volunteer Spotlight

Lake Dems is grateful for our many active volunteers, including the following:

If you’ve been to many Lake Dems events, you’ve probably benefited from the organizing skill of Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones. For more than a decade, Marc has been scouting and securing venues, planning events, and serving as a moderator/emcee for “Let’s Talk Politics” and many other programs. Voter outreach is another priority for Marc, whether as a Precinct Committeeperson or a deputy voter registrar planning voter registration drives. Marc is especially proud of his key role in organizing expungement events to help clear the arrest records of people who, even though they’ve never been convicted of a crime, face barriers to obtaining employment or rental housing.

In Case You Missed It

Was Capitol riot ‘legitimate political discourse’? Suburban GOP congressional candidates divided

Of the more than 20 Republicans running for Congress in the North, Northwest and Western suburbs, just four said they agree with the Republican National Committee’s description of last year’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol as “ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.” Only one candidate outright rejected the RNC’s characterization. More.

Upcoming Events

Events below are taken from the complete list of Upcoming Events at LakeDems.org/events. Click here to submit your event. 

THURSDAY, FEB. 24

Kickoff Reception for Judge Chris Kennedy, Candidate for Illinois Appellate Court, 2nd District. 5:30-7pm, Libertyville. More.

FRIDAY, FEB. 25

Coalition to Reduce Recidivism Hosts Women’s Virtual Roundtable. “Let’s Talk About it…Facing Trauma: Mental Health (Shame, Blame and Regret.)” Keynote speaker: ReGina Moore, Chief Operating Officer, Legacy Reentry Foundation. 11am-12:30pm, online via Zoom and Facebook Live. More.

SATURDAY, FEB. 26

Meet & Greet Petition Drive for State Representative Candidate Mary Morgan. 8-10am, Wauconda. Sign for Mary Morgan and other Democrats. More.

SUNDAY, FEB. 27

Waukegan Petition Drive for Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg, County Treasurer Holly Kim and Candidate for County Clerk Anthony Vega. 10am-1pm,  Waukegan. More.

Petition Central—Your One-Stop Shop. 2-4pm, Gurnee. The Lake Dems event includes petition vetting, notarizing, signing, and more. Attorneys will be present to make sure your petitions are correct and notaries will be on hand. More.

MONDAY, FEB. 28

Democratic Party of Illinois Panel, “Justice on the Ballot.” 6-7pm, in Chicago and on Zoom. A conversation about the crucial, open Illinois Supreme Court races in the 2022 midterm elections. More.

TUESDAY, MARCH 1

Sheriff John Idleburg’s Birthday Celebration. 6-8pm, Mundelein. More.

WEDNESDAY, March 2

Virtual Lake Villa Township Dems Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm online via Zoom. More.

WEDNESDAY, March 16

Deputy Voter Registrar Training in Waukegan. 3pm, Waukegan. Participants must be at least 18 and registered to vote in Lake County. Training takes about an hour and is open only to Lake County residents interested in helping to register new voters. More.

How Do I Join Lake County Democrats?

Lake County Democrats is made up of people like you, people who are passionate about building better communities and a better world. We’re a grassroots political organization, working with Democrats in all parts of Lake County – from Antioch to Highland Park, Libertyville to Waukegan, Barrington to Zion. Become a member online now or send a check payable to Lake County Democrats to P.O. Box 671, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Questions? Contact info@lakedems.org.