Good morning, Chicago. ✶
It’s Election Day! Well, for the primaries at least. With Democratic and Republican voters across Illinois filling in ballots for offices including U.S. Senate, several seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cook County Board President and Cook County Assessor, there will be a lot to follow.
The Sun-Times and WBEZ will have coverage all day including a live blog with the latest news, live results for a variety of races and a special live episode of Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith at 7 p.m. after the polls close. Reporters from the Sun-Times and WBEZ will post updates on X; follow them here.
🔎 Below: With civil asset forfeitures, Illinois takes in millions — including $9.4 million by the Chicago Police Department — even without arrests or convictions.
🗞️ Plus: A federal judge again halts the Trump administration from cutting healthcare funding in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker took a shot at Gregory Bovino, and more.
📝 Keeping score: The Bulls defeated the Grizzlies 132-107
⏱️: A 7-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER ☁️
Cloudy with a high near 24. Wind chill values as low as 1.
ELECTION DAY 2026 🗳️
Who will be the Democratic nominee for Dick Durbin’s open U.S. Senate seat?
By Tina Sfondeles
Heated race: The U.S. Senate race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin reached a fever pitch in the weeks leading up to Election Day, with millions in super PAC money working to influence the Democratic primary, accusations of MAGA money flying around, and a series of debates that showed key policy differences and served as a public platform for attacks.
What it means: The results will be a true test of whether Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s fundraising and millions of dollars in ads can beat a late campaign surge by Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, fueled by support from Gov. JB Pritzker and his allies. Rep. Robin Kelly is also likely to see a boost as super PACs intending to help Krishnamoorthi are also running positive ads for Kelly to try to siphon away votes from Stratton.
What polling shows: Several surveys showed Krishnamoorthi in the lead for months, but Stratton appeared to be closing the gap in the final weeks, with a $5 million contribution from Pritzker helping a super PAC fuel ads praising her and attacking Krishnamoorthi. Kelly has consistently come in third place.
Learn more: Click below to follow this story and to see live results. And click here for real-time live information on all races.
💵 CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE
Chicago police, other agencies take in millions by seizing cars, cash even without an arrest or conviction
By Frank Main
Seized assets bring money: Every year, the Chicago Police Department and other law enforcement agencies across Illinois seize thousands of cars as well as cash and other property. Prosecutors say the assets are tied to crimes including traffic violations, drug offenses and violent acts. The seizures bring in millions of dollars.
Due process: Critics say the Illinois civil asset forfeiture system flips “innocent until proven guilty” on its head. Under Illinois law, police can seize property based on suspicion alone — even if the owner is never arrested, never charged and never convicted. According to the latest report from the state police, CPD took in $9.4 million in assets in 2024, including 962 vehicles worth more than $7.7 million.
Not a money grab: Tom Weitzel, retired chief of the Riverside Police Department, rejects the idea that civil asset forfeiture is a money grab. It is “one of the few tools that weakens criminal networks financially, not just through arrests,” he said.
Other states’ handling: Critics say the system needs changes. Some point to Michigan, where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a law in 2019 largely banning police from taking forfeited property worth $50,000 or less without a criminal conviction. If that law applied in Illinois, many civil asset forfeiture cases would never be filed.
🏥 HEALTH FUNDING
Federal judge extends order blocking Trump cuts to Illinois public health funding
Reporting by Mary Norkol
Cuts still blocked: A federal judge in Chicago extended an order blocking the Trump administration from cutting $600 million in public heath grants to Illinois and three other Democrat-led states. The preliminary injunction extends a temporary restraining order issued last month.
Four states sued: Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado and California filed a federal lawsuit in February. The funding cuts would have targeted HIV tracking, lead-poisoning prevention, family planning and other public health initiatives across the four states.
What’s next: In the injunction, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah said the cuts could have led to “irreparable harm” and that the public interest favored preserving the funding. He set another hearing in the case for March 23.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
- Pritzker taunts Bovino: Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday celebrated the reported retirement of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. “Bovino won’t just get to walk away — he will be held accountable and responsible for the damage he’s done to our nation,” Pritzker said in a social media post.
- Endorsement pulled: The family of Rev. Jesse Jackson withdrew a posthumous announcement of an endorsement of Lt. Gov. Stratton for U.S. Senate. While Jackson had begun reviewing primary candidates, he never finalized his picks, Yusuf Jackson said Monday.
- Firefighter injured: A Chicago firefighter was seriously hurt Monday when he fell through the floor of a burning Rogers Park apartment building. He was taken to Stroger Hospital.
- Chicago startup gets funding: Yourco received a $6 million investment in its platform that lets organizations use text messages to communicate with deskless employees.
- More tech startups: Fifth Star Funds, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides early-stage funding to tech founders of color, says it plans to invest in at least six businesses this year.
- And more Divvy stations: The Lyft-operated bike and scooter system plans to add 200 stations this year.
- ‘White Rooster’ review: The latest from writer and director Matthew C. Yee “comes off as so energetic, well-performed and insistently intriguing that its sensual qualities provide an enjoyable vibe even if it never quite makes coherent sense,” writes Steven Oxman.
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏀⚾🏒
- Ivey’s future: Though the Bulls haven’t seen much from guard Jaden Ivey, coach Billy Donovan made it sound like they might be invested in the restricted free agent long term.
- Cubs’ staff is finding form: Jameson Taillon’s recent rough outing was a reminder that the Cubs’ starters are still working through issues this spring.
- Artyom Levshunov’s development: Jeff Blashill recently compared him to Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, but the young Blackhawks blue liner said he wanted “to be even better.”
- How Marist won it all: The RedHawks basketball team turned into a postseason juggernaut the last few weeks. Here’s how they did it.
- Recapping state finals: Joe Henricksen looks back at some key takeaways after the end of the 2026 IHSA basketball state finals over the weekend.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today’s clue: 🌭 7A: Like the Adler Planetarium or Garfield Park Fieldhouse
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Friends paint McKinley Park viaduct mural to brighten up daily walks
Reporting by Genevieve Bookwalter
The inspiration: Ashley Freda had one overarching goal when she reached out to her friend and muralist who goes by the artist handle “Ocean”: Break the cycle of tagging and painting over and tagging again on the viaduct near her home in McKinley Park. “This viaduct was getting tagged and buffed within 24 hours. It would happen over and over again,” Freda says.
The mural: The duo spent two weeks brainstorming, sketching, creating concepts and collecting inspiration to create an idea for a piece that “people want to protect.” The result features flowers, fish, frogs and female faces.
Key quote: “Our neighborhood, they have a real appetite for art, engagement and connection. At times we lack so much here that people don’t even understand how they can participate in street art,” Ocean says.
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Written and curated by: Phyllis Cha and Satchel Price
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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