There are three state level candidates sponsored by DraftKings - Jaime Andrade, Adam Braun, and Sara Feigenholtz - and all three have either no showed or won't agree to a debate.
A pattern emerges.
American Future’s biggest beneficiary, receiving more than $263,000, is Emil Jones III, a state senator who was indicted in 2022 on federal bribery charges, and faces little-known opponents in his race to hold on to his seat. In a race featuring a stark ideological contrast, American Future has spent over $220,000 in the 40th Legislative District in northwest Chicago, backing an entrenched Democratic machine incumbent, Jaime Andrade, Jr., against a democratic socialist challenger, Miguel Alvelo-Rivera, who, in a statement to the Center for Media and Democracy, pledged to “fight to tax wealthy corporations and individuals in Illinois, and… make sure they know our legislature isn’t for sale.”
Very interesting reporting by @matthewccook5.bsky.social inthesetimes.com/article/debu...
#ILPolitics scoop -- DraftKings is now the largest outsider spender in state races.
The sportsbook's new SuperPAC is spending big on candidates like Rep. Jaime Andrade in Illinois' 40th district.
@votejandrade.bsky.social is being challenged by community organizer @miguelfor40.bsky.social.
This is basically straight up lying to the voters by Jaime Andrade’s campaign, which is smearing his opponent by false accusing them of supporting ICE. Good campaign truth squadding by @olivia0.bsky.social
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/25/i...
welcome! being extremely angry got me out to canvass twice in the cold over the weekend 😅
Meta and DraftKings! (This is from today's Trib).
Plus Amazon, ComEd, and a whole bunch of corporate lobbyists: jaimesmoney.com
Yep. And now we have "Making Our Tomorrow," a pro-AI PAC funded by Meta, filling up our mailboxes with pro-Andrade ads too.
To be clear, I'm a supporter of Miguel's, this is my district, and I don't cover any of our local races.
But I'm floored at how dangerous it is to spread disinformation about community advocates supporting ICE when we're still on high alert for another invasion. That has much wider repercussions!
In the past, Jaime has been a classic law-and-order guy. Now he's leading the Resistance! (this is 100% photo-shopped lol)
It's a pretty sad encapsulation of a tried-and-true strategy for Dems: Don't do anything risky, but if the risky thing gets popular, pretend we did it all along. 🫠
A dark-money PAC funded by the sports betting company DraftKings is spending at least $85,000 supporting 40th District state Representative Jaime Andrade.
Why does Jaime Andrade have so much money to send nonstop mailers?
Per this piece in the Chicago Tribune, he's now getting money from both DraftKings and Meta via their new dark-money PACs. Meta is dropping $$$ to advance its AI agenda. Very normal and cool!
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/25/i...
A mailer sent by incumbent Illinois 40th District State Representative Jaime Andrade spreads misinformation about challenger Miguel Alvelo-Rivera.
Jaime Andrade is now running what is almost certainly the most despicable campaign I've seen in Chicago, sending mailers that smear both Miguel and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, who has endorsed Miguel.
Delia regularly calls for not just ICE but DHS to be abolished: inthesetimes.com/article/deli...
Who is that challenger? Miguel Alvelo Rivera, a literal immigrant rights organizer who I witnessed get assaulted by ICE agents on Halloween.
Last fall, @sarahlazare.bsky.social wrote this excellent piece featuring Miguel's work with day laborers targeted by ICE: inthesetimes.com/article/undo...
A window into the utter uselessness of establishment Dems from my corner of the world...
Last fall, as masked agents kidnapped my neighbors daily, I literally never once saw my state rep. @jaimeandrade.bsky.social.
Now, he's sending unhinged mailers accusing his challenger of being pro-ICE (1/6)
Minneapolis has actually had huge organizing victories in this area, i.e. against Pretium Partners: pestakeholder.org/news/in-vict...
But corporate consolidation is growing outside the SFR market, too. See this campaign against a PE firm buying affordable housing: inthesetimes.com/article/priv...
This article was a joint publication between
@inthesetimes.com and @workdaymagazine.bsky.social. For more background on the incredible developments coming out of the Minnesota labor movement, check out @sarahlazare.bsky.social and team's on-the-ground reporting.
Using a rent strike to win a political demand is an even taller order. But at the very least, this is a fascinating example of growing coordination between the labor and housing movements. Here's what one local union president told
@sarahlazare.bsky.social
And there's serious organizing behind this effort. Many of the state's unions are backing the push by a new Twin Cities tenants group affiliated with the Tenant Union Federation, which has a track record of winning concessions from landlords through rent strikes. inthesetimes.com/article/rent...
There's good reason to be skeptical that calls for mass rent strikes will materialize. But on Jan. 23, we saw tens of thousands come out for a one-day strike, in subzero temps to boot. This is a moment where a lot of things are suddenly in the realm of possibility. inthesetimes.com/article/labo...
The crisis for Minnesota's immigrant families isn't over. In Minneapolis alone, workers who went into hiding have lost ~ $47 mil in wages. Evictions are already on the rise. Here's what one mom in South Minneapolis told me.
The largest rent strike in a century?
The Minnesota unions behind the massive Jan. 23 day of action are now backing a potential rent strike to demand an eviction moratorium. At least 10K could withhold rent starting March 1. Here's what to know (1/6) inthesetimes.com/article/ice-...
Minnesota unions are planning another massive action: this time, by teaming up with a new, Twin Cities-wide tenants union calling for a March 1 rent strike.
W/ @sarahlazare.bsky.social and @workdaymagazine.bsky.social inthesetimes.com/article/ice-...
Terrorized by ICE, unable to pay rent, Twin Cities tenants are undertaking a serious organizing effort to get ready for a rent strike if Gov. Walz doesn't instate an eviction moratorium. They have support from labor unions representing 25,000 workers. New piece by @rebeccaburns.bsky.social and me.
“Hundreds of immigrant mothers” in Texas concentration camp uprising
YOUR PHONE CALLS TO THE SENATE ARE WORKING. KEEP CALLING.
202–224-3121
Three Democrats who previously broke with the party and voted with the GOP are now saying they will not vote for the bill. That’s enough for the bill to be unpassable right now.
NYT push alert: "A person was shot dead today during a struggle with federal agents in Minneapolis, according to officials."
By who? Who shot the person dead? You saw the video. We all know a federal agent shot a man dead who was prone on the ground. Also, it's not "according to officials." It's according to verified video seen with your eyes. Not saying what anyone can obviously see with their eyes is a form of lying.
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
Samantha Stamps is missing. She has experienced homelessness since her old building — raided by feds in September — was ordered vacated by a judge due to unsafe conditions.
Stamps was last seen near the Central Park Pink Line and frequents areas in N. Lawndale. blockclubchicago.org/2026/01/14/f...
Important reporting from @sarahlazare.bsky.social on an action that'll be critical to watch, as cities consider how to respond to all-out siege by federal immigration forces.
No Blood For Oil vs. Exactly How Much Oil Are We Talking About?
Expect to see a lot of this classic Onion headline, from 23 years ago, over the coming weeks.
Tl;dr: There are huge equity issues with ramping up privatized debt collection as a revenue strategy, but the most likely outcome seems to be that the city will end up with a giant budget hole mid-year. Is that the actual endgame for City Council members who were looking to cut programs?
