It’s Thursday. Head into the weekend with solid momentum with these stories from WTTW News.
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Gov. JB Pritzker appears in a “Chicago Tonight” interview on March 18, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid kicked off in earnest Wednesday, the day after his uncontested primary wrapped up. But that doesn’t mean he’s been absent so far from the campaign trail.
Pritzker stood in as the opening act for Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Election Night, warming up the crowd before her victory speech that celebrated a U.S. Senate primary campaign backed by Pritzker’s money and political influence.
“A lot of people have suggested that this was personal to me,” Pritzker told the crowd at Stratton’s celebration. “They were right. It was.”
Pritzker spoke with WTTW News on Wednesday, as the dust settled from the primaries.
On the primaries:
Tuesday’s results showed Pritzker’s influence on Democratic politics throughout Illinois. However, work may need to be done to translate that influence to the national stage.
Pritzker’s support for Stratton over U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly drew criticism from some within the party, including the Congressional Black Caucus. The governor downplayed the rift as one of many disagreements that can pop up during primaries but can be smoothed over afterward.
“You know what, Juliana Stratton was the best person for the job,” Pritzker said. “I chose to support her. We’re all going to come back together.”
In addition to Stratton’s Senate bid, Pritzker also endorsed Margaret Croke for comptroller. Although the race had not been called as of Wednesday afternoon, Croke was in the lead with more than 90% of the estimated votes counted.
On his reelection bid:
Pritzker now faces a rematch in the Nov. 3 general election against Republican Darren Bailey, who emerged victorious from a field of four candidates on Tuesday.
Bailey, who previously served as a state legislator representing parts of southern Illinois, spent much of his 2022 gubernatorial campaign shoring up downstate support and attacking Chicago, infamously referring to the city as a “hellhole.”
But this time around, Bailey has taken a softer approach toward the heavily Democratic parts of the state. Still, Pritzker and running mate Christian Mitchell believe they have a good case to make across the state.
Pritzker’s possible election to a third term would be a rarity for Illinois.
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(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
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Chicago’s City Council met in full for the third time in 2026 on Wednesday. It was a busy meeting with several items on the agenda. WTTW News reporter Heather Cherone was there to cover it all.
The future of tipped minimum wage:
The Chicago City Council Wednesday voted 30-18 to reverse a 2023 vote to phase out the tipped minimum wage, one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s major legislative accomplishments.
All Chicago businesses should be required to pay their workers the same minimum hourly wage, regardless of whether they also earn tips, Johnson said. The reversal did not pass with a veto proof majority.
Johnson said the vote was “shameful” and called those who voted to stop tipped workers from being paid more “self-proclaimed Democrats” who were willing to see Black and Latino women paid less than a living wage.
Johnson said he was willing to use all of his power to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with working people, including issuing his third veto in less than a year.
“Then veto it is,” Johnson said after the City Council meeting.
Hotel tax hike:
The Chicago City Council voted unanimously to hike the city’s tax on downtown hotel rooms to fund a marketing campaign designed to burnish Chicago’s image.
With the backing of hotel owners and the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, the city’s tax on hotel rooms downtown, near McCormick Place, the Illinois Medical District and Hyde Park will rise from 17.5% to 19%, the highest in the nation.
The creation of Chicago’s first Tourism Improvement District would last for five years, and would have to be renewed by an oversight board of hotel operators and the City Council.
The tax hike will generate $40 million annually that Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism bureau, will use to launch a marketing and incentive campaign to attract more visitors — and their fat wallets — to Chicago.
Probing CPD's conduct during immigration raids:
The agency charged with probing police misconduct now has the authority to investigate whether Chicago police officers and leaders have violated city law by helping federal immigration agents.
After a brief debate, the Chicago City Council voted unanimously to explicitly grant the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, the authority to investigate whether Chicago Police Department officers helped federal agents carry out deportations.
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Incumbent Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has declared victory in the March 17, 2026, Democratic primary election. She spoke at a campaign event at Little Black Pearl in Kenwood. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)dani
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The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobbying organization, claimed victory after Tuesday’s primary elections for boosting moderate candidates and helping to defeat progressive candidates in four Democratic House races.
In all, groups affiliated with AIPAC spent more than $20 million to influence the outcome of four contests in Illinois’ 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th Congressional districts, according to federal campaign finance reports.
“A great night for the pro-Israel community and a terrible night for anti-Israel candidates,” AIPAC posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “Tonight’s results tell a critical story: centering campaigns on attacking Israel and demonizing pro-Israel Americans is a losing strategy.”
More context:
Much of AIPAC’s spending came from two newly formed groups — Elect Chicago Women and Affordable Chicago Now — that did not mention the U.S.-Israeli relationship or foreign policy but focused on the need to elect more female candidates to office and reduce the cost of living.
AIPAC publicly celebrated the defeat of progressive social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh and Skokie Board of Education member Bushra Amiwala in the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Illinois’ 9th District. Abughazaleh finished second to Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who also found himself targeted by the political group.
AIPAC-affiliated groups spent at least $5.8 million to support State Sen. Laura Fine, who finished a distant third in the fierce contest to represent the district that winds through Chicago’s North Side and north suburbs through northwest Cook County to southwest Lake County and southeast McHenry County.
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More From WTTW News:
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The Chicago Housing Authority board voted this week to appoint Keith Pettigrew, the head of Washington, D.C.’s Housing Authority, to lead the third largest public housing agency in the nation, which has been without a permanent leader for 18 months.
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Back in the Day: March 19, 1996 - Rod Blagojevich Wins First Congressional Primary
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On this day 30 years ago, Rod Blagojevich won his first congressional primary, defeating fellow Democrats Nancy Kaszak and Ray Romero to challenge Republican incumbent Michael P. Flanagan for a seat representing the Illinois 5th Congressional District. Blagojevich, the son of a Serbian immigrant who married into one of Chicago’s most politically connected families, started his political career as a representative in the Illinois House and would catapult to Congress and later governor of Illinois. A corruption scandal derailed his second term as governor, which sent him to prison and an eventual pardon by President Donald Trump.
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This Week’s Arts and Culture Events
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Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
You may have spent this past week wearing green, drinking green beers, learning what “borgs” are and celebrating Irish culture around the city. You might be tired from all the revelry, but Chicago isn’t slowing down when it comes to fun cultural events. That said, these artistic picks are less of a party and more of an enriching experience. From a play to a new art exhibit, WTTW News has you covered with a small sampler of events.
Play: “Two Sisters and a Piano” — Writers Theatre (Glencoe)
Head up to the North Shore for a Writers Theatre production of “Two Sisters and a Piano,” a play from the Pulitzer-winning writer Nilo Cruz. It follows two sisters living in 1991 Cuba under house arrest as their lives get upended by new love and the end of the Cold War happening around them. This run in Glencoe ends on March 29 and you can buy tickets here.
Art: Vida Sačić: Self-Evident — Chicago History Museum
In her new exhibit at Lincoln Park’s Chicago History Museum, local artist Vida Sačić presents a “letterpress exploration” of the Declaration of Independence, and “features immigrant responses to language drawn” from the text. The opening ceremony is today at 7 p.m. and will include a lecture from the artist that promises to touch on “themes of immigration, authorship, collective narrative and print as both a historical and living medium.” For more information, click here.
Comedy: Dan Mintz — The Den Theatre
Dan Mintz is best known as the deadpan voice of Tina Belcher on the longrunning animated sitcom “Bob’s Burgers,” but real fans have realized he’s been a phenomenally talented stand-up comedian for far longer. On Friday, Mintz is headlining Wicker Park’s Den Theatre and a few tickets are still available.
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What's your favorite new restaurant in Chicago?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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