(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois voters will have a rematch in the race for Governor later this fall after downstate farmer, Darren Bailey, beat out three other candidates in yesterday’s Primary Election. While the Clay County native celebrated his 60th birthday, Bailey said Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a leadership problem, Governor J.B. Pritzker, who also won his party’s nomination nod, said that Illinois Republicans are offering voters a destructive alliance of cowardly, doomed grifters, who recklessly embrace ruin. The two will face off in November.
(SPRINGFIELD) In the race to fill the vacant seat of retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, it will be Democrat Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton up against Republican Don Tracy for Illinois U.S. Senator. Meanwhile, incumbent Republican candidate Mary Miller will face off against a to-be-determined Democratic candidate in the 15th congressional district. Republican incumbent Mike Bost will face Democrat Julie Fortier in the 12th congressional district.
(SPRINGFIELD) On the statewide level, incumbent State Representatives Adam Niemerg and Blaine Wilhour will move on to November with hopes of retaining their seats to represent the 102nd and 110th districts respectively as both were unopposed on the Republican ticket.
(SPRINGFIELD) February is normally one of the driest months of the year, but last month was extreme, worsening the drought conditions in Illinois, that’s according to the Prairie Research Institute at the Illinois State Water Survey on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign. Total February precipitation ranged from less than a quarter of an inch in much of northern Illinois to just over 3 inches in isolated parts of south-central Illinois. Basically, all the state was 1 to 4 inches drier than normal last month. Overall, the preliminary statewide average total February total precipitation was 0.54 inches, an inch and a half (1.57) below the 1991-2020 normal, nearly an inch and two-thirds (1.65) below the most recent 30-year average, and the 5th driest February on record statewide. The preliminary statewide average February temperature was 33.8 degrees, 2.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 normal, and tying it for the 29th warmest February on record, dating back to 1895. At the WVLN-WSEI Weather Station at the south edge of Olney, the precipitation totaled 1.52 inches, including 1.6 inches of snow, while the average temperature last month was nearly 35 degrees (34.8), with the average high at 45 and low at 25.