The Illinois AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization representing most of the state’s organized labor, opted Tuesday not to make endorsements in several critical races for the March 17 primary, including competitive open-seat contests for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, state comptroller, and some congressional slots.
Tim Drea, the AFL-CIO president, said candidates were required to achieve two-thirds support of the union’s delegates — a high bar to meet in high-profile contests where labor, a significant part of the Democratic political apparatus, has many allies and doesn’t want to offend friends.
“We have a lot of friends with strong labor voting records in many of the districts. Others said they had worked with us in different capacities through the years. It’s kind of hard to choose a favorite when the fields are that strong,” Drea said after the voting of delegates in Countryside. “We will be there for these (nominees) next fall, but for the primary, you know, we just had too many friends.”
The union endorsement and the backing of more than 1.7 million labor households in Illinois are highly coveted by candidates across the ballot, including among some Republicans.
The AFL-CIO endorsed Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in his bid for a third term, along with all other incumbent statewide officeholders seeking reelection. But no one secured the required backing for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat that Democrat Dick Durbin will be retiring from in January 2027.
Three leading candidates for the nomination, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg and Robin Kelly of Lynwood, along with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, each vied for the AFL-CIO endorsement at a special forum for union members last month.
While Krishnamoorthi touted a list of individual union endorsements, Stratton is backed by Pritzker, a strong ally of organized labor.
No endorsement was issued in the state comptroller race, where incumbent Democrat Susana Mendoza is leaving at the end of her term in 2027, potentially for a run for Chicago mayor. State Reps. Margaret Croke and Stephanie Kifowit, state Sen. Karina Villa, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Champaign County Auditor George Danos are vying for the Democratic nomination.
The labor organization also made no endorsements among the myriad candidates running for the Democratic congressional nomination in the 2nd and 8th Congressional Districts, where Kelly and Krishnamoorthi are giving up their seats to run for U.S. Senate, and the 7th Congressional District, where veteran congressman Danny Davis is retiring.
But it did endorse Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss for the 9th Congressional District Democratic nomination amid a large field of candidates seeking to represent the district that includes parts of Chicago’s North Side, the North Shore and northwest suburbs.
“Fixing our rigged economy and rebuilding a government that truly works for the people will require a strong, united labor movement at the table,” Biss, a former state lawmaker, said in a statement.
“I’m proud to stand with the Illinois AFL-CIO, its affiliates, and its members, and I look forward to partnering with them to win this election and deliver real results for workers in Congress.”
The state AFL-CIO also endorsed Patty García, who is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in the 4th Congressional District. Patty García is the former chief of staff to the congressman, who has said he intends to drop out of the race and has quietly helped orchestrate that she is the only Democrat on the ballot in the heavily blue district.