Happy Wednesday, Illinois. Republicans surged in elections across the country last night: district attorneys in New York, a dead heat in the New Jersey governor's race and, of course, the marquee GOP win of the night, Glenn Youngkin's narrow victory in Virginia. “BIG wake-up call” for 2022, texted one Illinois lawmaker.

Oct. 29, 2021, will go down in Springfield history books as the night Democrats defeated the general of Illinois’ Irish machine. In the waning hours of the day, when it looked like lawmakers might not vote on the congressional map until January, Rep. Chuy Garcia tapped Senate President Don Harmon’s team for help before handing a new map to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who called for a vote.

As many as 10 representatives had opposed the third draft of the map, so the Democratic leaders hoped this map and soothing discussions would change their minds. It did.

Supporters of Rep. Sean Casten felt better that he got some breathing room. And state Rep. Kathleen Willis dropped her opposition to the map after Garcia assured he wasn’t orchestrating a primary challenge against her.

Garcia also made sure that the 22nd Legislative District was split between his newly drawn 4th District and Casten’s 6th. That didn’t sit well with Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn — known to some insiders as “the general” for carrying out orders of his friend and ally, former House Speaker Michael Madigan, the man synonymous with the state’s Irish political machine. Quinn didn’t want to see the district broken up.

Given the area has a high concentration of police officers and a reputation for getting out the vote, the left-leaning Garcia wanted to avoid a potential challenge in any upcoming election.

His team worked with Harmon’s team and mapmakers — some of whom are Madigan allies — to tweak boundaries before handing a new version to the Illinois House. Representatives then had two choices: vote for it and move on, or vote against it and see the process finished in January. (Smart move. Who wants Nancy Pelosi upset at your vote?)

Welch backed the new boundaries — another sign of his growing influence in the General Assembly. As one legislative observer put it, Welch took the view that “I don’t care what Marty Quinn thinks. I don’t care what Michael Madigan wants. I want this on the board.”

Most lawmakers fell in line. Rep. Angie Guerrero-Cuellar, who succeeded Madigan in the 22nd Legislative District and has a ward office across the hall from Madigan and Quinn, was the only Democrat to vote against it. And Rep. Kelly Cassidy didn’t vote at all, a protest vote about not all women’s voices being heard.

Another Democratic lawmaker put it this way: “You think people will side with the old speaker over the new speaker? Madigan is gone and no one was going to take the chance to side with Quinn. The new speaker is the boss. He’s in charge.”

ANOTHER BIG MAYOR has emerged from Illinois. Michelle Wu, who grew up in Chicago’s suburbs, has been elected mayor of Boston.

Michelle Wu’s barrier-breaking victory, reports POLITICO’s Maya King and Lisa Kashinsky

Raised in Barrington, Wu ran tea house on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago: “Wu grew up mostly in suburban Barrington. She attended the Roslyn Road Elementary School; Hough Street Elementary; Prairie Middle School; and Barrington High, graduating in 2003,” by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.

How a family crisis set her on her path: “Thrust into position as the head of the family, Wu, then 22, dived in. She became a primary parent to her youngest sister, who was 11, eventually filing for legal guardianship. She managed psychiatric treatment for her mother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia… Frustrated by the bureaucratic obstacles she had encountered, she enrolled at Harvard Law School, bringing her mother and sister back to Boston with her. This time, she intended to stay,” by The New York Times’ Ellen Barry.

MORE ELECTION NEWS

— 5 things we learned from Republicans’ big night: “Republicans mounted a big comeback in elections in Virginia, New Jersey and other states,” by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard and David Siders.

— Minneapolis residents reject proposal to replace police department: “Minneapolis voters on Tuesday rejected a proposal to replace the city's police department with a Department of Public Safety, The Associated Press projected. The result is a blow to the nationwide movement to overhaul policing spurred by the police killing of George Floyd a year and a half ago,” by NBC News’ Janelle Griffith

— Shocker in New Jersey: Governor’s race a nail-biter, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman

— Adams declared winner of NYC mayor’s race, by POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: [email protected]

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BIG DEAL — CDC endorses first Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11: “CDC Director Rochelle Walensky quickly endorsed the use of shots, which could become available as early as Wednesday,” by POLITICO’s Lauren Gardner.

— Mask mandate stays til COVID-19 hospitalizations fall, Pritzker says after getting booster shot: “The state’s COVID-19 numbers have improved, but not enough to make the governor consider rescinding his statewide indoor mask mandate, Pritzker said after receiving a Pfizer booster shot on the Near West Side,” by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.

— Chicago CFO offers good news on workers’ compensation reform: “Jennie Huang Bennett delivered an encouraging progress report on work done by the outside administrator hired to ride herd on a program that for decades was the exclusive purview of Ald. Edward Burke,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.

— More details on Chicago casino bidders — and how the Bears factor in: “As the Bears eye the suburbs, several bidders propose putting a Chicago casino a stone's throw from Soldier Field. Here are the latest details on the gambling bids and how the NFL team's moves might make a difference,” by Crain’s Greg Hinz.

— Park District leaders sat on a lifeguard abuse complaint for more than 6 months, a new report finds: “The newly released, richly detailed report immediately prompted a wave of firings of top parks officials — and apologies to the girls and young women who have suffered in a toxic workplace culture at the park district’s Aquatics Department,” by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos.

— CPS ‘test-to-stay’ pilot would reduce number of students in quarantine, CEO says: “The pilot will allow children to bypass the current 10-day quarantine requirement for unvaccinated students exposed to Covid-19, if their parents consent to them being tested for the virus,” by Tribune’s Alice Yin.

— Rev. Jesse Jackson released from Washington, D.C., hospital after fall at Howard University: “Jackson was discharged Tuesday afternoon after he fell and hit his head while entering a building on campus Monday, according to a news release from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition,” by Sun-Times’ Clare Spaulding.

— Rep. Jaime Andrade on WGN Radio: “There’s a gang war going on in the 17th District, there’s no violence prevention program funds.”

— McDonald’s CEO sparks outrage with comments about parents of slain Chicago children, by WBEZ’s By Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

— Pritzker dumps chair of board that oversees hiring and promotions at Illinois State Police: “The Democratic governor late Friday withdrew his request for the Senate to confirm Andrew Berlin for reappointment as chair, ending his service on the board immediately. Pritzker’s move further angered Republicans upset by changes that were inserted into a sweeping crime package passed in January, one of which would have made Garcia ineligible for the executive director job beginning in January 2022,” by Tribune’s Ray Long and Dan Petrella.

— Illinois Housing Committee looks into homelessness across the state: “I have major concerns that the diminished emergency shelter capacity is a huge problem,” said Lindsey LaPointe (D-Chicago) “and people are going to die this winter.” WTAX’s Dave Dahl reports

— State Sen. Doris Turner to introduce bill outlining more rules, procedures for TIF districts: “Amid intersecting interests from local townships, businesses and schools and city and state government officials, all parties involved were able to come to a last-minute agreement regarding the renewal of Enos Park's tax increment finance district,” by State Journal-Register’s Riley Eubanks

— Jesse White announces office is changing web address to ilsos.gov, via Riverbender.com

After years of delays, new O’Hare ‘people mover’ unveiled: “The new Airport Transit System has faced delays since the project was first announced in 2013. The new people mover will begin operation Wednesday and can carry almost twice as many passengers as the previous system,” by Sun-Times’ Jason Beeferman.

Itasca rejects Haymarket plans for addiction treatment center: “Haymarket President and CEO Dan Lustig said he wasn't surprised by the board's verdict. ‘From two years of going through these hearings, for a 20-minute deliberation, I think it really speaks volumes to the problems that we're seeing right now,’ Lustig said,” by Daily Herald’s Katlyn Smith and Trey Arline.

— FBI ordered Heather Mack to return to Chicago, not L.A., following release from Bali prison, lawyer says: “Mack was scheduled to land at O’Hare International Airport at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday on a flight from South Korea, where she likely will be detained by authorities, California-based attorney Brian Claypool said,” by Tribune’s Jason Meisner.

... ‘It’s gonna be a war’ if feds arrest her upon her return, attorney warns, by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel

— Ald. Jim Gardiner sued after trying to get ‘revenge’ on constituent: “The suit was filed by a resident who protested the alderman's decision to stall a Six Corners development in 2019. Days later, the mother of a Gardiner staffer pulled the resident's dismissed police records,” by Block Club’s Ariel Parrella-Aureli.

— FBI investigating Loretto Hospital’s vax program: “After reports that doses went to ineligible people with ties to hospital administrators, a federal grand jury is investigating,” by Block Club’s Kelly Bauer and Better Government Association’s David Jackson.

Illinois recreational pot sales top $1b, blowing past last year’s totals with two months left in 2021: “October saw more than $123 million in recreational cannabis sales to reach $1.12 billion sales in the first 10 months of the year,” by Sun-Times’ Clare Spaulding.

— Darren Bailey, GOP candidate for governor, stumps in QC, talks with striking workers: “When I see this situation with men and women — and it hits close to home, since John Deere equipment is what we use on our farm — I wanted to come up here and hear from these men and women, what the problem was,” by QuadCities.com’s Jonathan Turner.

— Legislative support for Nicki Budzinski: State Sen. Christopher Belt (Swansea), Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman (Swansea), House Democratic Caucus Chair LaToya Greenwood (East St. Louis), and state Rep. Katie Stuart (Edwardsville) endorsed Budzinski in her bid for the 13th Congressional district, which will represent portions of Madison and St. Clair counties.

Opinion | Public officials shouldn't own stocks. Period: There are plenty of examples, including in Illinois, of “why we need tougher ethics rules for judges, senators and others in power,” writes Crain’s Joe Cahill.

Opinion | New report on Midwest 'factory towns' shakes up the way we look at politics, by National Catholic Reporter’s Michael Sean Winters

We asked what you do to make the switch to winter: Bureau of Planning’s Michael Penicnak shares John Oliver's "Daylight Saving Time: How Is This Still a Thing." (Yeah, it’s this weekend!) Angel A. Alicea, the governor’s advance associate, swaps iced coffee for hot coffee with a splash of cream. Sara Sabo pulls out the sweaters and makes soup. James Nolan switches from navy blazer and khaki pants to navy blazer and charcoal slacks — and hopes the pants still fit (I can relate!). And zoning board member Judith Hamill says along with her fashion switcheroo, embarks on the mundane task of getting her car winterized. Daniel Goldwin of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago says, “I start thinking about why next season could be great for the Bears.” (haha) And Dulana Reese, chief of staff to state Rep. Kam Buckner, says, “I fluff out all my winter coats, restock on hot cocoa, and ask Alexa to play Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.'"

Get ready, Dulana, Lite FM turns on Christmas music Wednesday, writes media reporter Robert Feder.

For tomorrow, college basketball or the NBA — and why? Email to [email protected]

— Durbin calls for investigation after report on Chicago shelter housing Afghan children: "Rep. Bobby Rush, whose district is home to the shelter in the Bronzeville neighborhood, has said he was 'horrified' by the conditions at the facility, which were detailed in a ProPublica story. 'These children from Afghanistan have experienced unimaginable trauma,' he said in a statement, “and the language barrier hindering communication between them and the staff at Heartland is only compounding that trauma and confusion," by ProPublica’s Melissa Sanchez.

— Rep. Chuy Garcia has introduced a resolution commemorating All Souls’ Day, also known in Latino culture as Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The holiday honors the memories of friends, family, and loved ones who have died and this year commemorates having lost “more 91,000 Latinos, more than 743,000 Americans and more than 5 million people worldwide, to the Covid-19 pandemic,” according to a statement.

— Trump, the billionaire Ricketts family and the bull semen baron who divides them, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt

— 1 year later, GOP still chained to Trump's baseless election fraud claims, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers and Nicholas Wu

— Dems vow to plow forward on Biden agenda, even after election faceplants, by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago, Laura Barrón-López and Natasha Korecki

— Catching the ‘last flight’ out of Afghanistan, by Erik Edstrom for POLITICO

— ‘Chaos tourist’ or selfless teen? Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder trial begins with dueling portraits of the shooter, by Tribune’s Christy Gutowski and Stacy St. Clair

— OH, YEAH. Baseball | From mediocre to majestic — the world champion Atlanta Braves! Via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hannah Fierle has started her own comms consulting firm, HMF Communications, and will work with candidates for the 2022 cycle. Fierle most recently worked on the comms team for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and before that was deputy press secretary for Preckwinkle’s mayoral bid and press secretary for the 2018 state Senate Democratic Victory Fund.

Tonight at 5:30 p.m.: A fundraiser for Carmen Navarro-Gercone, a candidate for Cook County sheriff (or SHEriff, as her campaign literature states) will be held at Moe’s Cantina in River North. Host is Clerk of the Circuit Court and 33rd Ward Committeeperson Iris Martinez.

TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Senate President Don Harmon and Mike Grady, owner of Strategic Advocacy Group, for correctly answering that Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American in the U.S. Senate, attended Knox College (1855-57).

TODAY’s QUESTION: In what Illinois community did Ulysses S. Grant, then a captain, take command of his first troops in the Civil War? Email to [email protected]

Quentin Fulks, campaign manager for Sen. Raphael Warnock and previously head of the Illinois Vote Yes for Fairness campaign, political consultant Isabelle Dienstag, political consultant Kathy Posner, Rabbi emeritus Paul Caplan, and Tribune senior editor Lisa Donovan.

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