voting in your primary election? that’s vote-maxxing, bb.
If you’re reading this in Illinois, you’re just two weeks out from election day.
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It seems like everyone is looking to “maxx” something or the other. According to ELLE Decor, we’re friction-maxxing. On TikTok, we’re jestermaxxing. In the wellness space, it’s all about fibermaxxing. In the menosphere, young guys can’t get enough looksmaxxing.
But amid all this talk of “maxxing” plus the ongoing crumbling of our democracy and the Trump administration continuing its devastating war-maxxxing, it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger, more immediate political picture. In Illinois, we’re now just over two weeks out from an important primary election in Illinois. And if you’re reading this in Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, or Georgia, your state also has a primary election coming up this month.
I actually had a friend and neighbor message me the other night after I published my interview with Julie Forbes, a Democratic candidate for Kane County Board: “I cannot figure out for the life of me, are we supposed to be voting in Batavia?” When I told them that, yes, early voting for the next primary election in Illinois was actually already underway and would help decide general election candidates in key races like the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and other major state- and county-level offices, they were surprised. “I feel like the lead up this election was so quiet, I was like wait? Am I supposed to be voting in this? Or is it just local elections for other local towns?”
Now, listen. My friend is brilliantly talented, intelligent, and plugged-in. So if they were out of the loop on this, I’m sure a lot of other folks—maybe even you, my beautiful subscribers—are as well. And who can blame you or anyone else for that? Maybe you’ve been on a “girl whatever” hiatus from the national news. Maybe the bulk of your energy is going forward simply surviving this hellscape. This news cycle has been beyond relentless and it can be difficult to keep track of it all and to be engaged on the daily with it.
But if you’ve got a primary election coming up, it’s time to lock back in. Tuesday, March 17 is primary election day in Illinois and there are some seriously high-profile, high-impact races to watch on both sides of the aisle. And while, yes, there will still be too many uncontested races on your ballot when you head to the voting booth, there are still plenty of other races where you will be looking at a possibly overwhelming number of options.
To be honest, I’m not particularly interested in telling anybody reading this who to vote for or who not to vote for, though my opinions will inevitably seep in here and there. Rather, my hope with this little essay is simply to flag a few races that may or may not be on your ballot in two weeks to serve as a reminder of the stakes of this election, while also directing you toward resources to help you make your voting decisions and encourage you to do your homework when it comes to these choices.
I also won’t pretend that these are primary election resources geared toward both Republican and Democratic voters. I definitely have a perspective on these races, as a queer nonbinary millennial who believes in human rights and will always side with my fellow marginalized people. Make of that what you will and let’s go from there.
Before I go on about anything I think, here are some resources that I’ve turned to as I’ve thought about this race:
While there is a Republican primary for the Illinois governor’s race, I don’t know if you need to know my thoughts on Darren Bailey or those other ghouls who will not beat J.B. Pritzker. So let’s talk about the race to replace Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate. On the side of the Democrats, the race is basically down to three leading candidates: Raja Krishnamoorthi, Juliana Stratton, and Robin Kelly.
Krishnamoorthi has pulled in the most fundraising but has been criticized for accepting donations from key Trump donors including Michael Pillsbury, an architect of Project 2025 and senior adviser at the Heritage Foundation, and Shyam Sankar, a Trump adviser. The race has been intense and all three candidates have racked up many endorsements, though I think it’s worth noting that Stratton has earned the backing of Pritzker and left-leaning groups like EMILY’s List and the Sierra Club.
Another primary race of particular interest in Illinois is the crowded contest to replace Jan Schakowsky in the state’s 9th congressional district, which includes a bizarrely gerrymandered patch of the state extending from Skokie and Evanston all the way northwest to far suburban enclaves like Cary, Algonquin, and Crystal Lake.
The leading Democrats in the 9th congressional district primary are Kat Abughazelah, Daniel Biss, and Laura Fine. I’ve personally been very impressed by Abughazelah’s outspokenness and impressive, robust campaign platform and can see her as a candidate who challenges the status quo in Congress, but I have no skin in the game of this race and frankly have not researched it deeply. If you live in this district, I urge you to do your homework and make the choice you feel most comfortable with.
The Democratic primary in the 8th congressional district, which includes parts of Elgin, Lombard, and Palatine and which was Krishnamoorthi’s turf, is also an interesting one. I think that the “Girl, I Guess” guide does a tremendous job laying out the case for and against the various candidates angling for this seat, so I’d direct you to simply read their take.
I think all of these above races offer opportunities to elect candidates who are more consistently and vocally progressive than their predecessors, and at this political moment I think that we need to be electing politicians who are unafraid to stand up against the rise of fascism in this country however they can—and I think that is the ultimate metric that matters the most right now no matter what level of elected office we’re talking about.
To touch briefly on statewide Illinois races, I will say that I’ve had the privilege to meet Karina Villa several times dating back to her run for Illinois state House and I think that she’ll make a tremendous Illinois comptroller.
Now, the statehouse and county-level races are where the rubber really meets the mat, and where I’d advise you to use one of those fancy tools that will spit out a sample ballot for you. Your county’s election board website should have that capability, and here is the link to mine in Kane County. You can also get sample ballots from sites like Ballotpedia and Vote411.
For any race that is contested where I don’t already know about the candidates and their platforms, I make it a point to look up campaign on social media, to read any election questionnaires they may have filled out with local media outlets, and I look up any recent articles on them that might include comments made in press conferences or debates. If I’m feeling torn, I’ll track down the recordings from debates and forums hosted by groups like the League of Women Voters, which posts their forums on YouTube.
And if I’m still feeling stumped, I ask around and I especially prioritize the folks in my life whose work and lives might be directly impacted by what the elected office does. For example, in the Kane County Sheriff’s Office race, I’ll be connecting with folks I know and respect who interface with that office frequently.
All of this, I believe, is my due diligence as a proud voter in this upcoming election and every election I’ve had the chance to vote in since I first voted against George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Of course, voting isn’t everything, but I don’t know how you can look around at this current political moment and not believe it’s something. If it wasn’t important, after all, why would this administration be openly toying with the idea of federalizing elections?
We have to continue to fight back against this administration and its hateful policies every chance we get, with action including but certainly not limited to voting. Catch y’all at the booths, and let’s wear something cute and get a sweet treat after, OK?
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OF NOTE
Got some queer news relevant to the Fox Valley and surrounding area to share? Reach out in the comments or you can shoot me an email at queeringtheburbszine@gmail.com.
The Aurora LGBTQ+ Advisory Council just opened up auditions for queer artists interested in taking part in their Pride at the Plaza event on Saturday, June 13. Applications are being accepted through March 25.
Belong: Fox Valley has just launched a code of conduct for its many community events, and it can be read right here.
The delightfully quirky and queer-owned Chicago gift shop Bad Luck Club has earned a spot in the Batavia Boardwalk Shops for this upcoming season. The shop’s new Batavia location will open there on May 8.
SONG OF THE RIGHT-NOW
I recently learned from one of the delightful staffers over at Batavia’s Kiss the Sky that the post-country Chicago rock band Ratboys have deep Fox Valley ties and have even shopped in their store. This prompted me to dive into their new album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, and I was immediately hooked by the twangy, breezy power pop vibes. Here’s their single “Anywhere.”
I would love to be your shadow
Living in my perfect life
But, some nights it’s total darkness
Deep breaths, it’s fine it’s fine it’s fine
good article. One (but not the only, and certainly not a good reason) is that we're in 2 different County Board districts, and if I'm correct no one on the County Board has Batavians as their largest constituent group. We are also crossed by other district boundaries. I wonder, don't know, whether that that makes conversation among Batavians confusing, and maybe results in less campaigning here.