Illinois quick hits: Primary election ballot certified; indictments increased in 2025

Illinois quick hits: Primary election ballot certified; indictments increased in 2025

January 8, 2026/

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Primary election ballot certified

The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the March 2026 primary ballot this week, removing several Republican candidates for governor after upholding petition challenges.

Remaining on the GOP gubernatorial ballot is Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick and Rick Heidner. Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be unchallenged in the Democrats’ primary March 17.

For U.S. Senate Candidates, Democrats will have 10 to choose from, Republicans six.

Indictments increased in 2025

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois says it cracked down on crime and implemented new policies in 2025.

Statistics the office released show indictments were up 34% compared to the previous year.

The office also touts more focus on mass transit safety, health care fraud investigations and immigration enforcement efforts.

Unemployment rate forecast

The Chicago Fed Real-Time Unemployment Rate Forecast is estimating the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly unemployment rate at 4.56% for December, matching the actual BLS unemployment rate for November.

The December 2024 unemployment rate was 4.09%.

Event Calendar

[pdem_events format="calendar" size="xlarge" layout="stacked" exclude_category="sports,library" limit="22" debug="no"]

Events

No events

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois open-burn bill ignites capitol clash

Illinois open-burn bill ignites capitol clash

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A proposal aimed at giving local fire protection districts more oversight of open burning in unincorporated...
AMA's medical education infused with political ideology, Do No Harm says

AMA’s medical education infused with political ideology, Do No Harm says

By Tate MillerThe Center Square In its ongoing fight against identity politics in medicine, Do No Harm exposed the American Medical Association this week for content related to identity politics...
Los Angeles police chief declines to enforce ICE mask ban

Los Angeles police chief declines to enforce ICE mask ban

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square California has a new law that prohibits law enforcement from wearing masks, but don’t expect it to be enforced in Los Angeles. At least not...
Surge in gas-fired power for data centers, with Texas leading

Surge in gas-fired power for data centers, with Texas leading

By Alton WallaceThe Center Square The amount of gas-fired power generation in development in the U.S. nearly tripled over the past year to a record-high 252 gigawatts, with a third...
Entrepreneurs push back as Illinois city proposes new business registry

Entrepreneurs push back as Illinois city proposes new business registry

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Despite existing state registration requirements, Pontiac officials are proposing a new local business registration program aimed...
Benghazi attack suspect arrested, will face charges in U.S.

Benghazi attack suspect arrested, will face charges in U.S.

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square A suspect in a 2012 attack on a United States compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans was arrested and will be prosecuted in...
Canada looks to shift auto industry away from U.S.

Canada looks to shift auto industry away from U.S.

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wants his nation's auto industry to look far beyond its usual American market with investments in electric vehicles and other...
Illinois Quick Hits: Pritzker's fiscal update blasts Trump administration

Illinois Quick Hits: Pritzker’s fiscal update blasts Trump administration

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget says tax provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill Act would...
Civil group seeks revival of student loan forgiveness lawsuit

Civil group seeks revival of student loan forgiveness lawsuit

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The New Civil Liberties Alliance presented oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit this week, after filing an opening brief...
Professor: California sees nation's least affordable electricity

Professor: California sees nation’s least affordable electricity

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square California is experiencing the country's biggest hikes in electricity rates, according to new research from the Energy Institute at the Haas School of Business at...
December job openings lowest in five years

December job openings lowest in five years

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Despite several quarters of strong GDP growth, job openings continued trending downward in December to an estimated 6.5 million – the lowest number in five...
Trump admin moves to more easily fire federal workers

Trump admin moves to more easily fire federal workers

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Trump administration finalized a rule on Thursday that would make it easier to fire an estimated 50,000 federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management...
Trump's call for federal oversight intensifies clash over Michigan elections

Trump’s call for federal oversight intensifies clash over Michigan elections

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square As the 2026 election season ramps up, tensions are rising over oversight of Michigan’s elections as state and federal leaders clash over election integrity. President...
Siri class action lawsuit greenlit, billions at stake

Siri class action lawsuit greenlit, billions at stake

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A judge has cleared the way for as many as 3 million Apple device users in Illinois to be included in a...
California attorney general cites success in tackling fraud

California attorney general cites success in tackling fraud

By Dave MasonThe Center Square Editor's note: This story has been updated since its original publication to include a comment from the White House. California has recovered nearly $2.7 billion...