Walking the Walk and Compassion for Campers Update for October 2 2026

Look for new opportunities for action, education, community, and solidarity in and around McHenry County here every week.  

Walking the Walk

Stop Flock in Woodstock will be outside the State of the City Address on Tuesday, October 6 from 9 to 11 am at 101 North Johnson in Woodstock  to show our opposition to Flock surveillance cameras on the Square and throughout Woodstock and McHenry County. Bring your signs. Bring your voices. Bring a horn...."We know Tuesday morning is an inconvenient time for a protest. Most people work. People have kids to get to school, jobs they can’t leave, and lives that don’t pause at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday. And that is exactly why the timing of this State of the City address matters. When important civic events are scheduled at times that make them inaccessible to much of the community, it sends a message. We believe showing up despite this shows we won’t take the focus off of protecting our civil liberties." 

The Fifth Annual Never Walk Alone will be held Saturday, September 19 from 9-11 am at the Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Road in Crystal Lake.  Sponsored by the McHenry County Suicide Prevention Task Force.

Women Veteran Symposium sponsored by the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County, Friday, October 2 from 9 am to 3 pm at 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.  "Registration is filling up for the 2026 McHenry County Women Veterans Symposium, a day dedicated to empowering, connecting, and celebrating women Veterans throughout our community. The day will include inspiring presentations by women, Networking and connections, lunch, and resources, fellowship, and community.  Scan the QR code to reserve a spot.

Compassion for Campers

The McHenry County Mental Health Board which generously stepped up to offer a temporary home to the McHenry County Resource Center (MCHC) and Compassion for Campers (C4C) over the summer rented the space to a new tenant effective October 1. New arrangements have not yet been found. An active search for a suitable location is under way, preferably in an accessible spot near public transportation options and space for on sight storage, shower and/or laundry facilities would be a plus.

Pending word on temporary or permanent dates and places, Compassion for Campers does not yet have dates for our next distributions. We are prepared to move quickly. Please monitor this place for news and updates.

Meanwhile, Financial support remains critical to fulfilling our mission. The best thing you can do is offer your critically needed financial support. Money donations are always welcome at     https://tinyurl.com/3bz96axe.   Look for updates here.  Email compassionforcampers@treeoflifeuu.org .

Psst!--Pass it Along, It's the International Day of Nonviolence

 

Note—This this post first appeared in 2016 and is reproduced with minimal alterations.  The details have changed, but the song remains the same..

Did you know October 2 is the International Day of Non-Violence?  Neither did I until stumbled on the information during my daily scrounging for something—any damn thing—to write about.  My first thought was that it is such a good idea that it is no wonder it is obscure.

It’s one of those United Nations observances.  Right away that makes it deeply suspect here in good ol’ USA. where a huge chunk of the population is still convinced that UN black helicopters supported by the minions Barak Hussein Obama are poised to swoop down and rip the guns from the hands of patriots.  But other UN holidays get better press even here—International Women’s Day, International Children’s Day, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples—to name a few examples.

Maybe it’s because it is still pretty new and hasn’t had a chance to catch on—it was first observed in 2008 after being adopted General Assembly on June 15, 2007.  Apparently, the ambassadors of several countries were asleep.  After all protest—even non-violent protest—is not popular with a wide range of dictatorships and or with oligarchies posing as democracies.  It’s law breaking and anarchy to most governments and only to be encouraged in the realms of one’s enemies.  Take the US which got giddy in support of various color-coded non-violent revolutions where the old Soviet Union held sway or about, at least at first the Arab Spring until it threatened to spread to our Saudi and oil rich Emirates pals, but shovels riot gear and arms to dozens of repressive regimes when those being repressed are on our own shit list.

Around the world non-violent protest is often met by brutal state repression.

And in an era of militarized police, the general criminalization of dissent, suppression of and spying on Black Lives Matter protests and organizers, the targeting of the amorphous Antifa movement, the militarization of Federal police agencies into something with more than a passing resemblance to a secret police,  alleged Free Speech Zones safely caged away from political conventions and campaign rallies, and an Il Duce impersonator who made it to the White House, it is pretty clear that there is no commitment to respecting non-violent protest at home, either.

The very origins of the UN observance are, after all, suspect.

In 2003 Shirin Ebadi an Iranian lawyer, a former judge, human rights activist, founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate met an Indian teacher, Akshay Bakaya in Paris.  Bakaya brought her an idea that he said originated with his students—an international observance honoring non-violence as a tool for social change tied in some way to its greatest modern proponent, Mahatma Gandhi.

 

                                    Nobelist Shirin Ebadi's award has since been seized and stolen by the Iranian regime.

On January 30, 2004 while in Bombay, India for the World Social Forum, Ebadi first proposed that the date, also the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination by Hindi extremists in 1948 be designated as an international day of non-violence.

In tandem with South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ebadi reiterated the proposal at the Satyagraha Conference at Delhi but changed the proposed date to October 2, Gandhi’s birthday which already was an Indian celebration known as Gandhi Jayanti.  The conference was cosponsored by Tutu and Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress Party.  The term satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi and translates as insistence on truth or soul force. It is a philosophy and practice within the broader scope of non-violent resistance. 

 

                                  

                                                Bishop Desmond Tutu.

With the support of the ruling Congress Party, India brought the idea to the UN General Assembly, which acted with unusual speed adopting the proposal on June 15 of the same year.  The resolution called on member states to commemorate October 2 in “an appropriate manner and disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.”

The first-year celebration was marked by the issuance of a postal cachet by the United Nations Postal Administration in New York City which was used on all outgoing UN mail between October 2 and 31 of that year

Since then, celebrations in most countries outside of India and South Africa have been, at best, muted.

Perhaps that is because the Non-Violence promoted by the commemoration is not just a sort of vague warm fuzzy pacifism, but an active strategy for social change.  The U.N. puts it this way:

 

One key tenet of the theory of non-violence is that the power of rulers depends on the consent of the population, and non-violence therefore seeks to undermine such power through withdrawal of the consent and cooperation of the populace.

There are three main categories of non-violence action:

protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils;

non-cooperation; and

non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupations.

Gee, that sounds like the last thing most regimes want to happen as Shirin Ebadi herself found out after her criticism of Iranian persecution of the Baha’i, other Iranian minorities, and dissidents when the Ayatollahs literally stole her Nobel Prize, French Légion d’honneur, and other international awards from her Tehran safety deposit box.  Her organization, the Center for the Defense of Human Rights was raided and closed in 2008 and its employees threatened and harassed.  Ebadi, her husband, and daughter were all targeted by the Revolutionary Guard and threatened with bogus charges.  She was forced into exile in London in 2009 and has lived there ever since still threatened by the regime back home.

In the U.S. student-led gun violence protests, Extinction Rebellion, the Moral Monday movement, and Black Lives Matter among others have been inspired by the principles of Gandhian satyagraha

It is a sad tale echoed by the experiences of many others around the world.

Maybe today is a good day to dust off this neglected celebration….in the streets.  Seems to me we now have plenty of reasons to do it….

The Heretic, Rebel a Thing to Flout Illinois General Election Endorsements--Part IV State Legislative Races

Parts of McHenry County are included in four Illinois State Senate Districts and five State House districts.

McHenry County is sliced and dice into so many different Illinois State Legislative districts that many voters have no idea which ones the reside in or who represents them.  We sort things out.

State Representative Races

State Rep District 52

Maria Peterson, a first-generation Mexican-American, witnessed firsthand how her immigrant parents transformed their American Dream into reality through hard work and perseverance. As an attorney, Maria became a trusted advocate for Latino families facing discrimination, and served with the U.S. Department of Labor, where she litigated workplace safety and health violations and stood up for Black Lung victims who were being denied benefits by the coal mining companies they had dedicated their lives to serving. She came within 47 votes of winning election last time out against Republican incumbent Martin McLaughlin in one of the most competitive races in the state.

State Rep District 64

Representative A.J. Johnson is from a large Biloxi, Mississippi family with a long military tradition, AJ Johnson enlisted in the army at the first opportunity, finishing his career as a top recruiter. Since retiring from our armed services, he’s brought his leadership skills to teaching ROTC in Lake County high schools.  "Moving past the division of modern politics, he aims to champion practical, high-integrity policies that support education, improve public safety, expand economic opportunities, and enhance veterans' services, ultimately scaling his decades of dedication from the classroom to the entire district." He is challenging incumbent Tom Weber.

State Rep District 66

Suzanne Ness, Democratic incumbent, was first elected to the Illinois House in 2020, and is now running for her fourth term. Previously she served as a McHenry County Board Member. As a State Representative, Suzanne has brought more than $34 million to the district and has passed 14 bills, including funding for the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge, eliminating the need for tolling. She advocates for the needs of her constituents and supports legislation that has made Illinois a leader in environmental sustainability, voting rights, and access to reproductive healthcare. A very popular candidate and daughter of legendary activist and former McHenry County Board member Lou Ness.  She faces Republican Laurie Parman

 State Rep District 69

Pete Janko is the elected Democratic State Central Committeeman for Illinois’s 11th Congressional District, He is known for turning advocacy into results, including helping secure funding for Rockford passenger rail and paving the way for the repeal of Illinois’s grocery tax. He’s focused on Illinois Care, a real-world transition plan for universal healthcare in Illinois and continuing to use his strong relationships with state and federal lawmakers to deliver real benefits for Illinois families.  As a German-born child refugee, his is acutely aware of Trumpian anti-immigrant hysteria, ICE sweeps, internments, and deportations. Janko has a progressive, independent spirit that is sometimes at odds with regular party leadership.  He challenges entrenched Republican Joe Sosnowski

 State Rep District 70

Veronica Garcia-Martinez is a mother of three teenagers, a 5th-grade teacher, a small business owner, and a long-time resident of DeKalb County. Born in Chicago and raised in the Pilsen neighborhood, she grew up in an immigrant household where she learned the true meaning of community. She spent 17 years in the nonprofit sector and six years as a bilingual and dual language teacher, dedicating herself to students and families. Her platform reflects the values she lives every day - dignity and respect for all, responsible development, strong communities, and fair democracy. She is running against two term incumbent Jeff Keicher.

State Senate Races

State Senate District 25

Nabeela Syed is State Representative from the 51st district, making history in 2022 as one of the youngest members ever elected to the Illinois legislature. Now she wants to step up into the state Senate.  She is now running to continue delivering bold, compassionate and common-sense leadership and has built a strong record of fighting for working families, focusing on lowering costs, protecting access to healthcare and delivering real results. She’s passed legislation to cap prescription drug costs, expand breast cancer screening, secure paid leave for organ donors and make voting more accessible to young people.  Syed was born and raised in Illinois. Her Muslim parents immigrated to Palatine from India  in the 1980s.  Suburban and exurban Senate races were typically strictly local, but Syed was out-of-the-gate early with extensive advertising in broader Chicago-area ads running on cable and streaming platforms.  She is running against incumbent State Senator Darby Hills.

State Senate District 32

Karen Battaglia is a longtime emergency and trauma nurse, healthcare leader, and advocate for working families. She is the incoming President of the Illinois Emergency Nurses Association and has served for more than a decade on the Illinois ENA Government Affairs Committee, advocating for nursing and healthcare policy at both the state and federal levels. She is running for State Senate to fight for affordable and accessible healthcare at every stage of life, an economy that works for working families, and safe communities and workplaces.  She has a heavy social media presence and is strongly supported in the medical community.   She faces incumbent Craig Wilcox who has been flooding the district with Direct Mail for months.  A high-profile race that has received wide interest.

State Senate District 33

Michele Clark is well-known in McHenry County as the proud owner of a large early child learning center, Michele later served as Chief Operating Officer of the Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township during the COVID-19 pandemic— overseeing a multimillion-dollar budget and leading through a most difficult time for families and kids in our community. Today she serves as Director of Development for the District 300 Food Pantry, working to ensure that no children in our district go hungry. She brings nonprofit experience, business background, and passion for service—all in support of the next generation.  She is running against first-time candidate Danielle Penman.

State Senate District 35

Sarah Mertens is one of six kids from a working-class union household, Sarah acquired her work ethic early on, babysitting from a young age, working from the moment she turned 16, putting herself through college via jobs and loans. Holding a degree in education, with a specialization in teaching German, she’s taught English as a second language. She has also worked in health care administration and on the rollout of the Affordable Care Act. A working mom, in Springfield she plans to be a strong advocate for affordable housing and protecting our civil rights.  She faces incumbent Dave Syverson.  

Also on the Ballot

Vote NO on the four judges up for “judicial retention”:  They’re all deep Red.  It’s time for some competitive elections.

Vote NO on the two referendums:  They’re just “advisory”, but we want a resounding No to both. One of them asks whether McHenry County should become a “Home Rule” county.  Which among other things would remove the requirement that limits the degree to which property taxes can be raised.  Cynics would say that the only reason the R’s put this one on the ballot, would be to gin up the turnout of their base.  Whatever.  It’s a terrible idea. The other asks whether state laws should be repealed that restrict the ability of county governments to say no to renewable energy installations such as solar, wind and battery storage.  Conveniently forgetting that the only reason such state laws were passed in the first place, is because of reactionary Republican county governments never approving any such facility.  Why would they do that?  "Because Emperor Don is in league with the oil companies and will do anything to kill renewable energy."

The Heretic, Rebel a Thing to Flout Illinois General Election Endorsements--Part III County Wide and County Board

County Wide and McHenry County Board Races

Voting at the McHenry Township building open for early voting and on Election Day. 

County Wide Races

To save time and effort, we are adapting this from the Democratic Party of McHenry County web site with occasional personal observations.

McHenry County Clerk 

Bill McNeese is a father of three, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a small business owner, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on Economics and an MBA In small business. He brings a record of service, accountability, and hands-on leadership along with a commitment to running an efficient, transparent Clerk’s Office that makes county services more accessible to every resident.   In an important race for clean and legal elections he is running against a proven incompetent Republican incumbent Joe Tirio who refuses to commit to following Illinois state law over Donald Trump's U.S. Postal Service not to deliver mail-in ballots post marked after Election Day or use voter identification demanded by the Justice Department that would widely disenfranchise many voters including those with Latinx last names and people who have changed names since original registration including married women and others who have legally changed their names.  

County Regional Superintendent of Schools

For 32 years, Dr. Bridget Belcastro has dedicated her career to ensuring every student has access to quality education. As a 24-year McHenry County resident and the 2024 Illinois Elementary Principal of the Year, she has the experience, expertise, and commitment to lead the Regional Office of Education into the future and will support our schools, empower our educators, and advocate for the resources our children deserve.   She has already launched an effective campaign with social media posts and early signage and has strong support for legislators.  The office oversees credentials for educators, paraprofessionals, and substitutes, license renewal, and certifying life-safety of schools.  She would also be and important bulwark against Maga influenced curricula elimination or dumbing down scientific information, history, and diversity protections.  

McHenry County Treasurer

Amin Karim of Crystal Lake for the past 22 years, and a proud father of four and grandfather of three is is an engineer by profession with an MBA in Finance and a 30-year career in corporate management, including a proven track record of leading and executing Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Projects.  Few candidates for Treasurer have ever had his breadth of experience and ability to audit county finances.  He ran for Treasurer four years ago and made a strong showing, leading the ticket for McHenry County Dems.  He is a strong and dedicated campaigner who is a non-partisan technocrat running against long-time incumbent Donna Kurtz.  He is a personal friend of the proprietor of the Blog and although a devout Muslim is a regular attendee at Tree of Life UU Congregation Men's Group breakfasts and dinners.  The editor admires him for his open curiosity and his unshakable personal integrity.  Highly Recommended.

There is no Democratic candidate for Sheriff this time.

                                                        McHenry County Board Races

Deanna "Dee" Darling is currently serving as a Cary District 26 School Board Member. She is focused on advocating for social services, championing public education, affordable housing availability, protecting natural resources, and transparency and accessibility.  She has been active in the progressive community and is the Founder and driving force behind the annual Planet Palooza festivals that connect organization, services, and agencies to each other and the public.  The proprietor has worked with her on various projects, and he admires her boundless energy.

County Board District 2

 

Gloria Van Hof is an incumbent District 2 County Board Member and a 50-year resident of McHenry County. A mom, teacher, writer, previous business owner, licensed Nursing Home Administrator, an Underground Railroad researcher and lecturer, and a volunteer and board member of numerous groups. Dedicated to improving communication, transparency, economic vitality, community identity and effective management of our resources.  She is a human dynamo and has perhaps the widest circle of friends and contacts in the county.  After her first election when she led all Democrats for Conty Board, she not only balanced a heavy board load and continuing commitments, Van Hof started and completed her PhD on line.  She often worked into the small hours of the mornings. Gloria and your humble scribe have cooperated and worked together on social justice issue and at public events for well over 30 years from co-hosting the Diversity Day Festival on Woodstock Square to founding the McHenry County Juneteenth Celebration.  Proud to endorse her continued service on the Board.

County Board District 3 

Carolyn "Lyn" Campbell is current County Board Member for District 3 and long-time advocate for the protection of our natural and agricultural resources, Carolyn has proven her support for our mental health community, for common sense transportation solutions, public safety, and effective senior services. A former local government finance and administration professional, she is an advocate for a strong local economy as a means of reducing the overall tax burden on property owners.  Campbell enjoys close connections with local officials in Crystal Lake and Lakewood help make her an effective voice on the Board.  She is on the Senior Services Grant Commission and as a member of the McHenry County Mental Health Board she is engaged in the McHenry County Sheriff's Office Police Social Worker Program (PSW) which helps law officers integrate social worker in response to calls involving a possible mental health crisis.  A vital, hands-on leader. 

County Board District 4 

Edward "Bud" Bowie is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and former sanitation industry CEO. "Bud will use the analytical and planning skills honed by a long career in both government and private industry to ensure transparent fiscal responsibility, protect our Conservation Districts, preserve agriculture, promote responsible economic growth, and support fair-minded, unbiased County leadership that represents the interests of all residents." No photo was found easily accessible was available--a possible signal of a weak or symbolic candidacy.  Or he might we just lurking in the weeds to make a last minute splash.     

 County Board District 5 

Austin May was born and raised in McHenry County and is a dedicated public servant, his background includes service in AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and currently as a US Army Reserve officer.  He  is focused on lowering property taxes through improving infrastructure, supporting community health, and fiscal responsibility. May is an attractive and charismatic candidate who jumped in early with extensive signage effective use of social media, and being present at events large and small in the district.  He was out front in calling for the rejection of a proposed McHenry County Home Rule referendum that would lead to higher taxes and a loss of local control to a powerful County Executive.

McHenry County Board District 6  

(no photo)

Sheryl Lindenbaum has worked in the health insurance industry for over 40 years. Her focus is on resources and affordability of elder-care, assistance for family caregivers, women’s health, support for local farmers, sustainable growth, and creating an environment where all individuals, regardless of background, can participate fully and equitably in McHenry County. 

County Board District 7

Patrick J. Shea brings a wealth of management experience from a career in the construction industry, including project managing and acting as crew foreman. His vision is to build McHenry County’s future with that practical experience, advocating for responsible growth, and respect for our land and water.  "My career in the construction industry includes plan reviewing, estimating construction costs, project scheduling, project managing and acting as crew foreman.  This experience will be valuable to keep the County fiscally sound. McHenry County has a complex system of highways, rural roads and commuter rail. Transportation maintenance and construction costs have been rising faster than inflation. Population growth is expected and expansion of transportation systems is anticipated." A focused vision for the future.

County Board District 8

Christy "Chris" Stevens is a resident of McHenry County since 1981, and has had a prior career in Information Technology, implementing e-Commerce websites for top 1000 retailers. Her experience also includes a home-building business, giving her insight into the lack of workforce housing in our county, water quality, open land and conservation, maintaining agriculture, property taxes, economic opportunity/development, global warming impacts, and sustainable growth. 

County Board District 9

Christine B. Hamm is a nonprofit executive, community organizer, and advocate for inclusion and community empowerment who has called Huntley and McHenry County home for much of the past seventeen years.  "I believe representation begins with listening....Connection before persuasion. Curiosity before assumption. Relationship before outcome.  I want to listen first and let what I learned shape how I lead."  Hamm has relied heavily on endorsement from heavy weights like Julia Straton and Bill Foster dozens of associates, friends, and neighbors.  And she's out in the communities of her very large district that includes much of the west of the county.

The Heretic, Rebel a Thing to Flout Illinois General Election Endorsements--Part II McHenry Co. Congressional Races

McHenry County Congressional Races 

McHenry County was carved up into four Congressional Districts in the last reapportionment.  Back then Democrats thought dividing the county would weaken traditional the Republican stranglehold.  Since then, due in no small measure to the Trumpist infused party repeatedly shooting itself in the foot on issue important to residents, McHenry County has gone from bright Red to Purple.  This might be the election that finally turns it Blue, like all the other Colar Counties have.

These Districts, including two with veteran Democratic incumbents, between progressive to Democratic Socialist (DSA) and "regular" or "establishment" Dems--the same split that is now being hyped by both right-wing pundits and hand-wringing self-proclaimed moderates and centrists,  There were an array of issues but the flashpoint was over unconditional support for the State of Isreal, the genocide in Gaza, and particularly fealty to AIPAC, the powerful Zionist lobbying and PAC operation that sells itself as the united voice of American Jewery.    But AIPAC was never that broad or representative.   It was the creature of conservative Congregation, especial Ashkenazi ones scarred by the Holocaust, and largely bankrolled and controlled by extremely wealthy individuals and families. They told generations of Democrats that need Jewish votes to win elections that they could not win with APAC support and donations.

Although support of Isreal was broad in America through the late 20th Century, it did not include a blank check for genocidal conduct on its own.  Israeli state violence against the civilian areas it accused of harboring terrorists from refugee camp massacres, through war in Lebanon, to the oppressions justified by Intifadas including bulldozing communities, sweeps by trigger happy IDF forces, rigid apartheid, and state approved settler attack to Gaza steadily eroded blind loyalty.  Many had never accepted if from Ultra Othodox Jew on the right to members of liberal to progressive congregations, Humanists and Free Thinkers, secularists, cultural Jewish non-Theists, and those drawing from the deep well of radicalism from the days of labor and class wars.  Generation after generation they were a major force and votes for the Left.

These days most Jews believe that opposition to state policy is not Anti-Semitic as usually charged, but an expression of Jewish values and making sure that the lessons of the Holocaust apply to all peoples and all oppressors and not just the exclusive right of Jews.  

Those shift of attitude and allegiance affected all our regional Congressional elections to one degree or another.  Of course there were other issues--Women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ status and safety, gun regulation, immigrant rights and protection, defending democracy--but the differences between the progressives and regulars was more nuanced than apparent.  There was broad agreement on a liberal Democratic agenda.

9th Congressional District

Evanston Mayor Daniel Bliss was a long-time favorite of what might be called a Bernie Sanders progressive.  The mathematician and academic served the Illinois House and Senate before being tapped as the counter to J.B. Pritzker's billionaire steamroller in 2018 and finished a strong second.  Pritzker surprised many by aggressively pursuing the progressive program in his first term.  The next spring Bliss landed on his feet as Mayor of Evanston, did his job diligently and enjoyed broad support, and bided his time for a new opportunity.  The path opened up when long-time Congresswoman Jan Schakowski announced her retirement and endorsed him as her successor. He faced Primary from Laura Fine, who took over his old State Senate who ran as bold Feminist and Kat Abughazaleh, a journalist, media gadfly, and DSA favorite, and a raft of other wannabes.  She accused both Bliss and Fine with being beholden to AIPAC for support in earlier campaigns and of failing to loudly express opposition to the blood bath in Gaza.  Bliss severed any remaining ties and returned some previous donations.  Fine was more reluctant.  Bliss denounced Netanyahu aggression but did not support charges of genocide.  Abughasaleh also renounced all corporate and PAC and relied solely on individual donations.  With the eager support of Sanders and DSA activists around the country she quickly out fund razed her opponents.  ICE Project Mid-Way Blitz enforcement became another issue.  Both Bliss and Abughasaleh showed up at confrontations and protests outside the Broadview Detention facility.  Both were gassed but Kat was thrown to the ground by an ICE agent during the protest and was charged with banging against an official ICE vehicle, breaking one of its mirrors, and scratching the word "PIG" into it.  Video of the incident went viral and made her an internet heroine.  In the interest of full disclosure, Heretic, Rebel a Thing to Flout endorsed Abughasaleh in the Primary.  Biss won with 29.5% of the vote to Abughazaleh's 26% but she placed first in City of Chicago wards and in supposedly deep Red McHenry County including Cary, Algonquin, and part of Crystal Lake.  Some of her supporters are calling for skipping Bliss on the ballot.  Bliss faces Evangelical pastor and MAGA loyalist John Ellson.  Bliss deserves election.

10th Congressional District

Brad Schnider served as Representative for 10th Congressional District since 2017 and previously from 2013 to 2015. The district is dominated by the wealthy North Lakeshore suburbs of Chicago.  The District is heavily Jewish.  Schnider has described himself as both broadly progressive and staunchly centrist.  He supported Joe Biden's program in the House 100%.  He has been the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, the largest House Democratic ideological caucus, since 2025.  He has also been not only an AIPAC supporter but an active and vocal member.  He has accused critics of Isreal with being Anti-Semitic.   He is opposed by obscure Republican Carl Lambrecht.  This is a tough race for supporters of Palestinian justice and safety.  But in a possibly narrowly divided House his vote could be critical to securing a Democratic take-over.  This is a sort of realist hold-your-nose endorsement.

11th Congressional District

Bill Foster advertises himself as an independent scientist and businessman.     He was first elected to Congress in 2008 replacing sex scandal disgraced, Dennis Hassert in the 14th District.  A Republican sponsored re-map Gerrymandered him out of that seat.  Foster moved to Naperville to run in the 11th District in 2012 and has been re-elected and has been re-elected every two years since then.  He enjoyed strong support of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats.  He provided leadership on many scientific and technical issues while providing strong back-bench support for most progressive causes but was sometimes viewed as insufficiently activist by some progressives, especially for withholding support for Medicare for All in favor of tinkering with Obama Care.  Like his colleague Lauren Underwood, who was re-districted out of her chunk of McHenry Count, Foster has a peerless constituent service and spends a good deal of time in the district, including hours at NO Kings and similar events where he thoughtfully engaged in deep conversations with many participants.  I found him open and curious even when we did not agree.  Israeli policy has been less critical in his races.  Foster voted to provide Israel with support following October 7 attacks but also cosponsored the West Bank Violence Prevention Act of 2025, which opposed Israeli violence in the West Bank and has spoken out about Gaza but has not signed off on a total suspension of arms aid and sales.  The 11th District covers the largest swath of McHenry County. This Blog has endorsed him in all of his races and continues to do so.

16th Congressional District

Youthful Paul Nolley is a long-shot challenger for veteran Republican Ray LaHood in the largely rural 16th Congressional District which includes Harvard and other small communities in the northwest corner of McHenry County.  The son of working class parents he has been deeply involved in community service, working with organizations such as the YMCA, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and is Executive Director of Project First Rate, advocating for union contractors, apprenticeship programs, and responsible construction policies.  He has the strong support of the Illinois AFL-CIO and other labor leaders.  Donald Trump's sagging popularity with farmers and small business people battered by his tariffs and trade wars, soaring fuel and fertilizer costs due to the War on Iran, and labor shortages due to ICE raids and enforcement have put the district somewhat in play.  It remains a long shot, but in a total MAGA collapse Nolley stands a change.  Well worth a vote.