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State Week: McCann Makes Three; Blagojevich Makes Appeal; Preckwinkle Makes History

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Brian Mackey
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NPR Illinois

State Sen. Sam McCann has left the Republican Party, and will be trying to run for governor on the Conservative Party ticket. Does that complicate the chances for Gov. Bruce Rauner, who narrowly won renomination against a more conservative Republican primary challenger?

Meanwhile, former governor Rod Blagojevich loses another appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, prompting his wife Patti to appeal to President Trump via Fox News. Back in Illinois, Aaron Schock is trying to keep from going on trial for what prosecutors allege are fraudulent mileage reimbursements.

Finally, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle made history as the first woman and first African American elected as head of the Cook County Democratic Party. Mayor Richard J. Daley once ruled a city and helped elect presidents from the position — what can it do today?

Sean Crawford hosts with regular panelists Charlie Wheeler, Brian Mackey, and Daisy Contreras, and guest Monique Garcia of the Chicago Tribune.

Brian Mackey formerly reported on state government and politics for NPR Illinois and a dozen other public radio stations across the state. Before that, he was A&E editor at The State Journal-Register and Statehouse bureau chief for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
The former director of the Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) graduate program is Professor Charles N. Wheeler III, a veteran newsman who came to the University of Illinois at Springfield following a 24-year career at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Daisy reported on statehouse issues for our Illinois Issues project. She's a Public Affairs Reporting program graduate from the University of Illinois Springfield. She also graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has an associates degrees from Truman College. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.