senate

John Gregory -- Illinois Radio Network A potential Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race isn't shy about criticizing members of his own party, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin is exploring the possibility of entering the race, saying he can offer more to voters than the two declared Democratic candidates, U...

JONESBORO, Ill. (AP) €” A civil lawsuit alleging ethics violations has become an issue in a Democratic congresswoman's bid to unseat first-term Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk in what is expected to be one of the country's most competitive 2016 Senate races...

John Gregory -- Illinois Radio Network U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk has two words of advice for Donald Trump, and only one if he’s speaking Spanish. “There’s a good Spanish word…callate, to Trump, which is ‘shut up,'” Kirk said...

Dave Dahl -- Illinois Radio Network A day of learning about property taxes – for spectators looking for entertainment, perhaps the equivalent of spinach? – featured some side dishes from the governor and the speaker of the House. The Illinois Senate convened a “committee of the whole” to air out the problems of high property taxes and inequitable school funding...

CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is endorsing Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth for the party's nomination to oppose incumbent Republican Sen. Mark Kirk next year. In a fundraising letter to supporters, Durbin called Duckworth a friend who has made "an amazing journey from the battlefields of Iraq to the campaign battleground in Illinois...

Jim Anderson -- Illinois Radio Network Some state lawmakers who are new to Springfield say there ought to be term limits. First-term Republicans don't like the fact that those who've been there longer, and who are in the majority party, get to call the shots...

CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois says she'll run for U.S. Senate in 2016, setting up a high-profile challenge to Republican Sen. Mark Kirk's re-election bid. In a video posted Monday on her campaign website, Duckworth says it's time for "Washington to be held accountable...

Former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh will be in Rockford this weekend, appearing as the special MC for this year's Winnebago County Lincoln Day Dinner. You can find out more about Saturday's event here. Walsh joined us on the show to talk about Governor Bruce Rauner's first two months in office and today's announcement that Sen...

CHICAGO (AP) — U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois has honored a baseball Hall of Famer who recently passed away with a speech on the Senate Floor. The Democratic lawmaker delivered remarks Monday following the death of former Chicago Cubs player Ernie Banks, known as "Mr...

In the campaign for U.S. Senate last year, both Riley & I came away very impressed with the losing candidate in the Republican primary. Doug Truax was the first person to announce he would challenge U.S. Senator Dick Durbin for his seat. Th...