Republican National committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel will be the keynote speaker for its 55th anniversary Spring Gala. Federation President Larry Falbe says this will be McDaniel’s first engagement in Illinois since her election in January.

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All the data. All the models. All wrong

It was almost 3 a.m. when the President-elect finally took the stage, his blue suit, white shirt and red tie perfectly matched to the phalanx of flags arranged behind him. The polls and the experts and the data modelers predicted it would be a woman for the first time in the nation’s history — but no, it was another man, another blue suit, another red tie.

And yet, if it had been the woman, everyone would have known what to expect.

Donald John Trump, political novice, self-promoter and gleeful provocateur, was elected the 45th President of the United States on Nov. 8 in one of the most extraordinary and unforeseen developments in American history. more

The Democrats’ supermajority in the state House is on its way out.

That means Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner doesn’t have to worry about the Democrats overriding his vetoes by themselves, at least for the next two years.more

With nearly all precincts counted late Tuesday night, state Sen. Dan McConchie held a 20-point lead over his Democratic challenger as he sought election to the Barrington-area legislative seat he was appointed to earlier this year, according to unofficial results.

McConchie, a Hawthorn Woods Republican, had 61,074 votes, 60 percent of the total, with 164 of 167 precincts reporting. Kelly Mazeski, a Barrington Hills Democrat and political newcomer, was behind with 41,467 votes.more