By Shia Kapos

Good Thursday morning, Illinois. It’s beginning to feel a lot like campaign season.

Gov. JB Pritzker, at the mic, is flanked by Democratic state leaders at the Illinois State Fair's Governor's Day festivities on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The state’s top Democrats gave a glimpse Wednesday of their political strategy for the 2024 campaign. The focus will be on abortion rights and Donald Trump — two things that distinguish Democrats from Republicans and also divide voters within the Illinois GOP.

Fiery speech: Gov. JB Pritzker praised Democrats for building “a blue wave that swept away the red wall of Uihleins, Griffins, Rauner and Trump,” a reference to GOP donors Dick and Elizabeth Uihlein of Illinois and Ken Griffin of Florida, and former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Eating it up: The 1,300 Illinois Democrats gathered at the Bank of Springfield Center for the annual Democratic County Chairs Association Brunch cheered throughout his speech.

Sen. Dick Durbin accused Trump of creating a “party of fear and hate” that’s “dividing” states, counties and school boards.

And Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton pointed to the divide that’s seen urban communities lean left while rural areas have shifted right.

“We know our fight is only getting harder,” Stratton said. “Blue Illinois might be getting bluer. But red Illinois is only getting redder.”

On abortion, Pritzker punched at efforts to block reproductive rights. “We can already see — you see this in Ohio, you saw it in Kansas — that one of the issues that’s animating Democrats is preserving reproductive rights for women. And women’s rights are under attack,” he told the crowd at the BOS Center.

Big line: “Republicans think that if they lie about something often enough, if they deny the truth long enough, maybe we will start to believe their lies,” Pritzker said. “The problem is that here in Illinois, we have a low tolerance for bullshit.”

Another big line: "There's a reason that we were chosen to host the Democratic National Convention next year and it's because we are a bright light of freedom in the center of the nation. We are a beacon lighting the path for national success. We are Barbie when everyone else is just Ken," Pritzker said to applause.

The pumped-up crowd then headed to the Director’s Lawn at the State Fair a few miles away for the annual Governor’s Day picnic, which included more partisan speeches. Get Ready. Republicans will do the same thing today.

Pritzker drew applause lines, but the headliner Wednesday was Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto, who narrowly defeated a Republican in 2022, allowing Democrats to keep control the Senate. Her simple message: don’t give up the fight.

It’s a small world: FYI, Cortez-Masto’s chief of staff is Scott Fairchild, who managed Rahm Emanuel’s first Chicago mayoral campaign.

The political days at the fair kick off the campaign season for 2024. “Most candidates will begin circulating nomination papers to appear in the March Primary on Sept. 5, while presidential candidates start the process in October,” notes State Journal-Register’s Patrick Keck.

— Tribune’s take: Pritzker and fellow Dems use their day at State Fair to blast Trump, GOP ‘conspiracy theories,’ by Rick Pearson and Jeremy Gorner

— Sun-Times’ take, by Tina Sfondeles with with photos by Mitchell Armentrout

Taste test: There’s a saturated-fat smorgasbord at the State Fair, by Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout

First Lady of Illinois MK Pritzker's booth at the Illinois State Fair is a nod to the the culture scene. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos

STATE FAIR TENT RATER! Your Playbook host stopped by all the tents sponsored by state elected officials and political parties. Here’s how we rate them based on information. engagement and appearance:

First Lady MK Pritzker’s tent is all about culture. Along with painting stations, guests can play a game in which they guess famous Gen X names. We liked the entryway featuring a bigger-than-life boombox, though the music playing in the tent was a little mellow for the Gen X scene. Rating: 8/10.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s tent offers good presentation of information from various agencies. We picked up a booklet of Illinois state symbols. Good engagement with a virtual pinball game and a photo booth. You can get your picture taken with Illinois scenery in the background. We ran into state Rep. Ann Williams after she emerged from the booth. Rating: 9/10.

State Rep. Ann Williams (11th) toured the governor's tent at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s tent features tables with information about labor, financial regulation and other agencies. The liquor commission has a table with toys and trinkets for the kids (don’t worry, there’s no booze) -- and information about brands that try to trick you into thinking they don’t have alcohol. Rating: 7/10.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ tent has basketball hoops for guests of all ages (Giannoulias played ball in Europe before he entered politics). The tent includes engaging activities from areas in his office: a mobile DMV desk to get your Real ID, an archivist who can search your genealogy and a mini-library with free coloring books. Guests also get free ice water bags (instead of bottles). Rating: 9/10.

Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ tent displays unclaimed property items that will be up for auction Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. Among the items: A signed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar card and Koby Bryant’s rookie card. Staffers are also on hand to search computers to see if you have unclaimed property. Rating: 8/10.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s tent explains how his office investigates cyber tips about online threats. The content is a little dry though the kids game about internet safety is cute. Rating: 7/10.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s tent includes tables of information and a chance to get a photo with Mendoza -- at least a cardboard cut-out of her. We spotted John Patterson, the media adviser to the Illinois Senate President's Office. Rating: 7/10. Pic!

Party games: The Democratic and Republican parties each have a tent. The Illinois Republicans’ features a foreboding poster comparing Democrats to a “crime ring.” And the Dems’ tent includes a game in which you put a corn kernel in a jar to show your favorite activity at the State Fair. Rating: We’re non-partisan on parties, so no rating. Pic!

Old Abe: The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area has a tent featuring its “Looking for Lincoln” game. Rating: 10/10. Pic!

If you are Scott Fairchild, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email [email protected].

No official public events.

At West Chicago Public Library at 3 p.m. along with federal, state and local leaders to announce FEMA's disaster declaration for the State of Illinois.

No official public events.

Don’t let fair food get in your way. Send me a line at [email protected]

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— Pritzker vetoes energy omnibus bill, makes recommendations for amendment: The governor said Wednesday “he is returning the bill because it would “raise costs for ratepayers by giving incumbent utility providers in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region a monopoly over new transmission lines,’” reports CIProud’s Kate Stevens.

— Pritzker vetoes bill requiring public facilities to serve Kosher, Halal meals, by The Algemeiner Journal’s Dion J. Pierre

— Illinois will provide burial for migrant 4-year-old who died on bus, by The Associated Press

— Lou Lang to testify in intrigue-filled perjury trial of Tim Mapes, longtime Madigan aide: Prosecutors are laying the groundwork to show “as clear as day” that Mapes knew Michael McClain communicated with former House Speaker Michael Madigan in 2018, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner and Ray Long.

— Listen to Tim Mapes’ grand jury testimony in Michael Madigan probe, by Tribune’s Megan Crepeau and Ray Long

— Lang took the witness stand five months ago in the bribery trial of Springfield insider Michael McClain, by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel

— Recommended changes to public transit, including fare hikes and a consolidation of agencies, could be on the table: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is preparing a report for lawmakers with recommended "changes to public transit service and funding,” by Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat.

— The ‘9 to 5’ commuter is going extinct. That spells change ahead for Metra: “The Chicago region’s commuter railway is taking a cold, hard look at a future with fewer office-goers,” by WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers.

— State Street revamp ideas aim to revitalize Downtown stretch: “Plan would divide corridor between Wacker and Wells drives into three distinct districts highlighting the arts, retail and education,” by Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn.

— Chicago is seeing an influx of migrant students. Are schools ready to serve them? Chalkbeat’s Max Lubbers and Kae Petrin report

— Why ‘The Fugitive’ is the best movie set in Chicago, by WBEZ’s Natalie Y. Moore

— Naked neighbor exposes cracks in indecency laws, by WGN 9’s Ben Bradley and Andrew Schroedter

— After South Side clerk admitted to cop he defrauded Link food-stamp program, he kept scamming for almost two years, feds say, by Sun-Times’ Frank Main

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We asked how you’d alter a historical event.

Brian Berg: “The walk through the kitchen on the night of 1968 California Dem primary.”

Daniel Goldwin: “Stop Scott Norwood from missing wide-right the game winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV. My Bills have never been the same.”

Kaye Grabbe: “Eve doesn’t bite/eat that apple.”

Mark Huddle, Jim Kirkland and Phil Zeni would have stopped John Wilkes Booth from assassinating Abraham Lincoln.

Ashvin Lad: “Not that he was at fault, but since his actions triggered a change in momentum, I would go back to October 2003 and hold Steve Bartman back.”

Ed Mazur: “I would have prevented the beginning of the swimming incident that led to the 1919 Race Riots.”

Marilynn Miller: “I would go to the Philippines in WWII and prevent the Bataan Death March, in which about 22-25,000 Americans died.”

Dennis Rendleman: “It's a toss-up between returning to 1526 to stop introduction of slavery in British Colonies or returning to 2016 to prevent T*** from being elected president.”

Steve Smith: “I would tried to persuade FDR's cabinet to go after Auschwitz when information became available about the Holocaust.”

Bryce Harris: “I would change the day that Mark Zuckerberg wrote the first line of code leading to the launch of Facebook.” 

What’s your weekend-before-school-starts tradition? Email [email protected]

— Pence spoiling for a debate showdown with Trump, by POLITICO’s Adam Wren

— Top New York Democrats clash over state’s migrant crisis, by POLITICO’s Emily Ngo, Nick Reisman and Janaki Chadha

— Georgia’s peculiar pardon system is bad news for Trump, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden and Kyle Cheney

— Andrea Rodgers starts next month as senior VP of guest experience and operations for the Chicago Zoological Society. She spent 12 years as senior VP of external affairs and marketing for the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Bob Remer for correctly answering that the Museum of Science and Industry has a coal mine exhibit because its founder, Julius Rosenwald, saw a similar exhibit at a museum in Munich, Germany, and liked it.

 TODAY’s QUESTION: What did the City of Chicago once propose for the area that’s now known as Northerly Island? Email [email protected]

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Pat Stanton, Chicago Board of Elections Public Information Director Max Bever, former state of Illinois spokesperson Mary Kendrigan, nonprofit consultant and former congressional aide Daniel Penchina, Chicago House nonprofit CEO Michael Herman, former United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek and former Paul Simon Policy Institute Director Mike Lawrence.

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