Could Illinois elect a 4th U-S Senator? Urbana's newest city council member has a long legacy in Champaign. And meet an early education and civil rights pioneer in Central Illinois.
 

Darren Bailey has announced another run for governor of Illinois. The downstate farmer easily won the Republican primary in 2022, but went on to lose to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker by 13 points.

Bailey’s quick rise raises a question: How did a relatively obscure state lawmaker from rural Illinois end up with his party’s nomination? A new book argues the mainstream media bears much of the responsibility for giving Bailey the platform from which to launch his campaign. It’s called, “Amplifying Extremism: Small Town Politicians, Media Storms, and American Journalism.” We’ll talk about it with co-author and communications professor Nik Usher.

A pair of Illinois Republicans visited the US-Mexican border. They called for changes to the immigration policy, and Illinois' status as a sanctuary state.

"Illinois voters rejected us," House Republican Leader Jim Durkin says. After his party's dismal showing in this year's election, he announced he would step down. And in a conversation taped Thursday afternoon, he came across as a man unburdened: "Donald Trump, I believe, is greatly responsible for the shrinking of the party."

During the Illinois State Fair, the state's top Democratic and Republican candidates campaigned for votes.