Biden exits, Harris rallies, and Pritzker…waits
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced in a letter addressing Americans that he would step down from seeking a second term. The move makes Biden the first candidate who secured enough delegates for the Democratic presidential nomination to decline to be nominated. He soon endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
There was a swift outpouring of support for Harris. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton endorsed her, followed by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama later in the week. Locally, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Gov. J. B. Pritzker also threw their support behind Harris. A day after announcing her candidacy, Harris raised over $81 million, a single-day record for this election cycle. She quickly secured enough delegates to be the presumptive nominee, awaiting confirmation.
As the Harris campaign looks to name a running mate, Pritzker’s name has been floated, along with Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Politico initially described Pritzker as a “long shot” when reporting his consideration. However, most recently the Sun-Times reported Tuesday that the Harris campaign is actively vetting Pritzker’s financial portfolio, as his wealth is central to his VP potential.
Sonya Massey’s family rallies in East Garfield Park
On Tuesday, the family of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot on July 6 by a white sheriff’s deputy in her Springfield home, held a rally at the New Mount Pilgrim Church in East Garfield Park.
Last week, Illinois State Police released bodycam footage showing Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shooting the thirty-six-year-old mother of two in her own kitchen. Outrage at the killing spread across the country, leading to protests and vigils in remembrance of Massey that lasted through the weekend.
The Massey family, along with activists such as Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, organized a press conference on Tuesday to address a grievance filed by the union representing Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies. The grievance requested Grayson be reinstated and reimbursed for lost wages. Hours before the rally, the union announced that it will not continue pursuing the grievance. Grayson was arrested and has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty.
“Why would they even let him out to the public with a badge and a gun, knowing that—all the stuff he has going on? There’s no way. None of this should have happened, honestly,” said Malachi-Hill Massey, Sonya’s son, at the rally. Crump told CBS the Massey family wants to ensure that Grayson faces stiff punishment. “If we’re not vigilant, then you’ll get the Laquan McDonald treatment, where they’ll give a slap on the wrist and give three years for an execution,” Crump said, referring to the 2014 murder of McDonald, a seventeen-year-old, by then-Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Van Dyke was convicted in 2018 of murder and sixteen counts of battery, and served thirty-nine months of a nearly seven-year sentence.