South Cook News

Republican Jeff Coleman is looking to unseat Democratic Rep. Thaddeus Jones in the 29th House District by reaching out to Black voters in the 29th District. 

“Republicans always dismiss my community because of its past voting performance, but this is a step forward in trying to bridge the communication gap between the Republican Party and Black people," Coleman said.

Coleman wants voters in the 29th District to consider voting for Republicans in light of the state's tax rates. He wants voters to vote on issues, such as property taxes and infrastructure, and not for a party. He says he is running for the district, not a party, and wants to give voters a choice. 

Jones, Coleman's opponent, also serves as the mayor of Calumet City. Jones won his primary handily, despite accusations from his opponent, Moment Wilson, that Jones had done nothing to improve the lives of his constituents. 

Coleman is also skeptical of the Naperville City Council’s examination of local gun ownership regulations. He said that the Highland Park shooting was a “travesty” but he also said that the numerous shootings across Chicago every day are also travesties. Coleman noted that most gun owners use them legally. He further said that there's a need to find “grassroots solutions and hold parents and the actual people who perpetrate these things accountable.” 

He says we need to find ground between upholding the Second Amendment and implementing background checks and other regulations. According to NCTV17, the proposed Naperville ordinance bans “semi-automatic rifles, pistols, shotguns, and large capacity magazines that hold 10 rounds of ammunition by any licensed dealer.” This comes as gun violence has spiked in the Chicago area over the last several months, Dupage Policy Journal reported.

Three dozen GOP candidates are running in Cook County this year, the highest number “in more than a generation,” Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison said in a news release.

Sean Morrison, the County GOP Chairman, will face Democrat Daniel Calandriello for a seat at the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Morrison is one of two Republicans on the County Board, the other Republican, Pete Silvestri is retiring. Republican Matt Podgorski and Democrat Maggie Trevor are vying to succeed him. 

This election will see many former Democrats running as Republicans, including  Alderman Bob Fioretti who is running against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Fioretti left office in 2015 and has since run for mayor twice and state’s attorney once, both as a Democrat, to no avail. Many Republicans are skeptical of him because he was a progressive on the City Council and because of legal issues about compensation from his employees, both on his campaign and at his law office. 

Attorney Tony Peraica is running against Karen Yarbrough for County Clerk. He previously served on the Cook County Board as a Democrat. More recently, he has represented former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Todd Thielman, who recently served as chief of staff to Democratic Board of Review Commissioner Tammy Wendt, is running against Democratic Assessor Fritz Kaegi as a Republican. Chicago Police Detective Lupe Aguirre is running against Democratic Sheriff Tom Dart as a Republican. He ran as a Democratic for 2nd Ward Alderman in 2018. Also, businessman Peter Kopsaftis is looking to unseat Democratic treasurer Maria Pappas.

Coleman is a businessman who started Barbershop News Network in 2003, which gives barbers and stylists access to more than 200,000 merchants through his network.