CONTACT:
Allison Janowski
[email protected]
Chicago, IL – Tonight, the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) hosted its inaugural gala at the Chicago Field Museum, welcoming over 1,000 Democrats from across the state. Guests enjoyed music, mingled, and heard from an impressive array of Democratic speakers.
Chair Lisa Hernandez, Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Senator Dick Durbin, and Governor JB Pritzker took to the podium, and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon addressed the crowd via video. The main speaking program concluded with the evening’s keynote speaker, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock of Georgia.
The Democratic Party of Illinois is projected to raise over $1 million from the gala to continue its party building efforts and to elect Democrats up and down the ballot in the state of Illinois.
“Democrats are unified at every level in Illinois, evident by the turnout at tonight’s gala. From our local elected officials to General Assembly members and our Democratic State Central Committee to the Senators representing Illinois in Washington, Illinois Democrats came together tonight to reaffirm their commitment to a common goal: electing as many Democrats as possible up and down the ticket who deliver for Illinoisans. Tonight’s gala was a strong display of Democratic pride and Democratic unity as we charge ahead to 2024,” said Chair Hernandez.
“Together, Illinois Democrats have worked to protect reproductive rights and gender affirming care, address gun violence, expand educational opportunities, and improve access to quality healthcare that people can afford. We’ve said ‘no’ to book bans and censorship and ‘yes’ to raising the minimum wage and creating good-paying, union jobs. Time and time again, Democrats deliver and I look forward to continuing to build on all of our progress,” said Governor Pritzker.
“Illinoisans are fortunate to have strong, Democratic leaders paving the way for progress across the nation alongside President Biden. His administration has successfully expanded access to health care, provided economic relief to working families, brought jobs home, and invested in American infrastructure nationwide. We feel those effects in my home state of Georgia, and I know you feel them here in Illinois, too,” said Sen. Rev. Warnock.
DPI hopes to see this gala become an annual, unifying event for Illinois Democrats. To further its mission to mobilize voters and unify Democrats, DPI is investing in its people and its infrastructure to provide year-round support to Democrats through grassroots organizing and continuous voter engagement. Chair Hernandez and the Democratic State Central Committee are committed to realizing their vision of an inclusive, fully-operational state party that remains active year round and leads to the election of more Democrats across the state for years to come.
A video feed of the event can be viewed at this link.
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