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State Week: The unofficial kickoff to campaign season

State Week 23 logo (capitol dome)
Brian Mackey
/
NPR Illinois

The Illinois State Fair in Springfield has long been an event where both Republicans and Democratic candidates gather to rally their troops and build support. We look back at this year's political days at the fair.

President Trump was a key subject for both parties. Democrats say Illinois voters don't support his policies while Republicans claim he gives them a chance to pull upsets in 2026.

Host Sean Crawford is joined by Professor Emeritus Charlie Wheeler and Patrick Pfingsten, author of The Illinoize newsletter and on-air host at WMAY radio in Springfield. We discuss some of the races to watch next year.

The former director of the Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) graduate program is Professor Charles N. Wheeler III, a veteran newsman who came to the University of Illinois at Springfield following a 24-year career at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Patrick Pfingsten authors The Illinoize political newsletter. He's also an on-air host at WMAY Radio in Springfield.
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