If any state could speak to the insanity of 2025, Illinois would be a top contender. From an invasion of National Guard, ICE, & Border Patrol agents, to a governor stepping into the national spotlight, and a surprise election withdrawal, the prairie state kept busy. Spoiler alert: 2026 will be no different.
In this year’s last edition of Looped In With Lynn Sweet, Sweet offers a year end roundup of all things Illinois. Moreover, Sweet and Jen discuss what’s on the horizon as Illinois gears up for its midterm elections. An influencer transforms into a formidable Democratic star, a governor weighs his 2028 options, and a controversial open House seat draws ire from voters…and that’s not all.
Lynn Sweet is the Chicago Sun-Times’ special correspondent for Chicago Public Media, and was previously their Washington Bureau Chief. She appears frequently on CNN & other outlets as an analyst and previously worked at the late PoliticsDaily.
