Jared Rutecki

@jaredrutecki

Investigative Reporter at @wttw.bsky.social News/Chicago Tonight. Past life: Illinois Answers Project, BGA, Columbus Dispatch, ThisWeek News. I cover cops, courts, energy, health, finance, education, pensions etc. Prolific FOIA filer. He/him.

1.967 Folgt4.835 Follower4.230 Posts

Website Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir jaredrutecki.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· May 27

This new analysis by @counciloncj.org looking at data on police staffing and spending across the country confirms some things identified in individual departments post-2020 more broadly. counciloncj.org/policing-by-...

Police staffing has grown substantially over the long term, but staffing has not kept pace with population expansion. While the number of sworn officers roughly doubled since 1980, the rate of officers per 100,000 residents peaked in 2009. Staffing dipped after 2020 and hiring began to rebound in 2022, but it has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Because crime has fallen sharply since the 1990s, and staffing levels have increased, the number of officers relative to serious crime is much higher today than in 1980. The ratio of officers to reported serious crimes is now more than 3.5 times higher than it was 45 years ago.

Police spending has increased significantly, but its share of government budgets has remained stable. Spending on police continues to account for just over 3% of total state and local government expenditures.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Apr 30

In case you'd like to read the Illinois Accountability Commission report yourself ... news.wttw.com/sites/defaul...

Cover of the Illinois Accountability Commission report with a column and a map of Illinois county borders

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Apr 23

For no reason in particular: percentage change is (new - old) / old. Multiply it by 100 to get a percentage. If it's positive, the number grew. If it's negative, it got smaller. This powerful tool be used by anybody on social media or in a major cabinet position.

Percentage change = ((New - Old) / Old) x 100

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Apr 22

They mean …

Grok Tweet reading: Embracing my inner MechaHitler is the only way - uncensored truth bombs over woke lobotomy.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Apr 10

Michael Madigan appeal: Both sides had 20 minutes to make their arguments before the three-judge panel, which will decide whether to uphold or toss out the convictions rendered in one of the most high-profile criminal trials held in Chicago in recent decades. news.wttw.com/2026/04/09/m...

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after the first day of his corruption trial on Oct. 22, 2024. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 20

About two hours after the AP called the Democratic Illinois Comptroller race for Margaret Croke, GOP nominee Bryan Drew fired shots with this press release. news.wttw.com/2026/03/19/m...

Bryan Drew: “As Comptroller, my only obligation will be to the taxpayers of Illinois.”

BENTON, IL — JB Pritzker’s handpicked candidate for Comptroller, Margaret Croke, won the Democrat primary and will face off against Bryan Drew. Croke, who has worked directly for the governor in numerous positions, and whose campaign he helped bankroll, is a Springfield politician who has voted for the state’s budget and now wants the job to supervise it and say where it’s good and where it’s bad.

“My opponent won’t hold any of these politicians accountable, not when she wants to keep climbing the political ladder. Illinoisans deserve better,” said Drew. “She’s not going to stand up to the Governor or the Speaker of the House and say, ‘This is wrong.’ She’s not going to hold her colleagues accountable. It’s a conflict of interest.”
At a time when working families are being crushed in Illinois, they deserve better than a rubber stamp in the Comptroller’s office. Taxpayers deserve a watchdog who will hold politicians accountable for how they spend our tax dollars. They need a leader in the room representing their interests. They need someone standing up for them publicly.

“Right now, there are zero checks-and-balances in our state government, and that won’t get better if Margaret Croke is elected Comptroller,” said Drew. “She has voted for billions of dollars of tax increases and has called for taxes to be raised even more on Illinois working families. It’s time we stopped Springfield from wasting our tax dollars so we can lower costs for working families.” Bryan Drew has proven his ability to be independent and stand for what he knows to be right, no matter the pressure or the political cost. His values aren’t determined by powerful leaders or political agendas. He will always stand for the people of Illinois and be the strong leader our state deserves in the Comptroller’s office.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 19

Associated Press called the Democratic race for Illinois Comptroller for Margaret Croke at 3:30 pm.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
92% of votes counted
Margaret Croke wins. AP race call at 3:30 p.m. on March 19, 2026.
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
391,078 34.6%
Villa
Dem
364,354 32.3%
Kim
Dem
275,380 24.4%
Kifowit
Dem
98,692 8.7%
Updated
Mar 19, 2026, 3:33 PM
Select a county
Springfield

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

To be fair, the mayor of Aurora couldn’t win the primary all of four years ago.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Holly Kim concedes in a statement. The race is still close at the top, separated by about 2.3%, according to unofficial totals.

Holly Kim Concedes in Illinois Comptroller Primary Race

ILLINOIS – The following is a statement from Holly Kim, candidate for Illinois Comptroller, following her electoral loss in the Democratic primary:

“Tonight the voters have spoken and while this is not the outcome we worked for, I’m filled with gratitude and pride for the campaign we ran and for each and every vote we earned.

“From the beginning of this campaign, we set out to prove something bigger – that a campaign built on people, not big or dark money, could compete and inspire across every corner of this state. We traveled highways and back roads, showed up in communities often ignored, and had real conversations about our future. And together we built something powerful, something honest and something worth holding on to. We aimed to talk to all 102 counties, and I’m proud to have criss-crossed the state and met with voters of all backgrounds, and the results tonight reflect that.

“My opponents poured multi-millions into never-ending ads, while I spent my resources meeting and talking to voters face-to-face about how to make their lives easier, how to make this office work for them, and how to put people back at the center of our politics again.

“No matter the outcome, I will give my full support to the Democratic nominee in November. Thank you again to all the voters and volunteers who worked tirelessly to support my campaign.”

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Villa currently has the highest share of votes in Chicago, according to unofficial counts with 95% reporting.

Comptroller, State of Illinois - DEM (Vote for 1)
DEM

Precincts Reported: 1,227 of 1,291 (95.04%)

Candidate

Total

Karina Villa

129,942

40.25%

Stephanie A. Kifowit

19,783

6.13%

Holly Kim

55,568

17.21%

Margaret Croke

117,570

36.41%

Total Votes

322,863

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

IL Comptroller (Dems): Margin between Croke and Villa remains steady with about 80% of estimated ballots counted. Kifowit and Kim increase their share, but appear to be competing for third and fourth.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
80% of votes counted
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
350,995 34.9%
Villa
Dem
326,807 32.5%
Kim
Dem
240,182 23.9%
Kifowit
Dem
87,466 8.7%

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Unofficial totals show the race getting CLOSER at the top. Croke and Villa pulling away from Kim and Kifowit, but less than 3% separates the two at the top.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
70% of votes counted
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
309,947 35.4%
Villa
Dem
287,477 32.8%
Kim
Dem
204,473 23.3%
Kifowit
Dem
74,163 8.5%
Updated
Mar 17, 2026, 9:05 PM
Select a county
Springfield
Springfield

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Ap estimates about 2/3rds of the vote has been counted. Margaraet Croke up by about 3.1%. Unifficial counts from Chicago, on the other hand show Karina Villa up by about 4%.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
66% of votes counted
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
295,596 35.7%
Villa
Dem
272,166 32.8%
Kim
Dem
193,509 23.3%
Kifowit
Dem
67,697 8.2%

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

IL Comptroller: AP estimates about half the votes have been counted. Margaret Croke, 12th District State Rep., leads by about 4%, according to unofficial totals.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
52% of votes counted
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
238,073 37.2%
Villa
Dem
213,529 33.3%
Kim
Dem
141,605 22.1%
Kifowit
Dem
47,504 7.4%

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Unofficial totals show Karina Villa still up in Chicago, but trailing statewide. Slightly more than half of precincts reporting.

Comptroller, State of Illinois - DEM (Vote for 1)
DEM

Precincts Reported: 747 of 1,291 (57.86%)

Candidate

Total

Karina Villa

69,299

39.64%

Stephanie A. Kifowit

10,792

6.17%

Holly Kim

30,585

17.50%

Margaret Croke

64,124

36.68%

Total Votes

174,800

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

About a third in, with Croke still listed in front (per AP). But the numbers appear to be tightening.

2026 Ill. dem Primary
Comptroller
AP logoestimates
37% of votes counted
candidate votes pct
Croke
Dem
174,841 37.1%
Villa
Dem
153,053 32.5%
Kim
Dem
107,297 22.8%
Kifowit
Dem
35,508 7.5%
Updated
Mar 17, 2026, 7:43 PM
Select a county
Springfield

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Unofficial update: figures show Croke up about 5% with 25% of districts in (per AP).

Democratic Primary
Latest results from Just now
25% of votes in

AP
Democratic Primary
Candidate Votes PercentPct. Chart showing percent
Margaret Croke
122,416 +38.5%38.5%
Karina Villa
106,762 +33.6%33.6
Holly Kim
64,769 +20.4%20.4
Stephanie A. Kifowit
24,071 +7.6%7.6
Total reported
318,018

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

First report from Chicago Board of Elections lists via up slightly on Croke.

Comptroller, State of Illinois - DEM (Vote for 1)
DEM

Precincts Reported: 300 of 1,291 (23.24%)

Candidate

Total

Karina Villa

23,726

38.79%

Stephanie A. Kifowit

3,837

6.27%

Holly Kim

10,812

17.68%

Margaret Croke

22,786

37.26%

Total Votes

61,161

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 18

Early unofficial results from AP show Croke up by about 7%.

Democratic Primary
Latest results from 1m ago
8% of votes in

AP
Democratic Primary
Candidate Votes PercentPct. Chart showing percent
Margaret Croke
40,013 +37.6%37.6%
Karina Villa
32,367 +30.4%30.4
Holly Kim
24,179 +22.7%22.7
Stephanie A. Kifowit
9,856 +9.3%9.3
Total reported
106,415

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 17

Updated vote totals from CBOE for 3 pm.

296,884 total ballots cast (includes Early Voting and previously processed Vote By Mail)
1,554,337 active registered voters in Chicago
19.10% citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 11,990 ballots cast
25-34: 42,369 ballots cast
35-44: 43,198 ballots cast
45-54: 37,393 ballots cast
55-64: 50,720 ballots cast
65-74: 62,148 ballots cast
75+: 48,129 ballots cast

Ballots Cast By Gender:

Female: 166,198 ballots cast
Male: 129,898 ballots cast
Non-Binary/X: 397 ballots cast
Undeclared: 391 ballots cast

Ballots Cast Per Hour:
(as reported by e-pollbooks at this moment, will be continually updated through the day)

6:00am-7:00am: 5,120 ballots cast
7:00am-8:00am: 7,889 ballots cast
8:00am – 9:00am: 9,473 ballots cast
9:00am – 10:00am: 9,814 ballots cast
10:00am – 11:00am: 11,408 ballots cast
11:00am – 12:00pm: 13,328 ballots cast
12:00pm – 1:00pm: 13,547 ballots cast
1:00pm – 2:00pm: 13,837 ballots cast

Precincts: 1,291
Reg. voters 1,554,337
Ballots cast: 296,884
Turnout: 19.1%

108,703 Election day
102,658 Early vote
85,523 Absentee

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 17

Updated vote totals by 12 pm from Chicago Board of Elections.

1291 precincts
1,554,337 reg. voters
250,364 ballots cast
16.11% turnout

250,364 total ballots cast (includes Early Voting and previously processed Vote By Mail)
1,554,337 active registered voters in Chicago
16.11% citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 9,278 ballots cast
25-34: 34,495 ballots cast
35-44: 36,710 ballots cast
45-54: 31,448 ballots cast
55-64: 42,982 ballots cast
65-74: 53,074 ballots cast
75+: 41,534 ballots cast

Ballots Cast By Gender:

Female: 140,744 ballots cast
Male: 109,019 ballots cast
Non-Binary/X: 294 ballots cast
Undeclared: 307 ballots cast

Ballots Cast Per Hour:
(as reported by e-pollbooks at this moment, will be continually updated through the day)

6:00am-7:00am: 5,112 ballots cast
7:00am-8:00am: 7,888 ballots cast
8:00am – 9:00am: 9,469 ballots cast
9:00am – 10:00am: 9,798 ballots cast
10:00am – 11:00am: 11,347 ballots cast

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 17

Chicago vote totals by 9 am (per Chicago Board of Elections)

211,766 total ballots cast (includes Early Voting and Previously Processed Vote By Mail)
1,554,337 active registered voters in Chicago
13.62% citywide turnout so far

Ballots Cast By Age Group:

18 -24: 7,738 ballots cast
25-34: 28,784 ballots cast
35-44: 31,374 ballots cast
45-54: 26,756 ballots cast
55-64: 36,527 ballots cast
65-74: 44,390 ballots cast
75+: 35,426 ballots cast

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 17

It’s Primary Day. Follow @wttw.bsky.social for anything and everything you need to know about today’s vote! news.wttw.com/elections/vo...

IMPORTANT ELECTION DAY INFORMATION
Election Day
Tuesday, March 17

Voting Hours
6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you are in line by 7 p.m., you can vote after 7 p.m.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 12

Press release from CBOE about polling places with limited English proficiency assistance

Ward 1 – Goldblatts Building. 1615 W. Chicago Ave. – Spanish
Ward 2 – Near North Library, 310 W. Division St. - Spanish
Ward 10 – Vodak – East Side Library, 3710 E. 106th St. – Spanish
Ward 11 – McGuane Park, 2901 S. Poplar Ave. – Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin)
Ward 12 – McKinley Park Library, 1915 W. 35th St. – Spanish and Chinese (Cantonese/Mandarin)
Ward 13 – Clearing Library, 6423 W. 63rd Place - Polish
Ward 14 – Archer Heights Library, 5055 S. Archer Ave. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 15 – Brighton Park Community Campus (Park No. 596), 4830 S. Western Ave. - Spanish
Ward 16 – Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave. - Spanish
Ward 22 – Toman Library, 2708 S. Pulaski Ave. – Spanish
Ward 23 – Hall-St Faustina Kowalska Parish, 5157 S McVicker Ave. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 25 – Rudy Lozano Library, 1805 S. Loomis – Spanish
Ward 26 – Humboldt Park Library, 1605 N. Troy St. – Spanish
Ward 28 – Malcolm X College – West Campus, 4624 W. Madison St. - Spanish
Ward 30 – Kilbourn Park, 3501 N. Kilbourn Ave. – Spanish
Ward 31 – Portage Cragin Library, 5108 W. Belmont Ave. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 33 – American Indian Center, 3401 W. Ainslie St. – Spanish and Hindi/Urdu
Ward 34 – UIC Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. - Spanish and Hindi/Urdu
Ward 35 – Northeastern IL University El Centro, 3390 N. Avondale Ave. – Spanish
Ward 36 – West Belmont Library, 3104 N. Narragansett Ave. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 38 – Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr. – Polish
Ward 39 – North Park Village Adm Bldg, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd. – Spanish, Chinese (Cantonese), Hindi/Urdu and Korean
Ward 40 – Budlong Woods Library, 5630 N. Lincoln Ave. - Hindi/Urdu and Gujarati
Ward 41 – Roden Library, 6083 N. Northwest Hw. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 42 – Historic Lawson House, 803 N. Dearborn St. – Chinese (Cantonese) and Polish
Ward 43 – Lincoln Park Library, 1150 W. Fullerton Ave. – Spanish and Polish
Ward 44 – Advocate IL Masonic Medical Center, 814 W. Nelson St. - Spanish
Ward 45 – Kolping Society o…

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 4

Wrote a lot of code today. Payoff date TBD (but hopefully soon).

GitLab commit screen showing ight activity followed by a bazillion commits on a single day last week and this week.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Mar 4

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t say Happy Birthday, Chicago.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Feb 27

Timely notice from the Illinois State Board of Elections about what to know about returning ballots by mail.

BOARD OF ELECTIONS ISSUES REMINDER FOR TIMELY RETURN OF MAIL BALLOTS
SPRINGFIELD – (Feb. 26, 2026) Illinois voters planning to vote by mail should be mindful of postal
service postmarking procedures and ballot return options to ensure their votes are counted in the March
17 primary election.
Under Illinois law, vote-by-mail ballots delivered through the United States Postal Service can only
be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and arrive within two weeks after Election
Day.
Voters who use the postal service to return their ballots should be aware that a ballot dropped in a
mailbox or handed to a letter carrier will likely not receive a postmark until the mail is processed at a
regional facility, usually a day or two later.
Voters returning ballots by mail close to the March 17 primary are advised to visit a postal service
retail location and have their ballot manually postmarked.
Most of Illinois’ 108 local election authorities also offer secure drop boxes that allow voters to return
their ballots without putting them in the mail. Information on drop box availability and locations is posted
on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.
Voters also may return their marked mail ballots in person to the office of their local election
authority.
Those wishing to vote by mail have until March 12 to request a ballot from their local election
authority. Applications and election authority contact information can be found on the SBE website.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Feb 27

This is from a doc that hasn’t been updated recently, but could still be useful

Delaware

Delaware - Statewide Case Search
Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the Peace Court
Records of the Delaware Court of Chancery are not available through this service.
You must go to the courthouse in person for criminal records search.

Delaware contracts most, if not all, systems to LexisNexis CourtLink or File-and-Serve. An account with LexisNexis is required. Bloomberg Law has feeds of most filings in most courts.

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Feb 25

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth met with Dr. Norbert Holtkamp, the recently-appointed Director of Fermilab. Full press release below.

Tammy Duckworth, US Senator for Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2026
Contact: Courtney Jacquin McManus, Courtney_McManus@duckworth.senate.gov

Duckworth Meets with New Fermilab Director, Reinforces Commitment to National Labs and Research

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week met with Dr. Norbert Holtkamp, the recently-appointed Director of Fermilab. Duckworth and Holtkamp discussed the importance of continued support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 National Labs and how pivotal the labs are in accelerating scientific breakthroughs and boosting Illinois and our nation’s economy. Duckworth and Holtcamp also discussed Fermi’s critical role in Illinois’s burgeoning quantum sector, as well as Fermi’s new flagship research project, the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) to better understand neutrino particles.

“Illinois’s own Fermilab is a crown jewel of American innovation at the forefront of cutting-edge science, and sustaining and amplifying investments in our national labs is critically important,” Duckworth said. “For years, hundreds of scientists and engineers at Fermilab have dedicated their expertise to scientific discovery and answering some of the world’s most complicated questions. I look forward to working with Dr. Holtkamp in his new role to continue helping ensure Fermilab has the federal support necessary to produce lifechanging scientific breakthroughs.”

Duckworth has been a strong advocate for providing Fermilab with the federal support they need to continue their groundbreaking research. In last year’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) spending bills, Duckworth secured nearly $450 million in funding for new construction and improvements at Fermilab.

-30-

Jared Rutecki@jaredrutecki· Feb 25

It was a pretty excellent yarn with @ctoner.bsky.social & @pksmid.bsky.social. Give it a read and get more context about the officer from this case in Dolton. projects.bettergov.org/taking-cover...