Laura Ricketts—a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, along with her family, and a leader in the LGBTQ+ community—is co-chairing the finance committee of Illinois secretary of state candidate Anna Valencia, according to the Politico Illinois Playbook.
“There is far too much at stake this year for the Democratic Party that we must ensure we have the right candidate on the ballot in the general election,” Ricketts told Playbook. She said Valencia has “a proven record and history of showing up for Democrats when it has mattered most.”
The endorsement comes after two setbacks to Valencia’s statewide effort: former rival Pat Dowell and the Cook County Democratic Party both backed former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, who some view as a frontrunner—in part, because he’s banked $4 million.
Valencia has her own list of endorsers, including U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth; Congresswoman Lauren Underwood; several labor organizations, including the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois; and several Cook County commissioners and Chicago alderpersons.