No ‘cool kids’ table at Illinois delegation’s opening breakfast

Democrats mingled at an Illinois delegation breakfast Monday, the first day of the party’s national convention in Chicago. From left are U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, delegate Beth Penesis, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Marni Pyke/mpyke@dailyherald.com

Posted August 19, 2024 5:35 pm

Marni Pyke

Instead of one table for congressional hotshots, one for state politicos and another for grass-roots volunteers, Democrats mixed it up over pancakes at the Illinois delegation’s first breakfast meeting.

Democratic National Convention delegates Mark Guethle and Beth Penesis of Kane County shared a table Monday with U.S. Reps. Sean Casten, Bill Foster and Lauren Underwood, state Sens. Laura Murphy and Laura Fine, DuPage County Chair Deb Conroy and others. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth also paused to chat, as did Sen. Dick Durbin.

“We've all been through a lot of wars together, and we've helped each other in so many different ways,” said Penesis, a South Elgin resident. “So to be able to come together at this, and the camaraderie is what I look forward to the most.”

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