Good morning, Chicago. Today is judgment day. As the Tribune Editorial Board notes in its sole editorial, primary elections in Illinois often determine the winners of November’s races as well. “(The general election) might matter in the race for Illinois governor and in a select few statehouse contests. But in most of the races … the winner of the primary will be a shoo-in come the fall and there will be little a free-thinking voter can do,” the board writes. So showing up at your polling place today and casting a ballot really matters. (If you’re looking for a bedsheet ballot of the editorial board’s endorsements, go here.)

In commentary, we have an excellent op-ed from small business owner (and mayoral candidate) Liam Stanton, who tells the city’s decision-makers to stop obsessing over a return to business as usual in the Loop. A post-pandemic downtown requires fresh thinking, he says. Our foreign affairs columnist Daniel DePetris observes that the Iran war, which is not going according to the president’s plan, is starting to wear on Donald Trump. And Lyle Goldstein, another foreign affairs expert, argues how the war could actually play into China’s hands.

Also, don’t miss our letters to the editor. If you have any thoughts about our content, please consider submitting a letter to us. Just click on the link below.

Thank you as always for reading.

— Colleen Kujawa, opinion editor

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