Illinois roll call: Hillary pal Betsy Ebeling, Clem Balanoff

PHILADELPHIA — When Democratic delegates from the great state of Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, cast their votes at the convention roll call on Tuesday, the Illinois Hillary Clinton votes will be announced by her Park Ridge pal, Betsy Ebeling.

In a display of unity, the microphone will be shared with Sanders Illinois chair Clem Balanoff, who will relay the Sanders vote.

“We need unity at this point in time,” said Balanoff. “You have to beat Donald Trump. It’s very simple.”

The shared roll call was brokered Balanoff said, by another Clinton friend, Kevin O’Keefe, who has known Clinton for decades and was part of her Illinois leadership team.

O’Keefe, raised in Bensenville, met Clinton while he was a college student and they were on a double date. Since then, O’Keefe — as has Ebeling — and Clinton have all been a part of each others lives.