Illinois House Thread

[HardRCafé]

Didn't Vic Roberts run as a Democrat before?

[muon2]

Didn't Vic Roberts run as a Democrat before?

He did. He lost in the 2006 Democratic primary.

[muon2]

Filing for the primary in IL is now closed. The list above has been updated to show all the filers.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Wow, Republicans left five seats uncontested? That's pretty bad, considering they managed candidates for all but one district in 2006.

[ill ind]

  After the primary is complete, the parties can still slate candidates for unfilled positions on their ballot.  So, it is possible that the GOP will have candidates for some of the congressional seats that they do not have candidates in the primary for.  Given the amount of time between the primary (Feb 5) and the general in Illinois, there is lots of time to slate candidates in those unfilled slots.  Alot of the Chicago districts, the GOP may not put anyone in however.

ill ind

[muon2]

Real Clear Politics has a good summary of the races in IL:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[muon2]

Two more dates passed this week. Wednesday was the day to select ballot position for those candidates who filed on the first morning and were present by 8:00 am.

The other date that passed last week was the deadline to file objections to petitions. This is a time-honored tradition for many candidates who are looking to win before the election. There are many arcane rules about petition signatures and the form of the sheets. If enough signatures are disqualified, the candidate is off the ballot. So, campaigns will challenge opponents petitions if it looks like enough signatures can be bumped.

This year there are objections filed in IL-1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, and 19. The objections will be heard over the next few weeks. In addition one objection in IL-3 led to the withdrawl of Ray Wardingly. The master list on the previous page has been updated to show the objections as well as the official ballot order within each party.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) will step down from the House before the end of this year, according to CQ Politics. He'll make a speech this afternoon but will leave only "when I finish my work."

Hastert's early retirement would force a special election in IL-14. One reason he's not giving an exact date for his departure could be the Republican Party's hope that the special election will not be the same day as the presidential primary which could attract many Democrats to the polls since Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is on the ticket.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2007/11/15/hastert_will_resign_this_year.html

[Bacon King]

any chance of a house race in your future, muon?

[muon2]

any chance of a house race in your future, muon?

LOL, Have you got a couple hundred friends who can pop for $2300 each?

[Bacon King]

any chance of a house race in your future, muon?

LOL, Have you got a couple hundred friends who can pop for $2300 each?

I don't know about $2300, but I'd totally do some massive canvassing for donations in order to get an Atlasian in Congress

[Boris]

any chance of a house race in your future, muon?

LOL, Have you got a couple hundred friends who can pop for $2300 each?

You should challenge Roskam. I'd vote for you in both the primary and the general.

I think I live like (literally) five feet outside the 95th district, so I can't actually vote for you. But I've seen your signs around the Glen Ellyn area, I think.

[Adlai Stevenson]

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert's recently vacated seat "will be filled in a special election process that will begin with a primary election on Feb. 5 and conclude with a general election on March 8," CQ Politics reports.

The district "has a generic Republican lean; President Bush took 55 percent of the district vote in the 2004 election. But Illinois has been trending Democratic of late, and the district is the most politically competitive of the four congressional districts that are vacant — or soon will be. The Illinois 14 special election could attract national attention and bellwether status early in the 2008 election year."

CQ rates the district Leans Republican.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2007/12/03/special_election_set_in_il14.html

[Adlai Stevenson]

By Greg Giroux, CQ Staff

Illinois Democrat Dick Versace, the former basketball coach and executive, is withdrawing from the U.S. House race in the state’s open 18th District in and around Peoria.

Versace, who coached at the district’s Bradley University before moving on to the NBA, said in a statement that he would leave the race “due to unforeseen personal circumstances” that he did not specify.

“I thank everyone for their support and encouragement in this race, and I ask that you please respect my privacy and that of my family as we face this difficult personal issue,” Versace said.

Versace’s withdrawal leaves the Democratic Party without a candidate for the moment. Versace was the only Democrat who met a Nov. 5 filing deadline to qualify for the Feb. 5 primary election, in which three Republicans are vying to succeed retiring seven-term Republican Rep. Ray LaHood .

Illinois law allows for Democratic officials in the 18th District to fill the November 2008 ballot vacancy with a new candidate after the February 5 primary election, though national and state Democratic operatives will immediately begin candidate recruitment efforts. Illinois Democratic Reps. Phil Hare in 2006 and Dan Lipinski in 2004 were nominated by party officials after the incumbents announced their retirements after the primary election; both Hare and Lipinski were subsequently elected in the November general election.

“We wish Dick Versace well. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dick and his family at this difficult time,” Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen , the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

Even before Versace withdrew, the Republicans were favored to retain a district that backed President Bush with 58 percent of the vote in the 2004 election. The three Republican candidates are Jim McConoughey, a business federation president who is backed by Peoria mayor Jim Ardis; John Morris, a former Peoria councilman; and state Rep. Aaron Schock.

“With a solid Republican district and strong Republican candidates, it will be difficult for any Democrat to win while Rod Blagojevich and his pals in Springfield are failing the people of Illinois at every turn,” Illinois Republican Party chairman Andy McKenna said in a statement that referenced Illinois’ Democratic governor and its Democratic-run legislature.

Even with the Versace dropout, CQ Politics rates the Illinois 18 race as “Republican Favored.”

[muon2]

On Thursday, Hastert endorsed Oberweis to replace him in IL-14. It wasn't a big surprise, but it did prompt Burns to state he would drop out, though he has not formally withdrawn. The cipher on the R side is Dilger who was sustained to stay on the ballot but will not appear publicly or answer calls from the press.

In IL-18 today, LaHood announced that he would not endorse in the race to replace him. He did ask that anyone clear the use of his name in literature which raises the strange case of the use of a phrase like "... running to replace Ray LaHood."

[muon2]

The remaining objections to candidates were ruled on yesterday, and I've updated my list on the preceding page accordingly. It is anticipated that Burns will formally withdraw from IL-14 (R) as he has already announced as much.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

God, I hope Chris Lauzen wins the Republican primary, even if it makes him a lock to win the general. I can't stand the thought of that nut Oberweis actually winning an election.

[MarkWarner08]

God, I hope Chris Lauzen wins the Republican primary, even if it makes him a lock to win the general. I can't stand the thought of that nut Oberweis actually winning an election.

Cheer for Oberweis, the more conservative GOPer. The leading Democratic candidate has a strong profile and likely could knock off Oberweis in the special election.

You can compare this race to NV-02. The GOP had a tough primary with the Secretary of State (nominal moderate) facing off against a Club for Growth candidate and the sitting Congressman's wife. This race was eventually decided by a very narrow maring and the victor was the moderate. In the general election the moderatre Republican beat the moderate Democrat by 5%.

If the race had been between an extreme Republican and the moderate Democrat, it's possible that the Democrats would've picked up the most conservative district in Nevada.

[muon2]

Illinois completed its primary yesterday. Here are the matchups, pending any independents who file later or parties that slate a candidate where none ran in the primary.

IL 1:
Bobby L. Rush (D, Inc)
Antoine Members (R)

IL 2:
Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D, Inc)

IL 3:
Daniel William Lipinski (D, Inc)
Michael Hawkins (R)
Jerome Pohlen (G)

IL 4:
Luis V. Gutierrez (D, Inc)

IL 5:
Rahm Emanuel (D, Inc)
Alan Augustan (G)

IL 6:
Peter J. Roskam (R, Inc)
Jill Morgenthaler (D)

IL 7:
Danny K. Davis (D, Inc)

IL 8:
Melissa Bean (D, Inc)
Steve Greenberg (R)

IL 9:
Janice D. Schakowski (D, Inc)
Michael Benjamin Younan (R)
Morris Shanfield (G)

IL 10:
Mark Steven Kirk (R, Inc)
Daniel J. Seals (D)

IL 11 (Weller):
Timothy A. Baldermann (R)
Deborah "Debbie" Halvorson (D)
Jason M. Wallace (G)

IL 12:
Jerry F. Costello (D, Inc)
Timmy Jay Richardson Jr (R)
Rodger W. Jennings (G)

IL 13:
Judy Biggert (R, Inc)
Scott Harper (D)
Steve Alesch (G)

IL 14 (Hastert):
Jim Oberweis (R)
Bill Foster (D) (pending absentee and provisional count)

IL 15:
Timothy V. Johnson (R, Inc)
Steve Cox (D)

IL 16:
Donald A. Manzullo (R, Inc)
Robert G. Abboud (D)

IL 17:
Phil Hare (D, Inc)

IL 18 (LaHood):
Aaron Schock (R)

IL 19:
John M. Shimkus (R, Inc)
Daniel Davis (D)
Vic Roberts (G)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

IL 3:
Daniel William Lipinski (D, Inc)

What was the result there in the end?

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Democrats not running a candidate for an open seat?

[Sam Spade]

IL 3:
Daniel William Lipinski (D, Inc)

What was the result there in the end?

Lipinski got 53%.  Not close.  Good showing by the Kossacks.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Democrats not running a candidate for an open seat?
[/quote]

Their candidate dropped out a month or so ago.  They could replace him, but I doubt there's any chance.

Foster's margin in IL-14 Dem primary is not promising for the real contest, unless Lauzen plays hard to get.

[Adlai Stevenson]

By Aaron Blake
Posted: 02/06/08 01:31 AM [ET]

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D) easily survived a primary challenge from the left, while dairy magnate Jim Oberweis won a race for the GOP nomination to replace former Rep. Dennis Hastert (R) in the Illinois congressional primaries Tuesday night.

Scientist Bill Foster led 2006 nominee John Laesch on the Democratic side in Hastert’s district, but while he looks headed for the special election next month, the regular primary was too close to call early Wednesday morning.

In retiring Rep. Ray LaHood’s (R), district, state Rep. Aaron Schock grabbed the GOP nomination with more than two-thirds of the vote with almost all precincts in. No Democrats were on the ballot in that race after the party’s candidate, former NBA coach Dick Versace, dropped out.

Democrat Dan Seals won an easy primary victory over former Clinton Administration official Jay Footlik to get his second straight crack at Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), taking about 80 percent of the vote.

Lipinski defeated Democrat Mark Pera 53-26 with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

In Hastert’s district, concurrent primaries were being held for the November election and next month’s special election.

Oberweis led state Sen. Chris Lauzen in both races with 56 percent of the vote and 92 percent of precincts reporting.

Foster led Laesch 43-41 in the regular primary and 50-42 in the special primary, which included one less candidate. Foster has grabbed the attention of national Democrats with a well-funded campaign supplemented by his personal money.

In another contested primary, wealthy businessman Steve Greenberg took a majority of the vote to defeat a pair of GOPers and line himself up for a run at Rep. Melissa Bean (D).

In retiring Rep. Jerry Weller’s (R) district, an expected matchup between New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann (R) and state Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D) is now set, as Baldermann cruised to victory and Halvorson was unopposed.

Nationally recruited Iraq veteran Jill Morgenthaler also won the Democratic nod to face Rep. Peter Roskam (R).

[muon2]

IL 18 (LaHood):
Aaron Schock (R)

Democrats not running a candidate for an open seat?

Their candidate dropped out a month or so ago.  They could replace him, but I doubt there's any chance.

I think there's quite a good chance that there will be a replacement. Activists in Peoria have reported on a number of possibilities since Versace dropped out. The Democrats have until early April to name someone to the Nov ballot.

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A lot will be determined by the Mar 8 special election. It's a Saturday, and its going to take work to get the supporters out. Clearly the winner will have a boost in Nov.

[socaldem]

So is Halvershon going to even have a fight in IL-11.  She gets at least 55%, imho.

Dan Seals showed quite a bit of strength in his primary victory, outperforming Obama by a good margin in CD10.  Kirk should be scared.

What's the verdict on CD14?  Are the crazy left-activists going to cost us another district and refuse to unite behind our nominee because their silly candidate barely lost the primary?

[muon2]

So is Halvershon going to even have a fight in IL-11.  She gets at least 55%, imho.

Dan Seals showed quite a bit of strength in his primary victory, outperforming Obama by a good margin in CD10.  Kirk should be scared.

What's the verdict on CD14?  Are the crazy left-activists going to cost us another district and refuse to unite behind our nominee because their silly candidate barely lost the primary?

One thoughtful take on the D side of IL-14 is here.