DISQUS

Greg · 2 years ago

"The Green Party will also be competing in this district."

Thank God Rich covered his bases. I'm sure he doesn't want Squid thumbing through his tax filings.

Rich Miller · 2 years ago

LOL

Basketball Jones · 2 years ago

Assuming he is successful, why would Versace bother with becoming a 68-69 year old freshman congressman, whose time and schedule is not his own, life is not his own and has to raise tens of thousands of dollars a week, every week, for the rest of his political career?

Not to mention subjecting himself, his family and friends to immense and possibly unwarranted scrutiny?

Am I missing something? Or does he want to be an example of the non-professional citizen-legislature the founding fathers allegedly envisoned?

Is he inherently more trustworthy because he doesn't need the job?

Squideshi · 2 years ago

"Thank God Rich covered his bases. I’m sure he doesn’t want Squid thumbing through his tax filings."

Not relevant--Rich runs a private, for-profit business. He's not required to remain nonpartisan.

Nonetheless, although we obviously sometimes disagree on important issues, many Greens, including myself, have found Rich to be VERY fair and nonpartisan when covering elections.

Rob_N · 2 years ago

Daily Southtown: "...but he’d have to move into the district to do so."

Dear Daily Southtown (and Herald of Joliet), please read our United States Constitution. One needs only to live in the same state as the district for which they are running. One does not need to live in the particular Congressional District. Just ask Peter Roskam and Tammy Duckworth.

Cheers, Me

Six Degrees of Separation · 2 years ago

Here's a name you may not have heard for the 11th:

Joliet Mayor Art Schultz (R).

scoot · 2 years ago

Paul good luck on the LSAT. I take it on the 29th...although I want to do good on it..I cant wait til its over.

No. 2 Pencil · 2 years ago

Paul: Good luck on the LSAT. I took the Kaplan course and pretty much got a perfect raw score...I scored a 42 out of 45. (That is not today's scoring scale, I know, but you get the drift.)

Look where I am now! Waiting to see what you and Rich have to say each morning. Not a bad thing. LOL.

That test is the standardizer and equalizer. People went to different colleges and had different experiences, different majors, different cirricula, activities, etc. but the LSAT is their limiting device.

Good luck again.

11th Dem · 2 years ago

Where did my earlier post go? I certainly dont think it was inappropriate.

Rich Miller · 2 years ago

==="rumors" will be deleted or held for moderation. ===

Joliet Mike · 2 years ago

The Tribune had the following names on the GOP side for consideration yesterday:

"Republicans floated several possible candidates: Joliet lawyer and Republican activist Dick Cavanagh; New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann; Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland or former Mayor Ray Rossi; James Roolf, president of First Midwest Bank in Joliet; Chris McNeil, a previously unsuccessful state legislative candidate; state Rep. Renee Kosel of New Lenox and state Sen. Christine Radogno of Lemont."

While Radogno's name is being floated, she doesn't live in the district. I don't think Kosel will run, as she's been flirting with retiring from the House, though her opponent in 2006, Chris McNeil, seems as though he would be able to build on his Name ID from the last election.

The Joliet candidates would benefit from being from Joliet, but there's too many in the race now and would split the vote.

Some Guy · 2 years ago

---Analysts say at least one-third of the state’s 18 House seats could be hotly contested next year---

Shouldn't these analysts know there's 19 House seats from Illinois. Oh wait - they're probably calling Lipinski's seat an honorary Tennesse one, or whatever state he's lived most of his adult life in. In that case, they have a point.

I can't see Roskum getting a serious challenger this time. Duckworth's out and I don't think Cegalis [sic] has shown any interest. If you include primaries, Lipinski at the very least should be seriously challenged, though.

archpundit · 2 years ago

Roskam looks very safe at this point as does Hare. 3 of the 19 are open though Schock looks very strong for 18.

Kirk will have a race and Lipinski has a serious challenger(s). Bean always has the potential to be serious race.

Regardless, other than Bean we are talking about Republican seats being in play. Any potential to use Springfield's mess by Republicans is largely lost given the statewides aren't running and there are several national issues that look to dominate the elections. It'll be a fun cycle.

Rich Miller · 2 years ago

===Any potential to use Springfield’s mess by Republicans is largely lost ===

Unless Halvorson and/or Radogno run.

paddyrollingstone · 2 years ago

I am still stuck on the redistricting issue - assuming the Ds control after the 2010 elections, Illinois will probably lose another seat (not the honorary Tenn one Some Guy is talking about). When the time comes to carve up the state, why would the Democrats not take 14 of the remaining 18? The last time around there were 10 Ds and 10 Rs and all the incumbents gave up one D seat to insure their own districts were not touched. But that was when Pate Phillip controlled the Senate, Ryan was Governor and the Speaker was from Illinois, none of which is true now. If I were a Dem leader I would do that - or maybe be generous and go 13D, 5R. What do you people think?

Pot calling kettle · 2 years ago

As a Dem, I hate to see Weller go. Would have been an easy target...

Joliet Mike · 2 years ago

Paddyrollingstone-

The reason why the current map was drawn the way it was, was not because of Pate Phillip, George Ryan, or anything else.

Bottom line: Bill Lipinski brokered a deal protecting incumbents, with the exception of David Phelps, who he sold out.

Team Sleep · 2 years ago

Senator Radogno would be a great addition to Illinois' Congressional Delegation. She would bring a level of nicety and camraderie to D.C.

With Weller out of the way, some of the potential "headaches" for the GOP are now gone. It won't help the national GOP, but it should help the state GOP and whomever follows him.

However, her senate seat would be in serious jeopardy. Can the Senate GOP capitalize on the current discord AND hold onto Senator Radogno's seat? That will be tough and expensive.

Six Degrees of Separation · 2 years ago

Paddy-

I think the practice of gerrymandering is unethical, and largely unnecessary due to our modern ability to use computers, census data and logical boundaries to create geographically and culturally sensible districts that do not slither all over the place. Then, let the parties and candidates be competitive in winning the voters' affections. Incumbent laziness is one of our current political afflictions.

Anonymous · 2 years ago

geographically and culturally sensible districts

"Not Representative of the US" Iowa uses computers to draw their districts, and I think they are all competitive.

Now, try that here, and see the lawsuits fly. You can't make a safe black, competitive district.

Pat collins · 2 years ago

Sorry about that, I posted the Iowa thing.

muon · 2 years ago

SDoS, The use of computers has increased the occurence of extreme gerrymandering. Parties can try to maximize their votes at the block level in a way that was much more difficult before data was fully computerized.

Paddy, I suspect that the 11th and 14th districts are both going to be targets for splitting and merging in 2011. They have high growth compared to the state and nearby districts will need the population. Who holds those districts at the time will likely hold the key to their redistricting fate.

Six Degrees of Separation · 2 years ago

Muon,

Not to mention the state legislative districts where Kane, Kendall, Will, etc. will have shrinking districts and maybe more of them, and Southern IL will have expanding districts and maybe less of them. Cook might even lose a district.

Squideshi · 2 years ago

"Joliet Mayor Art Schultz (R)"

I don't think so. Mayor Shultz's health ain't all that great these days; although his daughter, Nancy Shultz Voots, the Republican County Clerk, does do an excellent job, in my opinion. (Everyone catch that? That's praise for a Republican coming from a Green.)

Pot calling kettle · 2 years ago

I wonder what former State Sen. Pat Welch is thinking? Bad campaign last time, but he has a lot of name recognition and that State Senate district has a lot of overlap with the 11th CD.

Whoever jumps in better hurry, the clock for petitions is ticking...

muon · 2 years ago

SDoS, Indeed the best estimates for IL is that the population will divide 2/3 in Chicagoland and 1/3 elsewhere. To keep 6 seats downstate a map will need to grab the non-collar parts of IL-11 and IL-14 for those districts. That would reduce the Chicagoland portion to 12 seats instead of the current 13. Since the growth is at the outer edge it will make for interesting division within Cook.

Jerry Mathering · 2 years ago

Six Degrees: Gerrymandering may be considered by you (and even myself) to be unethical, but is legal and may even be required by the Voting Rights Act.

Look at El Gallito's district for a textbook example.

These politicians generally protect incumbents and live and die by the map every 10 years.

Chicago's wards change every 10 years but the Cook County townships are set in stone...hence some weird and incongrous results.

Look at some of the State Reps that were drawn out of their own homes like Jim Durkin and Bill O'Connor.

This happens all the time and will happen again.

He who draws the map wins.

JolietJake · 2 years ago

Pot calling Kettle - earlier you posted that Weller would have been an easy target. Weller has consistently won re-election by sizeable in the 11th district. If Democrats could not pick him off in 2006 then I doubt they could easily do it in 2008. Nonetheless, the 11th district race should be quite a horse race.

Pot calling kettle · 2 years ago

Joliet: A few days ago I pointed out that Weller's numbers declined dramatically in the last few years while the Dem Party never recruited or stepped behind a candidate. On another of today's threads, I bemoaned the fact that this stopped potentially competitive candidates from entering the race and prevented the candidates who did run from effectively informing voters of Weller's many missteps. (And in '00 Bush got 50% and '04 53%, so it's not like it's hopeless)

So last year, we have Pavich, an under-funded political neophyte starting with zero name recognition getting 45%! If the DCCC had recruited and supported a veteran pol, who knows...

Pot calling kettle · 2 years ago

Jerry: the computer drawing the map can certainly be given some simple instructions to accommodate the Voting Rights Act while still keeping districts compact and ignoring political preferences.

But who would want to jeopardize their seat?