CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
– POLITICS
July 20, 2009 – 7:07 p.m.
Democrats See Illinois House Seat as Open Door
By Greg Giroux, CQ Staff
Rep. Mark Steven Kirk ’s decision to run for the Senate next year in Democratic-leaning Illinois, announced Monday, may improve his Republican Party’s chances of seriously competing for the seat formerly held by President Barack Obama .
But there appears no maybe about the prospect for a partisan battle in Kirk’s newly open 10th Congressional District seat, which will be heavily targeted for a takeover by the Democrats who have gained an overall edge there over recent election cycles.
The Democrats’ efforts to claim this district have been foiled for nearly three decades by a pair of popular Republican centrists: John Edward Porter, who held the seat from 1980 to 2001, and Kirk, his successor, whose strong campaign fundraising skills also helped him stave off a series of Democratic challenges.
But the Democrats have made major inroads in the 10th, a largely affluent and suburban district that take in sections of Cook and Lake counties north of Chicago. Democrats point to the 10th District’s performance in recent presidential elections.
Obama, a longtime Chicago resident and then a first-term senator, took 61 percent of the district vote for president in the 2008 election. District voters favored Democratic presidential nominees Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 over Republican George W. Bush , though by much narrower margins.
Democratic strategists note that Kirk needed plenty of skill and money to win relatively close races in 2006 and 2008, both times over Democrat Dan Seals, a business consultant.
“Congressman Kirk spent millions of dollars just to hold on to this seat, President Obama won this district with over 60 percent of the vote, and Senator John Kerry carried this district in 2004,” said Gabby Adler, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats. “There is no doubt Illinois’ 10th Congressional District presents a great opportunity for Democrats this election cycle.”
Two Democrats have already made a tangible move to make good on that claim.
State Sen. Michael Bond, who was prepared to challenge Kirk if he sought re-election, raised $86,000 in less than one month of fundraising, according to a report he filed last week with the Federal Election Commission. He received contributions from a handful of colleagues in the state Senate, to which he was elected in 2006.
Bond’s campaign plans have attracted more attention than those of lawyer Elliot Richardson, even though the latter has raised $101,000 — a total that includes $22,300 of his own money — since he began preparing a 2010 bid late last year.
Also considering a bids for the Democratic nomination is two-time nominee Seals, who took 46.6 percent of the vote against Kirk in 2006 and 47.4 percent of the vote in their 2008 rematch.
One Democrat who will not be making the race is state Sen. Susan Garrett, who had been considering a bid.
“We have challenging budget issues in the state of Illinois, and I’ve been really involved in the reform process and I really want to finish up what I started,” she said. “My heart really is in being a state senator.”
Garrett said that she thought state Rep. Julie Hamos would be throwing her hat in the ring.
Republicans acknowledge that retaining the 10th District will be difficult, but contend that a independent-minded Republican styled after Kirk could win the seat.
“An open seat presents a challenge in this district, but not one that is entirely different than the many that Mark Kirk has overcome in the past,” said Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “There is a growing list of Republican candidates for this seat who share the values and cross-party appeal that made Congressman Kirk so successful.”
Dick Green, who has a background in business and runs the stock market analysis service Briefing.com, is one Republican who is likely to enter the race.
“It’s my background in business that is driving me to get more involved in politics here,” Green said. “I’ve spent all my life working in small business — helping them be successful, creating jobs — and I’m very concerned about the economic path the country’s going on.”
“In particular, I think there is now too much government involvement in the economy,” he added. “I am an unapologetic defender of free markets, free trade and capitalism.”
Green should be joined in the GOP primary field by Patricia Bird, a business owner who was decisively defeated in an April bid to become mayor of Mount Prospect, a Chicago suburb in Cook County.
State Rep. Elizabeth Coulson had considered a candidacy for the U.S. House seat, but her office said that she will instead seek re-election to the state House.
Comments
As a Kirk constituent, I'm sad to see him leaving the 10th District, although I'm very excited for his statewide prospects. Illinois is in dire need of an ethical, independent-minded leader like Kirk. Corrupt politicians on both sides of the aisle like Blago, Alexi, Ryan, and Burris have given our state a bad name for too long. It's time to fix that with Mark Kirk.
Mark Kirk is an exceptionally poor choice for any Republican elected position. Mark Kirk is a true "Republican In Name Only". He is a RINO. Most recently Kirk voted "yes" for the cap & trade bill which is described as the most massive tax increase in American history. True Republicans do not raise our taxes. Mark Kirk has a long history of voting in favor of left liberal issues. Mark Kirk is a Democrat wearing a RINO hide. Kirk is not a Republican. I urge all readers to research Kirk carefully. Upon learning truth about Kirk, you will do all you can to have him either removed from office or to prevent him from taking an elected office. Kirk is bad news. Mark Kirk is a RINO. Research Kirk, discover truth on your own. The best truth is truth you discover on your own. Okpulot Taha Choctaw Nation Smart Girl Politics
I really don't see how someone who abandoned fiscal responsibility with a vote in support of cap-and-trade is going to be a positive for the GOP. A true conservative should be able to see through the pork and deal-making of that bill. He certainly didn't help the conservative effort with that vote and I don't know how he can help in the Senate either. Marcia smartgirlpolitics.ning.com
Now, for the subject matter at hand, namely IL-10. Unless the GOP finds a ATM with the same exact characteristics as Kirk, that appeals to this particular constituency, this district should be triaged. There are a whole lot better opportunities elsewhere to make up this almost certain loss. This would be the same, reversed mind you, as if conservative-Dem Gene Taylor retired from MS-4 (Trent Lott's old district). Fahgetaboudit.
Once we finally get rid of the tainted Burris from the senate, Illinois needs a strong senate voice. I think we all must take a moment to address that exact question; how exactly can a US senator clean the State of Illinois? The answer is not a simple one. The solution is complex, long, and will require commitments by both parties and throughout the entangled web of bureaucracy. To take the first step, we need a leader is focused on solving the problem; simply listening to Mark Kirk's speech as he announced that he would be running for senate, all of Illinois now should know that cleaning up Illinois is one of his top priorities. So that becomes the first step, having a clean leader who believes in the importance of cleaning up the Illinois system. He has shown from his past voting in the House that he has set up incentives for those who stay clean and harsh punishments such as eliminating pensions for the corrupt leaders. But being a senator and a leader will only enhance Kirk's ability to allow him to have more power over seeking out the bad apples, destroying them, and in their place planting the seeds for a new governmental system, one that puts a premium on honesty and integrity.
Oh Okpulot, I thought I'd seen the last of these. I've been on a lot of articles about Kirk's announcement, and I've seen that same thrilling piece of prose on at least two dozen of them. I'd kindly suggest that you read a little more carefully about the congressman and discover the truth about him for yourself before senselessly bashing the one candidate that might win this senate seat for the GOP. And please, stop subjecting every reader in the state of Illinois to that same, copy-pasted paragraph. It's not only untrue and inaccurate, but it's certainly not worthy of the multitude of postings you've given it.
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