* I’ve now confirmed the “rumor” below about Andy McKenna running for governor with Sen. Matt Murphy as lt. governor. Several others have as well. The two men met today and it’s final.
CBS2…
A month after stepping down as head of the Illinois Republican Party, Andy McKenna is set to throw his hat into the ring in the race for governor. […]
Sources also said McKenna has chosen State Sen. Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) – who had declared his own candidacy for governor – as his de facto running mate to run for lieutenant governor. State law does not allow official linkage of candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, but it is not uncommon for such candidates to run unofficially as a team.
NBC5…
Convinced that a team of two will break through the pack of Republican candidates running for Illinois governor, former GOP chairman Andy McKenna and Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine are teaming up for a gubernatorial run, sources tell NBC Chicago.
In doing so, Murphy abandons his own bid for governor and instead becomes McKenna’s de facto running mate for lieutenant governor.
- Joe in the Know - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:06 pm:
This is a redux of the Gidwitz/Rauschenberger ticket that went nowhere. This ticket is as doomed as that ticket was!
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:07 pm:
Or, Topinka/Birkett, which won the primary. We’ll see soon enough.
- Joe in the Know - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:09 pm:
Rich, at least Topinka/Birkett were known commodities. McKenna, the hapless Chairman of the Titanic, er Republican Party and an absolute unknown pompous state senator ain’t gonna light anyone up.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:09 pm:
Past behavior (success?) is a decent predictor of the future. Andy who?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:10 pm:
Joe, the problem with your analysis is nobody else running for either job is really all that better known than either McKenna or Murphy except Bill Brady.
- George - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:12 pm:
I guess its time for Bill Brady to get a running mate. Someone from the collar counties.
- WOW - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:15 pm:
It would be great to see a Dillard/Murphy ticket. Imagine the sound bites you could use in radio ads against them … from their own mouths.
- shore - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:18 pm:
I had high hopes for Murphy, this kills him for me. Our area, McKenna’s “base”, doesn’t like him, neither do I.
If election was today I’d vote for andjewski then proft perhaps, but definitely not dillard-too tied to springfield, brady-too right wing, schillerstrom-too uncreative.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:18 pm:
Ticket is only in that order because McKenna has the $$$. But Murphy has been a “far” more compelling figure, far being a relative term.
- Joe in the Know - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:21 pm:
===the problem with your analysis is nobody else running for either job is really all that better known than either McKenna or Murphy except Bill Brady.====
Rich, isn’t that the problem with the Republican Party overall? They don’t have a bench, so to speak, and the only way to gain momentum is to run in faux ticket style.
I am not suggesting that he nepotistic Democratic Party has much of a bench, either. But at least their candidates can be heard above the static.
- DJ - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:25 pm:
I posted this to the previous blog today where this was a rumor, but I really want to draw your attention to this:
Matt Murphy co-sponsored a bill that raised my taxes 45% last year and, like McKenna, won’t return my phone calls, emails, or faxes. Here’s my open letter to him:
http://www.chicagogop.com/MyBlog/Question-for-Sen.-Matt-Murphy-on-HB-0664.html
And I don’t think he’s the anti-tax guy that he says he is; after all isn’t this worse than taxing the top 10% if you go after only those who bought their homes in 2005, 2006, and 2007?
More importantly, the general complaint is and always has been that McKenna just doesn’t care about the average Republican voter. This has got to cut in to what credibility he (Murphy) had with conservatives.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:26 pm:
==They don’t have a bench, so to speak===
I’d disagree. The problem is that the bench is unknown, mainly because of the hard anti-GOP slant of this state since 2000 or so.
I think there are several capable people on that bench, but few outside of this blog know who they are.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:26 pm:
new Sloga, M & M’s, now in a new coruption free protective coating so they melt in your mouth, not in your hand.
- Rob_N - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:27 pm:
Honestly, I would’ve thought it’d be the other way around.
Murph’s a nice guy. I disagree w/ him politically but he’s got the experience in S’field where McKenna really doesn’t.
Chicago Cynic’s above explanation notwithstanding, this is odd.
- Pat collins - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:33 pm:
They don’t have a bench, so to speak
That’s what people said about the Ds after 1994.
Well, well. Let us see what if any outreach they do.
- scoot - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:37 pm:
I’m still going to support Dillard…this ticket isn’t exciting.
The Lt Guv isn’t going to make much of a difference in elections..and I don’t see McKenna getting a lot of support.
- Bumblejuice - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:42 pm:
So its going to be Proft/Murphy or Dillard/Murphy against Quinn/Jackson.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:45 pm:
McKenna/Murphy is not exactly what you would call a regionally balanced ticket. Given that all but one state officeholder resides in Chicago, that surprises me, especially for the GOP.
- Joe in the Know - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:47 pm:
I’d be interested in reading some of the names of the lesser known “benchers”. Durkin? Cross? Not sure who else.
But the problem I see for any Republican is the bread and butter. Unless they are “self-funders”, like Gidwitz, like McKenna, they won’t amount to a hill of beans because Big Business has thrown in the towel on the party.
Do I remember it incorrectly when the Republicans (read: Governor and Governor wannabes) had the manufacturers, the retailers, the chambers of commerce pouring dough in their coffers. That doesn’t happen anymore.
The Crains/Tribune pro-business, pro-Republican engine doesn’t pick the governors anymore. Too bad, so sad.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:49 pm:
===not exactly what you would call a regionally balanced ticket===
Chicago/NW suburbs. Balance. lol
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 4:57 pm:
Now all they need is a “Ryan” to round out this sinking disaster…..how about Ryan Dempster from Zell’s zanys? Or Dan Ryan — then they could claim a”south sider”
Or….you fill it in
- 4 percent - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:00 pm:
the same Andy who honked off every downstate chairman and countless legislators. weak 4th place finish in the last primary.
must be nice to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth…
“Daddy…can i have some more money…”
- Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:02 pm:
I think this is a mistake. McKenna gets a bad rap for what transpired within the GOP under his watch, and doing so is somewhat akin to blaming Lincoln for individual battle losses during the Civil War. Whenever you stick your head in between warring factions on any matter there is only one guaranty; and that is, that you are bound to get shot from both sides.
I think he would have been far better served to recruit Demetra DeMonte as the Lt. Gov candidate; for regional and gender balance, and both candidates could have benefitted from such a combined ticket.
- Anon3 - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:10 pm:
QTS- Who is Demetra DeMonte?
Pingback Calling all Illinois lt. gov. candidates (line forms here…) | Political Fix | STLtoday - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:10 pm:
[…] Murphy was previously on the long list for Governor, but the ever-reliable Rich Miller reports he’s stepping back to the second spot and forming a partnership with possible candidate for governor Andy McKenna, former GOP state party chairman. […]
- raising kane - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:11 pm:
It will be good to finally have a candidate who can raise some money. The rest of these guys are a disaster when it comes to fundraising, even though a couple of them were spending like they were printing cash in the basement. Mckenna comes in at the end with plenty of cash, while they have squandered theirs. Smart move on his part.
- Mitch C - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:15 pm:
I thought McKenna was supposed to be leading the effort to find a good candidate to lead the GOP to victory. Apparently, after talking to his fellow wealthy guys, he decided that HE is the best one to do it. Typical.
- Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:19 pm:
Anon-3
Here is some background that might be useful:
Elected Republican National Committeewoman 2008
Tazewell County Republican Chairman since 2004.
Appointed Vice President, Central Zone, Illinois Republican Chairman’s Association in 2005.
Appointed Regional Coordinator/Central West for the Illinois Republican Chairman’s Association.
Unanimously elected State Central Committeeman by her peers, the 20 county chairman of the 18th Congressional District.
- Anon3 - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:26 pm:
QTS-Thanks I really had no idea of her CV
- shore - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:34 pm:
McKenna’s own GOP organization-new trier which produced the last 2 gop congressmen from that area plus one of 2 GOP U.S. senators in the state in the last 40 years is now aside from Kirk deep blue.
The problem with the party is a lack of ideas and leaders. Schock is considered a golden boy, he spends more time doing pictures in suits 99.99% of his constituents probably can’t afford than serious issues. Forgive me but how many people in peoria read GQ and buy $1,900 foreign made suits?
Murphy is who and has what kind of credibility?
- DJ - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 5:43 pm:
When I was at a Republican Party 42nd Ward breakfast a couple months back, Andy McKenna kept mentioning the “donors” of the Republican Party in Illinois…and how they made alot of decisions that resulted in picking Kirk as the appropriate U.S. Senate candidate.
I have a real problem with this. A few anonymous people with alot of money basically hand-pick the choices we get on the ballot before each election…?
- Frank Booth - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 6:31 pm:
Brady - Cole. That’s the ticket.
Write off everything north of I-74 as evil “Chicago”, shoot for 99 percent of 100 percent tunout south of I-74 and pray for a hurricane of snow across Chicago metro.
That’s the way you win a primary.
It could happen.
- Honest Abe - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 7:40 pm:
OMG…Quinn and Hynes should just draw straws. this is no real competition. LOL
Pingback Andy McKenna Will Announce Bid for Governor This Week : - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 7:55 pm:
[…] The two men met Wednesday to cement the deal,according to Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller. […]
- CircularFiringSquad - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 8:39 pm:
Has anyone asked “Gags” Brady if he approves?
Bet Brickhead Joe who has the experience of folding a gov campaign and losing for lite gov
if he was asked for his playbook
Bet the SubGov wet his pants when he heard this
move…looks like he cruises
Pingback Andy McKenna, Former State GOP Chair, Matt Murphy Team Up In Governor’s Race | The Latest Liberal Blogs - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 8:44 pm:
[…] The two men met Wednesday to cement the deal,according to Capitol Fax’s Rich Miller. […]
- Quinn T. Sential - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 9:16 pm:
Shore,
When McKenna lived in New Trier; he was not even old enough to vote. There is very little connection between McKenna and the New Trier GOP now; and there never was. They endorsed Jack Ryan for U.S. Senate over McKenna.
- Its Just Me - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 9:54 pm:
I can’t decide which candidate I hate more: McKenna or Proft.
- just sayin - Wednesday, Sep 16, 09 @ 11:18 pm:
Matt Murphy was going nowhere in the governor’s race so he teams with Andy McKenna, a guy who went nowhere when he ran statewide in 2004 and the same guy who took the IL GOP nowhere in 4.5 years as state chairman.
Some of that brilliant IL GOP strategery.
- XNoneOfTheAbove - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 5:16 am:
Proft is the ONLY one running who offers change from the bi-partisan combine dominated status quo.
- GOP - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 5:25 am:
Mckenna’s in the race to do what he normally does, which is to be a spoiler, that means he is working with the Democrats to weaken the leading republicans from winning the nomination so the D’s can again sit in the Govornor’s mansion.
McKenna’s a dadddy’s boy, with no record in nothing!!!
Hey Andy, maybe Mayor Daley will give you a job after your race, such as Alderman of Lincoln Park!
- OneMan - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 8:17 am:
Andy McKenna… Yeah….
I don’t think so…
- reformer - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 9:35 am:
Let’s see…..Andy the clown won’t let me elect my leaders in the GOP and now ask me to vote for him….GOOD LUCK on that.
- DJ - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 12:02 pm:
I don’t think it’s that straightforward. I’m sure politics being what it is, McKenna’s stepping in to mess with the outcome of frontrunner Andrzejewski taking the nomination…?
Pingback Capitol Fax: McKenna/Murphy is ON! « Publius Forum - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 8:31 pm:
[…] At the Capitol Fax Blog, Rich Miller saysthey have confirmed that former State GOP Chair Andy McKenna is throwing his hat into the rign for the 2010 race for governor. […]
- Segatari - Thursday, Sep 17, 09 @ 11:24 pm:
McKenna is a WEAK candidate…he may be better known but he’s STILL a political lightweight. And that will NOT change. And he will NOT win the nomination.