* MrJM asks in comments…

Has a primary opponent for Mr. Dunkin been identified?

* Yep. I reached out to Andre Smith today about his campaign and he said he’ll be officially kicking off his race today and tomorrow. Smith claimed he had already collected 2,000 petition signatures, with a goal of 4,000 [adding: he says he’ll file 1,500 - the maximum amount]. His campaign website definitely needs work, but he also sent this…

Rep. Dunkin is everywhere in his district and has always worked hard, so this is not going to be an easy race at all. With that in mind…

* The Question: Caption?

[Also, it’s a state holiday and I have a bunch of stuff to do, so blogging will be light for the rest of the day.]

*** UPDATE *** I’m hearing of another, union-backed candidate. Stay tuned…

       

53 Comments - Jimmy CrackCorn - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:21 am: Is that a union bug in the bottom left corner? - Anon2U - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:22 am: I hope Mr. Smith turns in all 4,000 signatures… :) - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:22 am: “I thought Derrick Smith went to jail?” “Smith for the 5th” isn’t good. “Not Ken Dunkin” would be better. - Bogey Golfer - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:24 am: “No more Gov. Rauner backroom deals!! Only MJM approved backroom deals!” - Century Club - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:25 am: He may be the first, but I doubt he’ll be the only. - Robert the Bruce - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:26 am: He should replace his own pic with a pic of Dunkin and Rauner smiling together. Madigan seems motivated. Maybe he can find someone in the district named Ken Duncan or Keith Dunkin to join the race as a 3rd option? - Kraftjerk - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:27 am: Smith: Fighting for Working Families. He needs to get Jan Schakowsky, Rahm, Toni P. et al to help him get votes in the northern part of the District. Obviously, all eyes will be on Jesse White to see if he supports KD or Smith. A Jesse White endorsement for Smith will be a killer for KD. What’s Maze Jackson been up to lately? I haven’t seen any over the top pro-Dunkin posts in a bout a month? If it’s just Rauner and Dunkin running together in the 5th, I think you can stick a fork in KD. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:28 am: === What’s Maze Jackson been up to lately? I haven’t seen any over the top pro-Dunkin posts in a bout a month=== lol Scroll down… http://capitolfax.com/2015/11/11/regarding-ken-dunkin/ - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:29 am: Can’t candidates for state rep file with a max of 1500? - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:30 am: ===file with a max of 1500? === Yep. But you wanna collect a lot more than that and file only the good ones. - COPN - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:31 am: Anon 10:29am “State Representative – At least 500 but not more than 1,500 qualified primary electors of the candidate’s party in the representative district. [10 ILCS 5/8-8]” http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/2016CanGuide.pdf - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:33 am: He has to tie Dunkin and Rauner together at every opportunity. While the “no more back room deals” is in reference to Dunkin, he needs to go bold to win. Sitting back and thinking your golden because you are running against the gov’s ally would be pure foolishness. I hope he has it in him to fight, because it will be a fight. - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:33 am: Caption - Cannon fodder in the epic battle for Illinois politics. - Christopher - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:38 am: Ron Smith doesn’t want to plead the 5th, he only wants to serve the 5th! - Christopher - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:38 am: Whoops-Andre (not Ron) Smith - Kraftjerk - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:38 am: Sorry Rich - I just scrolled. Not reading in chronological order today. Glad to see that Maze is going down with the ship. - NOTFUNNY - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:40 am: This guy probably wont make the ballot. You may need someone else. - Kraftjerk - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:41 am: ==He may be the first, but I doubt he’ll be the only.== My bet is that we’ll see some very pro-active ballot management in this race. - Been There - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:43 am: ===Is that a union bug in the bottom left corner?==== Either the last primary or the one before SEIU and UniteHere were on opposite sides. SEIU backing Ken and UH spending big bucks against. I would think SEIU might be regretting their support this time. - Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:49 am: ==Smith for 5th. I promise to ALWAYS vote how Speaker Madigan tells me.== - Wensicia - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 10:55 am: “I dunk donuts, not children.” - Arizona Bob - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:11 am: “Andre Smith…let’s fall over the cliff the MADIGAN way!” - NotMaze - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:13 am: “Anyone but Dunkin” “Dump your Dunkin, not your childcare” - Gruntled University Employee - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:13 am: “I’m not that big a tennis fan” - Mouthy - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:19 am: “I’ve got the “A” team behind me”.. - Century Club - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:26 am: == I’m hearing of another, union-backed candidate. == Yeah, since the unions are going all in on this, I can’t imagine they’re looking for ‘anyone but Dunkin’ much less someone who seems to have been connected to the pro-Rauner ministers during the election. - @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:28 am: The Question: Caption? “Not a liar.” That should do. – MrJM - SAP - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:33 am: The Other Smith - Horse W/ No Name - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:37 am: Having done campaign work for Dunkin the last time he had a semi-legitimate challenger, he is not at ALL hard working. He is as undisciplined and unfocused as any candidate I’ve ever seen. He blows off meetings constantly, arrives extremely late to the ones he does attend and is basically incapable of staying on message. He also hadn’t done nearly enough to meet his new voters under the map. He is very beatable. - COPN - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:38 am: == I’m hearing of another, union-backed candidate.== And Rep. Mitchell breathes a sigh of relief with SEIU diverting resources away from the 26th district - austinman - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 11:56 am: Dunkin will win again and yes i heard Dunkin has been working very hard to meet the new voters in his district. - train111 - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:04 pm: It’s got to be a real challenge to find out who your voters are when yourdistrict is 3 blocks wide and 100+ blocks long - Hedley Lamarr - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:06 pm: I know where at least $1 million of Rauner’s money is going. - Pawn - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:32 pm: I have known Ken Dunkin since 1991 and he has not ever been, nor is he now, hard working. Ken Dunkin has a constituency of one: Ken Dunkin. - Keyser Soze - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:34 pm: Working against the anti-Dunkin crowd is that he is actually a very nice guy with lots of street smarts. - Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:39 pm: “Not That Smith.” - burbanite - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 12:52 pm: Isn’t this the gentleman who is threatening to expose secrets about Corey Brooks? - Gooner - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 1:03 pm: Dunkin is a nice guy? Sure, when not screaming at people in polling places, he’s a wonderful fellow. - the Other Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 1:15 pm: Sorry, no caption but I did want to clarify the maximum signature issue. While the law does state a maximum, filing more than the maximum does not get you thrown off the ballot. The Chicago Board of Elections, which would decide the case, basically would just stop counting at the 1,500th signature. (Rule 11 of the Chicago Electoral Board rules of procedure.) - Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:02 pm: === I’m hearing of another, union-backed candidate. Stay tuned…=== Everybody better get on the same page. Dunkin is going to get 40% of the vote. Now he can either get 40% and lose, or get 40% and win. - anon - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:02 pm: I think Dunkin will win again. Madigan will look bad trying to unseat him. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:06 pm: ===Madigan will look bad trying to unseat him.=== Oh, - anon -, you taking more shots again? Dunkin will more than likely win, but not because Madigan will look bad. - ash - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:09 pm: Hi — I’m Andre and will actually vote as a Democrat. - Andre Smith - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:13 pm: I am running but i need your help Queen Dunkin and King Rauner can be voted out if we come together join my Campaign ANDRE SMITH 773-668-9210 - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 2:41 pm: Where is Jesse White in this? KD came up in his organization and ran against Hiward Kenner with Jesse White’s support. Ken would not be in office with Secretary White’s support. He should be publicly and privately holding KD accountable. - Just Me - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 3:34 pm: Don’t forget that a large portion of Dunkin’s district is Chicago’s 43rd ward, the only ward in the entire City of Chicago that voted for Bruce Rauner for Governor. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 4:01 pm: Taking a shot at the fifth - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 4:04 pm: Yes we ken - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 4:22 pm: Andre giant undertaking - Mouthy - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 4:48 pm: Don’t worry about voting against Kenny, he has an agency directorship all locked up.. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 5:10 pm: Forge ahead with a smith - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 5:19 pm: Tank dunkin he’s all wet - Anon221 - Wednesday, Nov 11, 15 @ 6:53 pm: Promise Keeper. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.