* Pearson…
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin has endorsed Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering over former U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider in the race for the Democratic nomination in the North Shore 10th Congressional District.
“Nancy combines fiscal responsibility with true progressive values,” Durbin said in a statement.
Rotering called Durbin a “role model” and “the epitome of a public servant for over 30 years.”
Durbin’s endorsement, while significant, also shows the split among the Democratic establishment over the race. While he backs Rotering, Schneider has the backing of top House Democratic leadership, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
* From the Durbin press release…
“Nancy brings to this race an extraordinary record for a first-time Congressional candidate. As Mayor of Highland Park she successfully confronted ComEd when local families were suffering from unreliable service, balanced the City budget five consecutive years and enacted real reforms,” stated Durbin. “Her most noteworthy achievement gained national attention when she passed one of the nation’s first local assault weapons ban and successfully defended the ordinance against an onslaught of gun lobby attacks all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Republican-led Congress refused to respond to the nation’s gun violence, Nancy Rotering and her City of Highland Park showed real leadership. Nancy combines fiscal responsibility with true progressive values.“
* From the Pelosi release…
“Brad Schneider is a relentless defender of women’s rights and LGBT equality. His legislative vision is a direct reflection of his genuine passion for helping others. We need strong progressive voices like Brad’s in Congress. That’s why I’m proud to endorse his candidacy,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
“I am humbled to receive the endorsement of Leader Pelosi,” said Schneider. “I’m looking forward to returning to Congress to work with Leader Pelosi on the critical issues facing Americans.”
Campaign Manager Magen Ryan said, “Our campaign is in a better spot than ever less than 60 days from the election. This week Brad received the unanimous endorsement of the AFL-CIO following the recent endorsements of SEIU Illinois State Council, the Lake County Federation of Teachers, and many other unions throughout the Tenth District. The support of labor along with seven members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, including Tammy Duckworth, more than 60 other of Brad’s former colleagues in Congress, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Secretary of State Jesse White, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and more than 30 other local elected officials demonstrates the breadth and depth of the support of his candidacy.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Rotering is now airing her first TV ad of the primary. Click here.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From our pals at Comcast…
Nancy Rotering for Congress
Democratic Candidate for US Congress in IL CD 10
Agency: Dudley Media, Philadelphia
Total Buy: $122,892
1/19/16 - 2/8/16
Networks: AEN, BRVO, CNN, DISC, ENT, ESPN, FAM, FOOD, FX, FXNC, GOLF, HALL, HGTV, HIST, LIF, MNBC, TBSC, TNT, TWC, USA
Dayparts: 5-9A, 9A-4P, 4P-7P, 7P-midnight, Sa-Su 11A-7P
Syscodes / Systems / $ by system
1863 / Libertyville / $36,528
5126 / Highland Park / $41,418
5553 / Gurnee / $44,946
Total Buy: $122,892
- Just Observing - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 10:17 am:
Wow, very surprising. But I still give the edge to Schneider.
- Team America - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 10:35 am:
Couldn’t be better news, for Bob Dold. Schneider is the more favorable opponent for Dold (you simply can’t get any more dull than that guy), especially if Hillary is on the ballot in November, but as long as Rotering and Schneider are duking it out until March, that’s a big boost for Dold in the ultra-competitive 10th District. Dold is doing all the right things to win the media support and there is simply no compelling reason to go with Schneider. It will be a squeaker (it always is, in the 10th), but (notwithstanding my admitted bias) I think Dold is favored to win.
- Almost the Weekend - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 10:37 am:
Smart move by Durbin. With Hillary on the ticket for the Dems, she will get plenty of coattails. She also has a great resume for this district.
I think another reason for the endorsement: Rotering is a graduate of the IWIL Program, that Durbin works closely with. In my opinion IWIL is a great program that has alumni elected in positions of government from the local level to federal level.
Schneider had his shot and he lost. One could argue it was a bad year and PQ was on the ticket, but Bustos soundly defeated her 2012 rematch opponent in an area where PQ is just as unpopular. One could make the argument that this congressional district is more competitive than the 17th, but that doesn’t factor running as a downstate Democrat.
- Adam Smith - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 10:56 am:
The Dems are doing everything wrong in the 10th and Dold is doing everything right.
Either Dem candidate will come out of the primary bloodied and broke, and having pandered for liberal votes.
Sets up perfectly for Dold, flush with cash and having hustled throughout the district for going on seven straight years now.
- Handle Bar Mustache - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 10:58 am:
All the hustling in the world doesn’t matter if your votes are out of step with your constituents, Mr. Smith.
- Team America - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:06 am:
Handle Bar - how do you figure Dold’s “out of step” with the 10th? Look at the screaming coming from the Illinois conservatives about some of Dold’s recent votes and support of the Dems’ LGBT legislation - that’s all you need to know that Dold is right where he needs to be in the centrist independent 10th.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:13 am:
Who are Jan Schakowsky and Robert Creamer supporting?
- A Person - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:29 am:
“Schneider had his shot and he lost.”
By that logic, would you have said two years ago that Dold had his shot and lost?
- uptown progressive - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:40 am:
“comrade Jan and her spouse SHOULD be in jail” Help me out here. Creamer, convicted, served time, done. Something else being covered up? Or do we just throw people in jail we do not agree with. If so, I accuse Trump!
- Sue - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:40 am:
And this helps Rotering. Durban is a do nothing lapdog of the president. I just got new enthusiasm for Brad!,
- Shore - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 12:10 pm:
Rotering spent millions of public dollars-that’s big $$ in a town- on a movie theater that turned into a financial albatross which still hasn’t been unwound. Not quite there, Dick.
Makes me yearn for the good old days of Dan Seals.
- Century Club - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 12:25 pm:
Well, just on the ad, I would say that Rotering’s media folks are better than Schneider’s.
- Thin White Duke - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 12:26 pm:
Kiss of death for Nancy. DD’s track record on these things ain’t so hot.
- LC Anonymous - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 12:34 pm:
The HP Movie Theatre was purchased by her predecessor. You can’t lay that on her shoulders.
- Confused - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 12:56 pm:
“As Mayor of Highland Park she successfully confronted ComEd when local families were suffering from unreliable service…”
I’m a Highland Park resident as well as a victim of the 5 day outage power outage we experienced a couple of years ago. I’m not sure what Durbin is describing in this passage. Our power in HP is horrendously unreliable. We actually ended up purchasing a large backup generator last year because we lost several hundred dollars in food after several day long outages. I have yet to see or hear of ComEd infrastructure upgrades here and the electrician that services my generator just informed me that we have to go double the frequency of oil changes due to the frequency with which the generator activates.
- Dan Johnson - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
There’s an interesting local/DC split in 10 and 8 where many/most locals are going with Rotering and Noland while most of the DC people are going with Schneider and Raja. Rotering and Noland were (are) both public officials; Schneider and Raja were (are) both business types. Finally, Rotering and Noland are both more progressive than their opponents (Iran Deal in 10 and just about everything in
.
- Hockey Fan - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
A pretty good ad. I think the Durbin nod is going to be huge for her in this race. She has a lot of momentum right now - I think she is going to knock out Schneider - who clearly does not campaign like he wants it - he never has.
Schneider is likeable - but very bland. I agree with Dan J’s analysis too. Schnieder’s strongest support comes from outside - Pelosi and Schakowsky.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 1:42 pm:
I don’t think a primary hurts in Congressional races. Just raises your profile if anything.
If you’re considered a competitive district nationally, the money will be there for the general election. If you’re not, it won’t.
- downstate commissioner - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 1:58 pm:
doesn’t matter either way to me, but I would think that Durbin’s popularity (not me) would carry more weight than the out-of-state Pelosi.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 2:01 pm:
Durbin seems to be a tad more confrontational than before. I wonder if the “war” with Chuck Schumer had a hand in that.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 2:02 pm:
Durbin is right, of course.
Pelosi likes money and bases her choice upon it.
Durbin is right.
Schneider isn’t going to beat Dold. Dold would have to lose the election for Schneider to win and Dold isn’t going to lose this election. Schneider had his chance and he blew it. It doesn’t matter how much money he has, he can’t buy another chance.
Rotering is the better choice against Dold. Voters will take a look at her, but they won’t take another look at Schneider. This is Dold’s to lose.
- lake county - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 2:32 pm:
Dold has deep GOP roots going back to his days on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigating Clinton in the 90s.
His time in GOP politics has made him a smart pol — but in a year like 2016, voters will see through the double talk BS.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 3:52 pm:
I think Durbin recognizes that Brad has a very low ceiling. If he wins again, there’s a very high likelihood of this flip flopping back and forth with Dold between Prez election years and off years. Nancy probably has a higher ceiling.
- Payback - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 8:23 pm:
Re. Mayor Rotering “…successfully defended the ordinance against an onslaught of gun lobby attacks all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Since the “gun lobby” in this case would be the IL State Rifle Association, beating them is really not that hard to do if your look at their track record for the past twenty years.
On Dec. 7, 2015, I watched the WGN TV newscast by Marcella Raymond reporting that the Supreme Court had denied review of the ISRA challenge to the Highland Park assault weapon ban. She stated that her calls to ISRA for comment were not returned.
That is Richard Pearson’s modus operandi. Find a plaintiff from Cook County like Otis McDonald in Chicago or Dr. Friedman in Highland Park, lose, then run back to Chatsworth and hide. Next follow the loss with fundraising appeals to members crying about how the ISRA is protecting them from Chicago politicians who want to take away their guns.
- 'Goose - Tuesday, Jan 19, 16 @ 11:28 pm:
If staff matters at all, Schneider should destroy Rotering. Magen Ryan is probably the best operative in the state. However, I think staff doesn’t matter as much as some of us (including myself) would like it to. This one will be close.
- McHenry - Wednesday, Jan 20, 16 @ 11:25 pm:
Schneider has gone through at least five campaign managers since he first ran… Yeah, this one will be close.