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* 12:42 pm - Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) just confirmed a report earlier this morning that she is preparing to announce for the open 10th Congressional District seat. Coulson told me she’s planning an announcement this coming Monday.
Coulson is a moderate Republican who should fit that district pretty well. Several other candidates are already in the race, or saying they’re in the race, but Rep. Coulson should probably be considered the frontrunner.
Her decision to run will likely give the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee some serious heartburn. Like incumbent Republican Mark Kirk, she’s been able to win time and time again in a Democratic-leaning district in strong Dem years.
This is a major loss for the Illinois House Republicans, who will have a big, expensive fight on their hands to hold onto that district.
From Team America’s scoop earlier today…
At last night’s Lake County Republican Central Committee meeting, State Representative Beth Coulson told the assembled crowd that she’s in for the 10th District race to succeed outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk. As we noted a few weeks ago, Coulson has been mulling jumping into the race, and told Team America that she plans to make a formal announcement this coming Monday, somewhere in the northern part of the district–perhaps near Rosalind Franklin University (formerly the Chicago Medical School) where she previously was a professor of physical therapy. Health care, as you might expect, will be a primary focus of her campaign.
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:43 pm
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Coulson is a class act.
She will be missed in the GA if she wins though…
Comment by dupage progressive Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 12:57 pm
I’m liking me some Beth Coulson!
Comment by Out There Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:06 pm
Her old seat goes Dem for sure, but the Congressional race between her and Hamos will be be very tight.
Comment by siriusly Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:20 pm
First, Hamos has to move into the 10th district, doesn’t she? And where’s Dan Seals hiding??
Comment by jaundiced eye Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:29 pm
RNCC would be crazy not to get behind her for that district.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:29 pm
Big win for the democrats. I’m a moderate republican and have been unimpressed with her. Party is worse off than it was when she was elected and state is worse off than it was when she was elected. How is this good?
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:34 pm
DuPage said, “She will be missed in the GA if she wins though…”
She won’t be returning to the General Assembly whether she wins or loses, just like Hamos.
Comment by Rob_N Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:37 pm
This is great for the district and the GOP. She is from the district and will well serve its interests in Washington.
Comment by north shorer Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:52 pm
Having lived in the district and worked for her, Beth is defininately a good fit for the district. She should pass fairly easy through the primary because the local organizations will be with her. And in the general, her healthcare expertise cannot be discounted.
Comment by Masters Phil Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 1:52 pm
ex Madigan staffer to run for the Coulson seat?
Comment by Amy Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:01 pm
Getting away from the politics, losing Hamos, Ryg and Coulson eliminates three people who care about people who need the state’s help–the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, the addicted, kids and families who fall through the cracks.
Aside from the party head count and who wins/who loses, we’re losing some people who really work to try to see that government helps people who need it. That’s the loss.
Comment by ilrino Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:07 pm
She may be the only Republican able to make this race competitive, but remains to be seen if she can fundraise and set up the ground game like Kirk’s team.
Comment by Red Hawk Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:11 pm
Didn’t know if you had seen this yet Rich. This has to be the worst campaign site I have seen in a long while.
http://bolandforillinois.com/
Comment by Off Topic Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:16 pm
Amy.Does this ex Madigan staffer have a name?
Comment by Ex Madigan staffer Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:42 pm
What about Keith Wheeler for the 50th against Kay Hatcher?
Comment by Joe Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:45 pm
are you kidding me? that boland campaign site is one of the best i have ever seen…if it were still 1996
Comment by to off topic Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:46 pm
Tribune says Chris Kennedy is out for both Senate and Governor. I still don’t think the Dem primary field for Senate is set just yet, but this is mighty good news for Alexi.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:47 pm
This will present a real test for Coulson. In her heart, she’s gotta know that 95% of the “official” Republican line on the Obama Health Plan is a total crock. Nonetheless, will she toe it, as the Republican hierarchy will demand?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 2:53 pm
Primary season is too short, too cold & punctuated with too many holidays for anyone to catch up. Name recognition is all that matters.
Seals v Coulson in 2010
Comment by Ela Observer Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:07 pm
===http://bolandforillinois.com/===
Anyone remember the old lycos/angelfire webpages?
Anyway Boland spent a combined $2427.85 on that website, according to the State Board of Elections. I’d ask for a refund.
He also spent another whopping $300 to have someone set up his blog and his “tweeter” (seriously it says “tweeter” in the ISBOE).
Comment by Obamarama Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:11 pm
47 hit the nail on the head. Both Senate and 10th CD fields probably aren’t set yet.
Comment by Rob_N Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:26 pm
Name recognition is all that matters.
Seals v Coulson in 2010.
In a primary, more knowledgeable voters turn out, and I guess Hamos has more of an organization than Seals. Early voting and turning THAT out is looking to be the key going forward. You can’t pray for bad weather on election day anymore….
Comment by Pat collins Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:34 pm
Beth’s primary will at least as rough as the general - and as expensive.
If the most conservative Republicans wins the Republican primary, and the most liberal of Democrats wins his, how can Beth survive in February???
Comment by Capitol View Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:40 pm
–47 hit the nail on the head. Both Senate and 10th CD fields probably aren’t set yet.–
I thought that a few weeks ago regarding the Senate, but now I’m not sure. Who’s out there that can raise money for TV?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:40 pm
Seals had a pretty large field operation in 2008, obviously some of his supporters will jump ship, but those who are most dedicated to a candidate will likely stay with their candidate. Hamos will likely have a operation, but after the unprofessionalism of her launch who knows how organized it will be?
Comment by hopatit Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:47 pm
Call it a gut instinct, because I have no first-hand knowledge. However, there are lots of smart folks in Washington who can read a poll and none of them wants to spend resources propping up the Dem nominee in a blue state. I can’t believe these DSCC types are comfortable with Alexi v. Kirk. I know I’m not.
I like Alexi and all, don’t get me wrong. But the prospect of U.S. Senator Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) scares the heck out of me and I’m just a nobody. Those with a vested interest in this have to be worried too, worried enough to find a strong candidate that won’t force DC to send in money and troops that should be going to KY or TX or some Red state that we might pick up.
Nobody wants to play defense with Obama’s former seat. It is hard to believe we’re even having this conversation on August 18. Tick-tock for the DSCC.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:52 pm
1/3 of coulson’s district is in the 9th cd. her name id advantage will be nominal at best. Coulson is the best option for a general, but it will take some heavy lifting to get her out of the primary. Her tax votes and position on social issues will make it a challenge for her to win in Feb.
Comment by Easy Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:54 pm
1. 10th is wealthiest district in the state. There are more self funders there than anywhere else. There is also more campaign money in some of those towns like lake forest and winnetka than there is in entire counties downstate. Money can be raised to put her down.
2. would not be hard to pick apart coulsons voting record. the economy couldn’t possibly have been worse when she came into government.
3. Kirk started with zero name recognition, zero organization, and zero money, around thanksgiving 1999 against people who were known in district and had millions.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 3:57 pm
47th agreed. Kirk would instantly become the heir to Dick Lugar as GOP senate wiseman on foreign affairs. Alexi’s campaign can best be summed up as a noun, a verb, and a man who plays hoops with obama. If it’s a campaign about 2 men (kirk, wunderkind) kirk wins if it’s a campaign about 2 presidents (43,44), kirk is the new Senior Vice-President of global affairs for boeing.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:00 pm
I’ve lived in her state hourse district for years, and more readily indentify with the Dems, but I have voted for her each time. She is good at being that moderate that used to be at home in either party, but to which we have so few of these days. I’m for moderates, like Coulson and the few Dem moderates we have left.
Comment by Niles Township Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:09 pm
It is hard to believe we’re even having this conversation on August 18.
Maybe changing the primary was a BAD idea??
Kirk started with zero name recognition, zero organization, and zero money,
You forget he picked up the organization and such of the INCUMBENT also. Not exactly coming out of the blue, so to speak ……
Comment by Pat collins Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:11 pm
Coulson has no clue what she is in for. She may be smart, but she is not exactly the easiest person to get along with. I expect her to be in constant conflict with the party, the DC campaign committee, other candidates and just about everyone else. I’m already flashing back to Didrickson for Senate…
Comment by Glenview Glen Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:19 pm
I’m already flashing back to Didrickson for Senate…
That eventually ended very well. We can only hope for a repeat
Comment by Pat collins Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:25 pm
Beth Coulson is as good a legislator as any I ever came across. She will be sorely missed in the GA. I don’t find her hard to get along with at all. Maybe she doesn’t suffer fools too well; that would exp[lain some friction with the RNC and the many R primary voters.
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 4:47 pm
Porter wasn’t a go for kirk until cox started to make waves.
Coulson is like the rest of the springfield gop, uninspired, uninteresting and underperforming. Kirk was good because he was great on foreign affairs and tough on taxes. Coulson sounds like she’d be a democrat on pretty much everything.
No thanks.
Comment by Shore Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:07 pm
hopatit: Seals “organization” started to fall apart at as early as a month before the election in 2008. His ‘08 campaign was a shadow of his ‘06 effort and I suspect he is already having a very difficult time raising money and getting his old supporters to line up behind him.
In fact, I won’t be very surprised if he drops out of this race entirely.
I like Dan, I worked for him last time, but not this time. Campaign volunteers don’t want to waste our time working for 2 time losers. Hamos is probably going to have a huge fund-raising advantage and I suspect she will win the primary handily.
Name recognition won’t mean as much as you think, the Dem primary voters want a winner with a record of winning and holding elected office. Seals has neither. If Julie goes on TV for the primary, it may even give her the early leg up on Coulson for the fall.
Comment by siriusly Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:16 pm
Also, I agree with other comments here about Boland’s website. It’s pathetic. My 7 year old has a better online presence.
Boland’s campaign has been emailing lobbyists asking for campaign cash under the headline “Real Reform” - LOL.
Comment by siriusly Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:18 pm
ex madigan staffer, it’s a person who talks about it every election cycle.
Comment by Amy Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 5:37 pm
Couslon wins primary, beats Hamos 52-48. Bad year for Dems coming, very bad. Kirk will also carry the 10th 65-35
Comment by Harry Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 6:57 pm
Shore, re Coulson and Kirk, you’re really outdoing yourself today. You like one and not the other, right?
–Money can be raised to put her down.–
Does she have rabies?
–Would not be hard to pick apart coulsons voting record. the economy couldn’t possibly have been worse when she came into government–
I’m not sure what that means, but I bet it’s bad. I’ll guess: as a state rep. in a minority party in Illinois, she had a detrimental effect on the national economy? That’s power.
–Kirk would instantly become the heir to Dick Lugar as GOP senate wiseman on foreign affairs. –
Wow. That’s some pretty tall cotton there. Not quite sure Kirk has earned it yet.
Among many things, Lugar was the originator and prime mover of the bipartisan plan to decommission the missiles and secure the plutonium from sites all over the former Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the old Evil Empire, the missiles were still aimed at us, but the biggest fear was that the plutonium would fall into the hands of some very hard characters with bad attitudes.
Lugar fought like hell with both Bushes and Clinton to keep funding the program, which inexplicably was never a top priority among those presidents.
Today, something like 10% of U.S. electricity is generated by that plutonium.
Literally, beating swords into plowshares.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 7:48 pm
[…] Coulson’s plans were first reported by Team America and were confirmed by Capitol Fax. Her entrance adds another name to a potentially crowded GOP field. […]
Pingback by Beth Coulson Set To Run For Mark Kirk’s Congressional Seat « My Hot Topics Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:23 pm
ilrino is right. Losing Ryg, Hamos and Coulson is devestating for people who need government help for mental illness, disability, disadvantaged and needy kids, prison reform, and just anything you would hope government would do. Major, major losses here.
Comment by oh no Tuesday, Aug 18, 09 @ 10:48 pm
There’s another seat lost in Tom Cross’ caucus. 2010 is probably the year the IL Dems get a veto proof majority there too.
Comment by Just sayin Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 2:23 am
I’m surprised Hamos decided to go for IL-10. She should run for US Senate. Giannoulias is an ugly, embarassing disaster waiting to happen. Maybe even some Greeks will think Hamos is Greek!
Comment by Koulos Wednesday, Aug 19, 09 @ 8:28 pm