26 Comments - Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:23 pm: John G. will always be “Mr. 23057″ to me. Leading up to the 2000 elections, John G. predicted that Rock Island native and first-time candidate Tom Kilbride would win Rock Island County by over 20,000 votes in the Illinois Supreme Court race. Incumbent State Senator Carl Hawkinson, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, former State’s Attorney, and let’s not forget graduate of Harvard Law School — magna cum laude — dismissed the idea that he would be beaten so badly by a neophyte in his own backyard. Kilbride beat Hawkinson in Rock Island County by 23,057 — 42,794 to 19,737. That was nearly 5,000 more votes than Gore got and 6,000 more votes than Lane Evans. John G. has been County Chairman since John F. Kennedy, and if he and Lane Evans say that Hare should be the guy, Hare should be the guy. Sullivan can always run against him in the primary in 2008 if Hare proves unworthy. - True Observer - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:50 pm: Power corrupts. In politics only the future counts. If Evans can’t get Hare named, he could decide to stay in the race. - Not my district - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 4:53 pm: Other than making an announcement that he wasn’t running has Lane officially informed the state Board of elections? - Anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 5:10 pm: Was there even a press release about not running? - here and now - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:25 pm: I agree with Yellow Dog Democrat, but also have we considered the candidates positions yet? Hare is clearly pro-choice, pro-labor, and in favor of responsible gun ownership. Sullivan on the other hand runs right of right and is personally and politically anti-choice and anti-abortion. Sullivan is completely unproven on Labor issues and is a NRA endorsed gun nut. Sullivan may play in a State Republican Senatorial District, but let’s remember folks, this is a Democratic Congressional District carved out for Lane. In a race were Sullivan is the same or right of Zinga, Zinga wins. Remember its like Carolyn Brown Hodge says, when women vote - women win. Hare’s the choice. - anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:55 pm: What are hares credentials other than being Lanes caddy? Sullivan is a proven business man.. his family has a long history of fighting for working people. - Anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:57 pm: Hare’s from the North and to the left, Sullivan is from the South and to the right - what ever happen to Mangieri from the center of the district who is moderate? Heard Jesse White was pushing him, but also heard Mangieri has taken himself out. Anybody know for sure? - bigfellaphil - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 6:58 pm: Hare has run the district for years. He has plenty of support in the southern part of the district. He has been endorsed by Snow Herkert in Calhoun and Virg Goehl the former chairman of Adams. If Goehl can deliver Adams the votes line up for Phil over Sullivan. - here and now - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 7:01 pm: anon Please don’t denigrate Hare’s over 20 years of service to Lane. If Phil did anything he was about his master business. Also how has Sullivan been a friend to the working families? If he has been a friend like Scholz - then Labor is lost. - The Underground - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 7:04 pm: Are you kidding? Sullivan would beat Zinga in her own backyard. He is a proven vote getter in those area’s of the district. If Rock Island would open their eyes and support a candidate outside their little network this thing would get real ugly for Zinga real quick. We would have a strong congressman with little oposition in the future. Phil Hare will have strong opposition everytime he is on the ballot. Your right this district is set up for a Democrat to win but we are only a little over four years from redistricting. Are we going to get a gerrymandered district again after 2010? We wouldn’t need a gerrymandereed district with Sullivan. So what if Sullivan is pro-gun and a Democrat. Is their something wrong with being pro-gun? We are in the midwest. This candidate does not represent inner city Chicago. Take a look at the demographics of the 17th District as a whole, not just Rock Island, you will find that Sullivan is on par with the ideology of those constituents. - The Underground - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 7:05 pm: bigfellaphil, Goehl is no longer capable of delivering votes in adams county. - here and now - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 7:18 pm: Ok, no disrespect to John Sullivan, but he’s not ready for prime time. He hasn’t been tested. He ran against a tired Laura Kent and the anamoly will not continue. He is too conservative. Case in point, in the State Treasurer’s race, Mangieri, in the Democratic primary (who is more moderate than Sullivan), struggled in the liberal areas of Lane’s district. Granted he did fantastic in places like Macoupin County, but that will not win the day throughout the district. - anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 8:08 pm: And Phil Hare is? When has he won an election? - gravedigger - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 8:23 pm: Virgil Geohl is more than capable of delivering Adams County for Hare. He is fresh off a resounding primary victory for in the race for County/Clerk Recorder against the local Dem establishment, who are supporting Sullivan. I agree, Sullivan is not ready for prime time. - anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 8:34 pm: Clearly, the RI Dems are terrified of Sullivan. Republicans are too. And rightly so, he’ll get the automatic D votes in RI and Macon, and he’s already tapped into most everything else. Bring on Phil Hare!!! He will terrify most elderly folks and babies! Let’s color the 17th red. - anon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 10:16 pm: As a Rep. & someone who has worked with Sullivan, I think he would be tough to beat. He’s got good relationships with both R’s & D’s. - There and then - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 10:41 pm: Note to Here and now, who said “Case in point, in the State Treasurer’s race, Mangieri, in the Democratic primary (who is more moderate than Sullivan), struggled in the liberal areas of Lane’s district.” If Obama endorses Hare in a massive TV buy, then Hare will beat Sullivan in “the more liberal areas of the district”. If Obama wants to continue his broad-based geographic, bipartisan appeal in the state, then he has learned his lesson about primary endorsements and follow Durbin’s lead — who almost always endorses the downstate candidate (Poshard, Mangieri) because he knows as an incumbent he has little to fear in a primary challenge, but a lot to fear from disaffected conservative dems downstate. - Drew Hibbard - Tuesday, Apr 11, 06 @ 11:33 pm: In the current situation, Vern Hagstrom has a lot more influence than Virgil Goehl does. Vern is the county party chair, and Virgil’s not. It’s worth noting that Zinga won Adams County last election, and stands a good chance to do so again against a Rock Island Democrat who few know of. That’s just speaking for the one county, and not for the whole district. It seems to me that John G. wants to be the kingmaker in this whole process, but may potentially end up butting heads with many others who feel they deserve a piece of the process. That’s the feeling I’ve been getting from the entire situation so far. - anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 7:04 am: drew is right, Goehl only controls the votes from his precinct. 29 in the weighted process. - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 9:32 am: For the reasons stated on this thread, Congressman Evans should not have endorsed anyone. Not only did he choose one staffer over another, he picked someone who has never been elected to an office. John Sullivan ran a VERY impressive race in 2002 and beat a long-time incumbent. And people must be careful when they state that a socially conservative candidate can’t win the 17th. Congressman Evans won the 17th because is Congressman Evans. Period. It’s a whole new ballgame now. - gravedigger - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:19 am: Would you feel the same way if Lane had endorsed Sullivan? - McDem - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 10:50 am: At our meeting of County Chairs in Springfield Tuesday we had a good discussion of the process. Phil Hare and Senator John Sullivan where the only candidates over which there was any serious discussion. It looks like everyone has figured out that Sullivan is the front runner. My “exit poll” shows Sullivan in the lead among the County Chairs. It’s still a long process with a lot of details to be worked out. - Go Go Girl - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 12:52 pm: What about Rep. M. Boland from East Moline? He is actively pursuing the congressional appointment to the ballot. No mention of him? I am not a fan of his but he is sure acting like he’s got it sewn up. - Anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 1:52 pm: I like John Sullivan, but he’s not capable of raising the money to win this race. I can tell you that the national party won’t put as much money into this race if Sullivan is on the ballot. Although I think Sullivan is a rising star in the party, I don’t think he’s ready for this type of race yet. A congressional race is a whole different ballgame than that of a state senate race. Lastly, the county chairman really mean nothing in this race. It will come down to how the committeemen themselves vote. I think it’s pathetic that Verne Hagstrom runs around claiming control of 20,000 votes. No one should be playing “kingmaker” in this process, not Hagstrom or John G or Don Johnston. The good of the party should be put in front of the self-interest of the county chairman. - anon - Wednesday, Apr 12, 06 @ 2:53 pm: I like Phil Hare but he is not capable of genereating the votes needed to win. - True Blue from RI County - Wednesday, Jan 10, 07 @ 6:37 pm: After all is said and done, Congressman Phil Hare is now representing the 17th district of IL. For those RI County bashers, remember, Lane did have competition from downstate - Mark Baker wasn’t from RI County - he didn’t move up there until he lost to Lane and then Ms. Meersman & Co. thought they could transplant him and run him again! (That didn’t work either!) Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.