A thorough thumping
Wednesday, Apr 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Apparently, the only people surprised by Robin Kelly’s huge win yesterday were those on the far right…
Although he lost a hard fought campaign to anti-gun, anti-Tea Party extremist Robin Kelly on Tuesday night, Republican Paul McKinley had a more than respectable showing in a race that was deemed a no contest for the Democrat Party by the Chicago Media months before the primary election.
In the heavily Democrat district, McKinley received 17,994 votes, 22 percent overall with 98.5 percent of precincts reporting, after running a campaign with less $13,000 and zero support from the Illinois or National Republican Party (RNC).
Despite a full-on assault from local media outlets, led by the Chicago Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart and Fox Chicago’s Mike Flannery, McKinley also won two out of the three counties in the second district—taking Will County 43 to 41 percent and smashed her by 10 points in Kankakee County, 50 percent to Kelly’s 40.
Sorry, but 22 percent is a thorough thumping.
And just for a bit of recent historical perspective, Republican Brian Woodworth got 23 percent against Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. last November. And Woodworth also won Kankakee and Will counties. However, both McKinley and Woodworth outperformed Mitt Romney, who got 18.5 percent last November.
Counties don’t vote. People do. McKinley never had a chance, except in the fevered imaginations of hyper-partisans.
* In other news, this was a pretty big upset…
Political newcomer Jason Ashmore unseated longtime Sesser Mayor Ned Mitchell in a hotly contested race Tuesday.
Ashmore, 36, won by a vote of 713 over the 448 cast for Mitchell, mayor of the Franklin County city since 1979.
Voter turnout was high with an estimated 75 to 80 percent of registered voters casting ballots.
“I want to thank Mayor Mitchell for his service to the city, and I want to thank the voters of Sesser for the confidence they placed in me,” Ashmore said. “I promise I will not violate that trust.”
Mitchell once served in the Illinois Senate. He is also a huge Grateful Dead fan. Yeah, I know. I was surprised to hear that as well.
* To subscribers, who saw the polling last week, this wasn’t a surprise…
Jesse White’s chief of staff Tom Benigno lost his bid for Norridge Village President Tuesday night.
With all 10 precincts reporting, James Chmura of the Norridge Improvement Party had 53 percent of the vote to Benigno’s 39 percent. A third candidate, Riccardo Mora had about 7 percent of vote. In all, 3,603 votes were cast in the Cook County suburb.
* Other results…
Casey Urlacher, brother of former Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher, was elected mayor of the small town of Mettawa, in Lake County, in his first run for public office. Urlacher earned 61 percent of the vote. His challenger, Jeffrey Clark, earned 39 percent.
Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael lost his bid unseat the mayor of southwest suburban Romeoville. With all precincts reporting, incumbent Mayor John Noak received nearly 61 percent of the vote and McMichael received about 39 percent of the vote.
“I am honored that the people of Romeoville have placed their trust in me and our entire Romeoville United team for another four years,” Noak said in a victory statement.
Mother Wendy Casey and her son Randall Casey were both defeated in the race for Dixmoor village president by village trustee Dorothy Armstrong. Wendy Casey and Randall Casey each earned less than 10 percent of the 515 votes cast.
Also, my former intern Mike Murray lost his Schaumburg trustee race. Must’ve been that milk carton.
Any surprises by you?
* Related…
* No go for Mongo — McMichael loses Romeoville mayor’s bid; incumbents out in Dolton, Oak Lawn
* Suburban municipal election results
* Hayes wants to lead ‘next phase’ in Arlington Heights
* Ninth term for Zabrocki in Tinley Park
* Bury ousts Heilmann for Oak Lawn mayor
* Handful of voters decide spending for IL schools, cities, counties
* Daily Kos Elections’ presidential results by congressional district for the 2012 and 2008 elections
- thechampaignlife - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:20 am:
Everyone I voted for lost… Not sure if I’m out of touch with the community or just really low turnout.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:21 am:
what’s up with Norridge and Tom Benigno losing? who was behind that effort? what are the politics in Norridge?
- just sayin' - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:22 am:
Leave it to the fringies at Brietbart to stick up for a convicted felon, a jailbird sent away for years for serious armed crimes, and a guy with an R by his name because the Dems wouldn’t give him the time of day.
The “rebranding” of the GOP is going real well.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:33 am:
Everyone I voted for, including the ballot initiative, lost.
– MrJM
- Shore - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:38 am:
there are 6 democrat held congressional seats where after gerrymandering obama got 57 percent of the vote or less. lipinski in particular at 55 percent. they should have done more to help their guys and gals out.
- cermak_rd - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:39 am:
Less than 10% of the registered voters bothered voting in Berwyn’s muni election. I know the mayor and aldercritters were all unopposed, but there were some contested park and school board positions.
At what point in time do I just weep for democracy?
- k3 - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:41 am:
From a Kankakee County perspective, the electorate here in no way represented what Robin will do in two years. The municipal election voters here are more conservative than general election voters. And the African-American voters did not come out in force.
- Nobody - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:43 am:
I am surprised that Springfield school sub-district 5 ended in a tie. Even more surprised that two decade village president of Dawson lost to political newcomer Jeremy Nunes.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:45 am:
I would be proud to be called an anti-Tea Party extremist. Nothing like being a bitter sore loser.
- phocion - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:48 am:
Huge win by independent businessman candidate in Oak Park over entrenched one-party rule candidate. End of the myopic tyranny of the “People’s Republic of Oak Park” now that the actual people have spoken?
- train111 - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:48 am:
West Chicago elementary school board district #33 which had a 3 day teachers’ strike this past winter.
5 candidates for 4 posts and the School Board President gets the heave ho!!!
train111
- Darienite - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:49 am:
In High School District 86 (Hinsdale, Darien, Bur Ridge) 3 of the 4 incumbants were voted out.
- Chi - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:52 am:
phocion-
what were the issues in that Oak Park race? surprised me that he won…
- Dem Watcher - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:53 am:
That vaunted Jesse White machine sure is something! First, they give us Derrick Smith, then, they can’t get him to step down, then they can’t keep him from winning his seat back, and lets not even start on Annazette Collins….and now they can’t get their top political guy elected mayor in a community of 17,000 — with the Speakers help even!! Wow.
Everyone loves Jesse, and that’s well deserved. But he better hope some well funded challenger doesn’t come along and start tearing apart his reputation with millions of dollars in ads, because it doesn’t look like he’s got much of an organization to fall back on.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:54 am:
I’m not sure what I am more surprised about in the Bloomington elections last night… that the turnout was only about 10 percent in an open seat mayoral contest or that a Democrat like Tari Renner so thoroughly dominated the contest.
Also, apparently the mayor of Heyworth was re-elected even with the story coming out in the Pantagraph a couple days before the election about him interfering in the local police’s cooperation with the Illinois Gaming Board investigation of video gaming at that bar that was shut down and discussed previously on this blog.
- phocion - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:57 am:
Chi,
The issues in OP are high taxes, inefficient government, high cost of municipal services, ruling elite indifference to bread and butter issues (e.g. core Village services).
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:58 am:
Kathy Adducci won big in River Forest for pres.
- Shore - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:08 pm:
- Dem Watcher - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 11:53 am:
That vaunted Jesse White machine sure is something! First, they give us Derrick Smith
—————-Staffers underestimate how hard it is to transition from aide to candidate to officeholder. A lot of them flop in running for for office and others that do get elected never figure out the skills that it takes to be a successful officeholder that officeholders who weren’t aides develop.
- whetstone - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:12 pm:
–only people surprised by Robin Kelly’s huge win yesterday were those on the far right–
FWIW, I don’t think this is actual surprise so much as morale building combined with projected victimhood: “Despite a full-on assault from local media outlets….” Even the Breitbartites don’t actually believe that it took the combined powers of the Trib and Fox Chicago to wreck the campaign of an ex-con Republican in Jesse Jr.’s district. They’re just feeding chum to the readers.
- Just Observing - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:26 pm:
Rich — You say above that “Sesser” served in the Senate — I think you mean Mitchell.
- Former State Employee 2 - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:27 pm:
Saviano won in Elmwood Park
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:30 pm:
===I think you mean Mitchell. ===
Yep. Changed.
Sesser and Mitchell have been one and the same for so long I guess I just didn’t realize what I was doing. lol
- Verbal Kint - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:38 pm:
Although I voted for him, I can’t say that I’m surprised Heilmann lost in Oak Lawn. When the popular village clerk came out with her endorsement of the challenger, I think Dave knew the writing was on the wall.
Also not surprised to see the incumbent Worth Township slate wiped out. In the battle of yard signs, the challengers outnumbered the incumbent at least 3-1
- Dave - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 12:42 pm:
John Spring was trounced in the mayoral race in Quincy ending over three decades of Dem dominance.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
I’m surprise Breitbart didn’t just announce a win for Paul McKinley.
- Anon - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:22 pm:
In 2002, the METRA conductor on the train I used to ride, Bill Berry, ran against Henry Hyde. He spent no money and got 35% of the vote. There will always be a built in opposition vote to a person, party or both. McKinley arguably got not one vote above what a head of lettuce would have received.
- Endangered Moderate Species - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:30 pm:
Rebel Pundit describes “respectable showing” as 22 percent overall but he describes 50 to 40 with, “smashed her by 10 points in Kankakee County, 50 percent to Kelly’s 40.”
Rebel Pundit, who you crappin’?
- Boone Logan Square - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:33 pm:
Anan Abu-Taleb, who runs Maya del Sol just south of the Oak Park green line stop, defeated the VMA to become village president in Oak Park.
I recommend the burger and (for Sunday brunch) the eggs benedict for anyone seeking an audience with the new president.
- John Wood - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:36 pm:
Dave is spot on. Sen. Sullivan and Rich’s favorite lobbyist Mike McClain couldn’t dump enough $$$ in to save Spring. Quincy/Adams County should just be annexed into Missouri.
- titan - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:45 pm:
I don’t know anyone (sane) who thought the 2nd District would go any differently - no matter who the D or the R were.
- Jake from Elwood - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 1:56 pm:
A very contentious Village President race in Island Lake (Lake County) resulted in the ouster of the incumbent and the return of the former Village President and his slate overwhelmingly.
In Hebron (McHenry County) a mayoral challenger defeated an incumbent mayor despite the challenger’s recent arrest (note: innocent until proven guilty) for possession of crack cocaine.
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:01 pm:
Wheeling had a trustee, Dean Argiris, win, who claimed endorsements he never had (Gov. Quinn, Rep. Sente) over the current Village President, Judy Abruscato and former President and Trustee Patrick Horcher. Horcher was a favorite to win, but the turnout was so low, it allowed Argiris to win. Such a shame…
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:02 pm:
By the way, Endangered Moderate Species, great use of a Boers and Bernstein reference!
- Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:26 pm:
Did people really think even Romeoville could muster enough courage up to elect, albeit a well-known ex-1986 World Champion Chicago Bear, a guy who SERiously still goes primarily by the nickname “Mongo?!” (Lol). Nice man but should stick to commenting on the NFL and running what I hear is a decent Restaurant. It was refreshing to see a Village of folks (2 of my own family members live there) ignore all of the glitz, glare, and hype surrounding Steve McMichael and re-elect a competent Mayor with a good track record.
Gee-my faith in the system of Democracy actually working properly and eliciting the actal, best, most qualified Candidate once in awhile was somewhat restored when I learned about the results in Romeoville. (Hope I stated that in adequate-enough English for you, AA–maybe you’d better read it again, just in case…pfff)!
- Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:29 pm:
That was “the actual, best…”! (Oh woe is me–I acTUALLY don’t get the spelling right the 1st time around)!
- HaroldVK - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:39 pm:
Just,
Have you met Steve McMichael?
Despite his image, he’s actually a very smart and very nice guy.
I would like to see him run for office again.
- LisleMike - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 2:55 pm:
Someone fact check me, but I’m sure I recall Steve McMichael saying he wanted to be Mayor to “insure his kids had a good school”. That would be perview of School Board, not Municipal Hall. I met and him he is a nice guy, but perhaps politics does not seem to be his arena.
- Just The Way It Is One - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 3:13 pm:
HVK,
I didn’t say Mongo is not smart, and specified also that he is a nice man. Love the guy. My main point, however, is that it’s admirable the voters of Romeoville at least took their responsibility as the Electorate seriously and put Democracy to work in re-electing the man/Mayor who was most definitely worthy of re-election and better qualified for the post overall than Steve, that’s all. And of course he’s always free to run again in the future as well–that, too, is what Democracy is all about, but he now must clearly see that if he figured he’d more likely than not win based in large parton his great and wider popularity, that is surely not the case when it comes to a serious matter like electing a City’s/Town’s/Village’s Mayor!
- Under Influenced - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 3:16 pm:
Ashmore started working on the race last Spring. Congrats to him for working his tail off and pulling off the upset.
- Arthur Andersen - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 4:28 pm:
Just the Way, excellent! All good here.
In case anyone missed it, former Rep. Laurel Prussing whupped her right-wing opponent by about the same 60-40 margin in a rematch to earn a second term as Czarina of the People’s Republic of Urbana. Across Wright Street, Mayor Gerard did not stand for election, but (almost) earned his second order of protection in the past twelve months yesterday. Virgil Wikoff is spinning in his grave.
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 4:45 pm:
==Czarina of the People’s Republic of Urbana==
Talk about a mixed metaphor!
They can be confusing in Urbana.
- MrJM - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 5:55 pm:
@HVK — Steve McMichael’s ignoble tenure marked the beginning of the end for the Four Horsemen. http://goo.gl/c4ZzM
That alone should permanently disqualify him from public office.
Whoooooo!
– MrJM
- dawson resident - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 6:49 pm:
The election of Mr. Nunes as Dawson village president did not surprise me. I saw his signs everywhere. I received a phone message from him and his brochures were left at my front door. I never heard a word from Mr. Day. In fact, I have lived here over a decade and Mr. Day has never initiated any interaction with me.
If you were to go read the Tri City Registers write-ups of the village board meetings you would see that Mr. Nunes has been paying particular expenses to the village unnecessary expenses. Three village trustees endorsed him.
Just because someone has been village president of a small village doesn’t mean they are politically connected. There were only around 150 votes cast.
- RNUG Fan - Wednesday, Apr 10, 13 @ 7:15 pm:
Galesburg tossed its mayor which it now does every 4 years because no one can get it out of its rut