*** UPDATE *** Dold is in. From an e-mail to supporters…
Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many of you about the problems you are facing in your businesses, in your households, and in your communities. You have encouraged me to carry your voice forward in 2014.
With deep reflection, and strong support from you, Danielle and our kids, my family and friends, I wanted to share with you first that I’ve made the decision to step forward and run in 2014 to represent the 10th District of Illinois.
I want to personally thank you for your continued encouragement. Running for office is never an easy decision for any candidate or their families, but this decision is much larger than my family and I; it is about serving our community and country.
I hope you will join me as we lay out our vision, together, for a more prosperous 10th District.
Very truly yours,
Bob Dold
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Roll Call’s Emily Cahn reports…
Former Rep. Robert Dold, the Illinois Republican ousted after one term in 2012, is in the final stages of planning for a rematch in the 10th District.
Multiple sources confirm to CQ Roll Call that Dold has started to interview campaign staff and is close to officially jumping into the race.
In a brief phone interview, Dold cautioned he is still weighing the decision with his family. But he confirmed he will likely make a decision about the race “within the next several days.” […]
Dold’s campaign account remains open with the Federal Election Commission from the 2012 cycle, although he did not raise any funds in the first quarter of 2013.
Thoughts?
- Just Observing - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:12 am:
He might win; he might lose.
- walkinfool - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:15 am:
Good campaigner. Moderate image which matches the district. It’ll be a horse race, even with remapping.
- WizzardOfOzzie - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:17 am:
Brad Schneider is really smart. He improved considerably during the campaign and will be much better positioned this time around. Dold started will a few million in the bank, he’ll have to start from scratch this time around.
- The Muse - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:24 am:
Dold failed to take advantage of his incumbent status and a fairly unfamiliar guy like Schneider took him out. It could be interesting but like WizardOfOzzie said, Scneider is better positioned.
- Keep Calm and Carry On - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:26 am:
He’s already off to a better start than Callis.
- so... - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:27 am:
Free advice: Get new campaign staff.
- Empty Chair - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:29 am:
@Wiz - To say Schneider improved is an understatement. The guy was a powerpoint guy and is now a living room guy. He used to not look people in the eye and now is very impressive in one-on-ones. He’s really come a long way. He’s also done all the right things since getting elected, including a trip to Israel, lots of community outreach, and solid fundraising. I think Dold underestimates (as he did in 12) how strong of an opponent Schneider is. Oh, and he’s the incumbent now.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:40 am:
He probably figures quite a few voters who supported the Obama ticket (and Schneider) won’t come out and vote during a non-presidential election. He could be right.
- Responsa - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:46 am:
Glad to hear it. I agree that he needs to make some changes/updates in his staff. But Dold only narrowly lost to Schneider and Schneider has been a big zero so far. His few interviews have been yawners and Brad has recently commented something to the effect that he is still learning the ropes and the issues– which reinforced to many that he was not prepared to hit the ground running in D.C.. Also, Schneider has made no attempt to reach out to his 10th district constituents. (It is really not all that difficult to get a record of registered voters in the district– and congresspeople do have franking privileges.)
So why do people say Brad is so smart?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:48 am:
I like the Dold-Schneider rematch for Dold.
Needs better media, needs better election day, needs to tighten up support, and lastly, needs to focus on Schneider and the District, not the DC talking points.
“It’s a ‘North Shore’ thing”.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:48 am:
Not surprising, given how close it was last time.
- Team America - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:56 am:
Dold was good material to begin with, and he learned a lot of lessons about campaigning this past cycle. Schneider is still getting over his surprise that he won. Advantage: Dold.
- James - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:58 am:
Voting between Brad and Bob Dold is like choosing between “Natural Vanilla” and “Homemade Vanilla” at the grocery store.
- Wumpus - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 11:59 am:
Is that Dold with a d or an e?
- Darienite - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 12:08 pm:
As no President is being elected, Schneider cannot ride Obamas coattail, as the case in ‘12. In fact with a strong Republican candidate for governor, …… -strike last thought.
- Dan - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 12:13 pm:
It would help if Dold lived in the district he wants to run in.
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 12:24 pm:
Any chance Schneider releases his tax returns for the 2014 campaign?
- Esquire - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 1:18 pm:
This could be a photo finish.
- G. Willickers - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 1:30 pm:
@Responsa - “Also, Schneider has made no attempt to reach out to his 10th district constituents”
Blah blah blah.
This is as lame, and false, a talking point as Dold’s attempts to distance himself from the Tea Party and the failed Paul Ryan budgets he kept voting for.
Schneider has been everywhere in his district — talking to businesses, attending roundtables, participating in community events, yada, yada.
Dold might be sitting in the back row of a few local events every now and then but he also chose recently to buy a house outside the district anyway. Doesn’t show much of an effort on Dold’s part to … What’s the phrase? … “Reach out” ?
- Curmudgeon - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 1:54 pm:
Dold is still tarred in the eyes of many moderate Republicans up there by his running to the far right in his first primary and accepting the Tea Party planeloads flown into the District on his behalf. Cost him his reelection, I believe.
- Adam Smith - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:00 pm:
Without Obama bringing a significant increase in D turnout, especially in Waukegan Twp, Schneider is in trouble.
Dold significantly out-polled Romney and the rest of the GOP so he has strong cross-over appeal.
If he can come close to the $$$ he raised in ‘10 and ‘12 he will be a slight favorite in ‘14.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:07 pm:
Hope Schneider reruns this ad. One of the best of 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ttQDi7zbw
- slow down - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:07 pm:
While it’s true that Schneider can’t count on Obama to drive turn out, it’s still a leans Dem district and it’s a pretty good lean. Dold will do everything he can to claim the mantle of indepdence but it’s a hard argument to win when you voted for Paul Ryan’s budget.
- hisgirlfriday - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:07 pm:
errr that’s 2012.
- k3_Spfld_Chi - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:18 pm:
Did Quinn have to give Dick Green a job to make this happen? He had to have offered a job to someone, wouldn’t make sense without it.
- Shore - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:19 pm:
The issues are going to be hard for Dold. Guns, Gay Marriage, and immigration weren’t issues 7 months ago and he’ll have to adopt kirk’s positions at the minimum which will put him at odds with the base.
He doesn’t live in the district anymore and there’s virtually no history of late of republicans losing heavily democratic seats and then coming back to win them in later cycles. Schneider is an incredibly underwhelming candidate though. If seals were the incumbent this would not be a race.
- G. Willickers - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:21 pm:
@TeamAmerica - “Dold was good material to begin with, and he learned a lot of lessons about campaigning this past cycle. Schneider is still getting over his surprise that he won. Advantage: Dold.”
Schneider was good material to begin with, and he learned a lot of lessons about campaigning this past cycle. Dold is still getting over his surprise that he lost. Advantage: Schneider.
See how easy that is?
–
@RRW - “Any chance Schneider releases his tax returns for the 2014 campaign?”
Any chance Dold will move into the district for the 2014 campaign?
See how easy that is?
- siriusly - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:21 pm:
James: too funny. Vanilla vs. Vanilla great. You’re right as candidates they are similarly unexciting.
Makes sense for Dold to try again. It will be an extremely close race, what Schnieder loses with the non-presidential year he may gain from incumbency and a strong governor candidate (TBD).
Slight edge to Schneider I think.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:23 pm:
Dold-Schneider, Callis-Davis…
Going to be exciting that is for sure.
Who is left out there, will Bustos face a “rematch”?
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:25 pm:
Ah yes, Schneider has been a ball of fire since being elected to Congress. So say wishful 10th Congressional Democrats busy talking to their mirrors.
- Former Downstater - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:26 pm:
To paraphrase the reporter who interviewed Judge Callis, “what has Schneider done so wrong that you’d be running against him already?”
- slow down - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:31 pm:
Louis, it’s not that he’s been a ball of fire, it’s that he’s been the same moderate type member that Kirk always was when he had the job. Dold may well further moderate himself on guns and gay marriage but he still has to answer for voting for Paul Ryan’s budget. That vote lets Schneider paint Dold as a Tea Party Republican and that’s a killer in this district.
- Shore - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 2:57 pm:
the voters that get dold from where he was in 2012 to dc in 2015 is the obama 2012 voter that doesn’t show up to vote/doesn’t bother to vote for the race and the kirk for senate voter that essentially thinks dold is as socially liberal as the voter/kirk but doesn’t like what obama’s done on the economy. that means dold, who was a conservative in his primary in 2010 has to announce publicly his embrace of the democratic party’s views on guns, gays and immigration just for starters and has to renounce the ryan budget which he previously voted for.
If schnedier establishes early that dold=national gop he should be more than fine.
It’s also I think a major race for the GLBT community because schneider was the first general election candidate in 2012 in American political history to use support for GLBT issues as a reason to vote for him over dold.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 3:09 pm:
“I’ve had the opportunity to speak with many of you about the problems you are facing in your businesses, in your households, and in your communities.”
Funny, I don’t recall Dold visiting our community and he didn’t seem interested in addressing our problems when he was Congressman.
- Plutocrat03 - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 3:09 pm:
You men the budget that shaft people less than the current budget is doing?
Not as big a millstone around Dold’s neck as you wish to believe. The fun parts of Ahca will be kicking in by ‘16 and the Ryan budget will look much better by then
- shore - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 3:46 pm:
wens-that email was to his supporters, not his former constituents. I sincerely doubt he walked the streets of waukegan asking people if he should run again.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 4:11 pm:
Which budget did Schneider vote for this year? Answer, none of them. He was one of only 6 Congressmen to NOT vote for any of the budgets presented, including the Senate version of Reid.
Yup. Some ball of fire. Capable of taking tough votes? Hardly.
- Wensicia - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 4:22 pm:
@shore,
Are you telling me Dold hasn’t any supporters from Waukegan, other far north and western communities?
That’s ok; I have a pretty good idea from which communities Dold receives the most support.
- slow down - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 4:25 pm:
Louis, I get you don’t like Schneider (just who is calling him a ball of fire anyway?) but that doesn’t mean that Dold’s votes for Paul Ryan’s budget are going away. Ending the Medicare guarantee isn’t exactly the way to prove your moderate credentials. This is still a dem heavy district we’re talking about.
- ebgill - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 4:45 pm:
Is Bob going to run on the end to the 40 hour work week, or making it illegal not to give a child a loaded gun?
- Responsa - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 5:36 pm:
OK I went out for a few hours and am laughing myself silly reading this thread. Apparently “Paul Ryan’s budget” is a favorite talking point, huh?
- Responsa - Wednesday, May 8, 13 @ 5:47 pm:
==This is still a dem heavy district we’re talking about.==
Oh, I’m sorry, I thought we were talking about the Tenth Congressional District of Illinois.