Dillard’s not so secret secret
Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Pretty much everybody knows that Sen. Kirk Dillard will choose Rep. Jil Tracy as his running mate, so Sen. Dillard didn’t even try too hard to hide it this week…
“Let me tell you without divulging secrets, the people of Southern Illinois will be extremely pleased with who my running mate is,” Dillard said. “It is rumored out there that it is somebody who grew up in deep Southern Illinois and might even be a double SIU Saluki graduate.”
Dillard also dropped a hint that it was a woman. […]
State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) has been widely rumored to be Dillard’s choice for Lt. Governor. She was born in Carbondale, Illinois and lived in Anna. She graduated from Southern Illinois University with both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree. She has been in the State House since 2006.
Tracy said earlier this week an announcement would be made next week and Dillard says he’ll make his official announcement in southern Illinois sometime after the holiday.
Thoughts on Tracy?
- Nieva - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:01 pm:
I live in Southern Illinois and never heard of her.
- 4 percent - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:12 pm:
Solid choice. Well educated and successful family business. Understands the issues and not a rabid lawmaker.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:16 pm:
Jil is great, maybe the coolest in the House. Smart, fun, engaging, and relatable she is a great pick and most importantly she can pick up the tab for her travel.
- John Galt - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:22 pm:
Good choice. Sharp, well respected. Could be a credible statewide candidate. Knows Springfield enough, but hasn’t been around for too long.
- Sunshine - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:26 pm:
It can be a positive thing not be heard of these days in the political arena.
- Whatever - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:28 pm:
Boring….typical of Dillard to step on his own story.
- Downstate - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:28 pm:
I’m no Dillard fan, but the choice certainly improves my thoughts about him.
Her family business is VERY impressive.
- Southwest Cook - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:34 pm:
Great pick for Dillard - should help him win Western Illinois in the primary this time. Jil also won’t hurt his chances in November. If they don’t win, she could always run against John Sullivan for Senate in 2016.
- Keep Calm and Carry On - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:37 pm:
Good choice
- Wally - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:38 pm:
Don’t know a thing about her except she looks like she could be Kirk’s sister.
- Mokenavince - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:41 pm:
It would be a better choice for her to run for Governor and him for Gov. Light.
- Rahm'sMiddleFinger - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:43 pm:
Great choice. Jilly Tracy is excellent.
One more hit to an already pathetic House GOP caucus though.
- Brendan - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:50 pm:
A native of Anna, IL a place that isn’t exactly known for its progressive views on race.
Ask any native what the locals say ANNA “means” and you’ll understand why.
- Bill White - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:56 pm:
Any leaks from the Rutherford, Rauner or Brady campaigns?
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 1:56 pm:
Brendan, while that’s historically been true, she did leave.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:02 pm:
He should have picked Dick Tracy for help on “The Case of the Missing Contributors.”
- MrJM - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:04 pm:
Please, please tell me she’s going to campaign with him as JIL.
– MrJM
- Just Me - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:06 pm:
Always liked her….until she hitched herself onto the über conservative train.
- Frost - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:06 pm:
Brendan– there are many fine people in Anna who don’t feel that way. That comment is unnecessary.
Rich- by suggesting that the comment may be true but “she did leave” is a discredits the many fine people in Anna who have chosen to stay.
Both of you seem to be painting with a very broad brush and perpetuating a stereotype that is not necessarily true.
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:09 pm:
So will we see Jil-Lard signs?
- too obvious - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:23 pm:
At best, his second choice. Dillard desperately wanted Erika Harold, but she’s too smart and wouldn’t bite.
- Kay - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 2:31 pm:
Great choice. She was impressive on the Blago impeachment committee, and she is both smart and fun. Plus it is nice to see a downstate woman on the ticket.
- Under Influenced - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 3:10 pm:
Eh, she is unimpressive.
1) Isn’t a great communicator
2) Lacks institutional knowledge (guess some may see this as a good thing?)
3) Doesn’t bring much name recognition outside of her area – bet you most people in Anna would ask “who?”
4) Has only been opposed in an election once (2006 - easily defeated the dem), so she has never been involved in a hotly contested, intense race = lacks campaign experience
5) Her campaign war chest is fairly light
But…I guess the question is, “who else is there?”
- Federalist - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 3:11 pm:
A solid record of voting for pension cuts, including those already retired.
- No to Tracy town - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 3:11 pm:
It will be nice to get her out of our district. The Tracy’s reek of money, Dot Foods. They try to make over towns and buy up all the real estate which makes them unpopular in some towns. Happy to see her off to the show piece job.
- Archiesmom - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 3:40 pm:
I sense a pattern of female running mates…
- Robert the Bruce - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 4:47 pm:
She too has “IL” in her name; “J Tracy” isn’t too bad though, so he should be ok.
- crazybleedingheart - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 4:52 pm:
Funny how many people find “her family business” so “impressive.”
The woman finished law school, passed the bar, and has been working as a government lawyer for quite some time now, all while raising 4 children.
But I guess marrying into money is still gonna be her biggest accomplishment and qualification in some folks’ minds.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 5:06 pm:
Two thoughts:
1. Meh
2. Who’s running for her seat and/or being appointed if she resigns? I’m going to have to talk to that person at some point on some inane bill.
The rest is just effluvia…including Dillard’s campaign
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 5:24 pm:
Whoops - missed one…
3. Worked for Lisa Madigan - that’ll pair well in an attack on Kirk’s Barack ad
- walkinfool - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 5:34 pm:
A lot like Dillard. Competent, capable, not especially exciting on the campaign trail.
Well written, designed and produced spots might do wonders.
We could do much worse in the Lt Gov candidate spot, and probably will.
- QUINCY - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 6:25 pm:
No great loss here in Quincy. Any retiree voting for her just remember wow.s tiring to take away our benifit. Dillard should have looked a little harder then her what a joke.
- reformer - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 6:38 pm:
A competent legislator who hasn’t shown the kind of leadership ability that someone a heartbeat away from the governor should possess.
- reformer - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 6:39 pm:
If she had the leadership potential, then why wasn’t her name seriously considered months ago to succeed Cross?
- Former Merit Comp Slave - Thursday, Aug 29, 13 @ 6:43 pm:
I used to like her but she, as my representative, is unresponsive, argumentative and if my views don’t match hers she basically tells me to shove it. Plus she’s now all about stripping public employee pensions, even those already retired. They won’t get my vote
- big brother - Friday, Aug 30, 13 @ 6:53 am:
I think Jil is a great choice. The insinuation, that because she was from Anna, she is racist, is simply appalling. NOTHING could be further from the truth and is a comment made from sheer ignorance.
- big sister - Friday, Aug 30, 13 @ 7:01 am:
Pension reform, as union members you elected the union officials, as a cititzen you elected the legislature. Instead of holding both sides feet to the fire for funding of your pension you turned a blind eye and now it is unsastainable. your eye was easily taken of the ball to look at the shiney object…new lucrative contracts every four years instead of raising the important questions of you leadership and demanding your pension be funded.
- Stephen A. Douglas, not Smith - Friday, Aug 30, 13 @ 8:01 am:
Former Circuit Clerk Randy Frese lost a nasty Senate race to John Sullivan. He will be first man up. That will motivate Sullivan to find a serious Dem challenger. That might be tougher than you think. The Adams County Democratic Party is a mess.
- Stephen A. Douglas, not Smith - Friday, Aug 30, 13 @ 8:03 am:
I’m talking about for the State Rep. seat Tracy is vacating.
- Stephen A. Douglas, not Smith - Friday, Aug 30, 13 @ 8:31 am:
Vacating may not be the proper term as I don’t know if she is doing that. Not running for re-election I meant to say. Sorry. First time caller.