* Krishnamoorthi skips the exploratory committee and goes all in…
Raja (RAH-jah) Krishnamoorthi (krish-nah-MOOR-thee) today announced his intention to seek the 8th Congressional District seat, which includes the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth currently holds the seat, and she announced yesterday her plans to run for the U.S. Senate instead of re-election to the U.S House of Representatives.
“Tammy has been an excellent Representative for this district,” said Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat. “I want to continue Tammy’s advocacy for working families, with a focus on helping more people to succeed in the new economy. I will work hard to provide education and job opportunities so more families can achieve the economic security they need.”
Krishnamoorthi, 41, of Schaumburg, has a unique understanding of the challenges facing the U.S. economy and their implications for families and future workers. With successful experience in both the public and private sectors, he will go to Congress with clear ideas to help more Americans find good jobs and economic security in a changing world.
Raja currently serves as President of Sivananthan Labs and Episolar, Inc., small businesses that sell products in the national security and renewable energy industries. He is a co-founder of InSPIRE, a non-profit organization that provides training to Illinois students and veterans in solar technology, and was formerly Vice-Chairman of the Illinois Innovation Council, whose mission is to promote innovative technologies that support economic growth and job creation in Illinois.
“In our rapidly changing global economy, the ability of working families to reach and hold onto economic security is under threat.” Krishnamoorthi said. “We need people in Congress who understand the opportunities provided by the New Economy and how to make sure more Americans are prepared to seize them. That requires practical, pragmatic ideas and far less partisanship and politics. I want to help provide this leadership and ensure that the same opportunities that my family had to escape tough economic times exist for other working families today and into the future.”
Raja previously served as Illinois’s Deputy Treasurer, where he helped revamp the state’s unclaimed property system by using technology to increase the amount of property returned to taxpayers while cutting the program’s costs. He also helped run the state’s technology venture capital fund, assisting in the creation of hundreds of good-paying jobs in Illinois. In 2006, Raja was appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to serve as Special Assistant Attorney General in her Public Integrity Unit. He also served as a member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Raja ran for the 8th District seat in 2012, losing to Duckworth in the Democratic primary. He subsequently worked on her general election victory over incumbent Republican Joe Walsh. He will form a federal election campaign committee later this week.
The son of Indian immigrants to the U.S., Raja was raised in Peoria, Illinois, where he attended public schools and graduated as a valedictorian of his high school class. Raja earned his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in mechanical engineering from Princeton University and graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. Following law school, Raja clerked for a federal judge in Chicago, served as issues director for Barack Obama’s successful United States Senate campaign in 2004, and became a partner at an Illinois law firm.
Raja is married to Priya, a doctor at a local hospital. They live in Schaumburg with their sons Vijay, 9, and Vikram, 5, who attend public schools in District 54.
* Noland is up in 2016, so that could keep him sidelined…
Today Illinois State Senator Michael Noland announced that he is exploring a campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 8th district.
“I am seriously exploring this opportunity because I know that I can offer voters a bold and progressive vision for our nation’s future,” said Noland. “Over the coming weeks I plan on meeting with community leaders, organized labor, and all of the stakeholders who seek a progressive voice in this race.”
Noland, a Navy veteran, was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2006. While serving in the Senate he has been one of its most progressive members and has been a strong advocate for universal health care, a progressive income tax, and stronger ethics in government.
“We’ve been lucky to have Mike be our voice in the State Senate,” said Elgin Township Democratic Chairman Carl Strathmann. “I know that when he heads to Washington he will be a strong voice for working families and policies that will restore our faith in Congress.”
Noland was re-elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2010, and 2012. He is a 38-year resident of Elgin, where he lives with his wife Veronica and their two children.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:37 am:
Raja went to “triple dog dare mode, skipping double dog dare…”
Have to think Noland is making noise(?) at this point, keeping the name out there.
- LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:40 am:
Mike Noland: “Ask not what your country can do for you, something something something bold and progressive vision.”
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:43 am:
Joe Walsh interested?
- LizPhairTax - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:48 am:
Also, the pronunciation key from Raja’s people is helpful but I believe it’s pronounced “Dan Seals”
- anonin' - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:48 am:
SenatorLaHood dodged the question on repainting the office. Cuz4Congress already said save the taxpayer $$$ and leave it alone. Cuz4Congress leads 1-0
BTW it appears there be a need for a Cuz4Congress clone in the 8th. Perhaps the C4C could win the special and then leap north?
Think of the savings by holding 2 seats at once.
- Team Sleep - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 8:57 am:
No offense to Senator Noland - who would no doubt provide endless hours of humor for voters and media personnel alike - but Raja K. seems like the ideal DCCC candidate. He’s young, successful and has a good mix of business and political experience. And in a year like 2016, he’s the kind of guy who can generate a bit of excitement on his own. I almost hope that Joe Walsh throws his hat in the ring and gets NO support. As much as I hate writing off a district like that, it should be (hopefully) clear to the NRCC that it’s better to play defense in the 10th, 12th and 13th than it is to play offense in the 8th.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 9:05 am:
Where is Tom Cullerton? He is labor’s guy, and we need him now more than ever!!
- joe cannon - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 9:22 am:
cuz should have a painting party for constituents/supporters. but some pizza and beer, head over to Home Depot. I’d love that visual, in politico
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 9:39 am:
Raja worked hard for the Northside DFA endorsement when he was running against Duckworth in the Dem primary.
He mapped the personal relations of those involved. He personally lobbied people he judged to be influential. He got his key allies to lobby people they had personal relations with. He got the key people to speak for him in the meeting when the endorsement vote was taken.
When Raja is focused on something, he’s very good at doing what needs to be done and winning over the people he needs on his side.
Based on this, I think he will be quite effective as a legislator.
I am curious about Raja’s personal politics at this point. At times he sounded like he was as far Right as Melissa Bean.
Also, I had a friend (a Duckworth supporter who lives in the district) observe that Raja’s support–especially in South Asian community–seemed to be overwhelmingly men. Public events where the candidate is surrounded by men with few women give a “patriarchy” vibe. Raja’s campaign should make an effort to avoid this.
In Democratic Primaries, most of the voters are women.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 9:49 am:
Tom Cullerton: is he labor’s guy?
I still associate TCull with his answer on the graduated income tax to IVI-IPO. He said he couldn’t support a graduated income tax until he saw how it worked.
Apparently, TCull has never filed his own federal income taxes nor studied federal tax policy.
And then there’s TCull’s idea that evicting tenants should be more violent and landlords should be able to use any muscle-for-hire with a PI license.
- nona - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 9:55 am:
If Sen. Noland throws his hat in the ring, that would lead to candidates to run for his Senate seat. Could be interesting competition in the NW ‘burbs.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 10:09 am:
Come on Tom Cullerton!
- The Captain - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 11:02 am:
Raja has a good donor base and is a proven fundraiser. Also, the Indian community has been a reliable part of Illinois Democratic fundraising for the last few decades and now they have a chance to elect one of their own. I think it’s smart that he’s going all in right away, tomorrow is the first day of the next quarter and if he can show a big number I think there’s a good chance that the party apparatus (the DCCC) will see him most favorably.
Noland and Cullerton can’t use their state account so if they want in they have to start from scratch and find federal donors quickly. If they don’t get in by the end of April then they may as well wait until the following quarter and if they wait another quarter it will probably be too late.
- The Historian - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 11:30 am:
I don’t have a vote in the 8th CD, but of all the hundreds of people in Illinois politics I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with, there’s no question that Raja is one of the most impressive, and the # of volunteer hours he put in on one particular past campaign for someone else is almost mind-boggling….
- 1776 - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 12:11 pm:
Run Mike Run… pretty please.
- PoliticalPro - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
Illinois Senator Mike Noland has ten times the qualifications of legacy political candidate Darrin LaHood. Rather than “fluff Noland off” like he’s nobody, why not afford Mike the same spin you’ve given LaHood? Yes, Noland’s dad is not a rich lobbyist or be part of a political dynasty, but at least he’s one of us.
- A guy - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 1:50 pm:
It would be a great benefit to the voters there if all 3 run. That said, I wouldn’t limit it to only the 3 of them.
- nona - Tuesday, Mar 31, 15 @ 4:17 pm:
Apply the same standard to state Senator LaHood, who has been in office since 2011, as to Sen. Noland, who has been there since 2007? But partisan double standards are so much fun!