Boykin gearing up for US Senate bid
Wednesday, Aug 5, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* African-American politicians have been whispering about Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin’s possible US Senate bid for a couple of weeks now. Boykin, who is black, is suspected by some (without any hard evidence) of being a plant…
Boykin would be running against U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who has the support of powerful U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin — and former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp, who could garner huge support in the African-American community and has the support of former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley.
Is Boykin hoping to shave votes away from Zopp in order to help Duckworth?
“I have not talked to Senator Durbin and I don’t look at my entry as taking votes away from Zopp or Duckworth,” he told Sneed.
But this is the more likely reason…
It’s been suggested by top Dem sources Boykin, who has signaled intentions to eventually run for the congressional seat of his old boss when and if Davis retires, is also hoping to start building up a future federal account of support and campaign cash by running against Kirk now.
* Meanwhile…
An attempt by a veteran Southwest Side state lawmaker to resign his seat early and install his son as his replacement has run into what some might consider an unlikely obstacle.
Cook County Commissioner John P. Daley confirmed Monday that he had blocked an effort by state Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, to give his seat to his son, Alex.
Acevedo, a former Chicago police officer first elected to the General Assembly in 1996, had previously made known his intention to resign at the end of this term. His son has already declared he will be a candidate to replace him in 2016.
But in what has become a commonplace maneuver by Chicago politicians, Acevedo sought to give up his position now to allow his son to be put in office early by a vote of the Democratic ward committeemen representing the legislative district.
Commissioner Daley had earlier decided not to appoint Patrick Daley Thompson to 11th Ward alderman James Balcer’s seat after Balcer announced his retirement. If Thompson had to run, so will Acevedo.
* Related…
* Reversal of Fortune: How GOP-Style Primaries Are Threatening Senate Democrats - Intraparty fights produced damaged Republican candidates in cycles past, but for 2016, it’s establishment Democrats who see their favorite picks imperiled
- A guy - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 9:44 am:
Boykin. Wow. Get ready to her some poetry.
- walker - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:02 am:
Beginning to wonder if “also-ran” is widely considered a resume builder for future races. Look at the Presidential.
Used to be adding a loss to the resume hurt. Maybe name recognition is paramount now.
- Formerly Known As... - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:10 am:
==If Thompson had to run, so will Acevedo==
Fair enough. Rare to say it, but kudos to a Daley.
Also, @walker raises a great question.
- Alexander - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:13 am:
This is rich. Richard Boykin, the relatively junior member of the Cook County Board? Ready for the prime time? hmmmm.
I would guess that 99.9% of the voting public has no idea who he is. And the .1% who knows him only knows him as the Democrat who helped the Republicans elect Kirk to the Senate in the first place! Remember when the Kirk campaign trotted Richard out to assure the AA community that Kirk’s racially insensitive comments during the 2010 race were misunderstood? That was years before the Senator gave us “Bro with no Ho” & “this is why we drive fast through the South Side”.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:20 am:
Boykin? As a way to delute Zopp, help Duckworth, and have a chit and name ID for a congressional run later? Yeah, ok. That’s assuming Zopp is a real candidate, but “why take a chance?” and Boykin getting done run, yeah, ok…
Daley putting a brick on the appointment? The nephew had to run, in the 11th Ward, so yeah, no free pass will be given with Committeeman Daley, and no sympathy either.
Petition time is just around the corner…
- The Velour Nail - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:20 am:
Unfortunate that Boykin splits support from Zopp and basically ensures Duckworth wins the primary. We need a fourth candidate, please–from downstate would be ideal.
- Shoe Searer - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:25 am:
Don’t want to let those pesky voters get in the way of keeping a House seat in the Acavedo family.
2nd district folks, a modest suggestion - vote someone who doesn’t conspicuously sneer at the concept of you playing a role in the electoral process.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:28 am:
Zopp is a real candidate. She’s raised more than 750k and is building an organization. I expect she’ll lose to Duckworth pretty badly.
I know Boykin…sort of. Seems like a nice enough guy, but there ain’t a lot of there there which means he’s the perfect replacement for Danny Davis. But this race? Good grief.
- ZC - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:30 am:
I don’t know if it helps, but being a failed also-ran early on in your career certainly doesn’t put a brick on it.
Daley II. Obama. Heck, Quinn.
Lots of second acts out there.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:52 am:
Let’s see, the Irish guy whose entire political career was a gift to him from his father now opposes a Latino family’s attempt to build a dynasty modeled precisely on the way so many Irish families have passed public office from generation to generation.
Did I get that right?
Look, I think Daley made the right decision here, but let’s be clear. He’s made the opposite decision repeatedly over the length of his career. What is it about Acevedo that made Daley suddenly discover his principles that have apparently been missing for decades?
- King Maker - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 10:58 am:
He can win with $3 million from Super PAC’s. All he has to do is run on republican talking points but wear democratic blue. Basically a Blue Dog in a blue state.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 11:03 am:
“Illinois should not be a dictatorship FROM Chicago.” That makes more sense.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 11:04 am:
Oops. Wrong thread. Sorry.
- Crazy Like a Fox - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 11:23 am:
Here is why Richard Boykin isn’t actually running against Mark Kirk:
http://abclocal.go.com/story?section=news/politics&id=7714744
Someone needs to start asking him why he’s really “running”
- Almost the Weekend - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 11:25 am:
If Boykin runs, a downstate Democrat might want to get into the race. Three candidates from Cook County and one downstate. Would be fun to watch those vote totals come in.
- Under Further Review - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 11:40 am:
Hats off to Commissioner Daley for objecting to this power grab by Acevedo. Daley’s reasoning was solid in that the district had recently been completely remapped, so that the new candidates will be running in a different district altogether.
- Boone's is Back - Wednesday, Aug 5, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
Didn’t Boykin endorse Kirk last time around? Sounds like he may be a stalking horse for him…
http://progressillinois.com/posts/content/2014/03/19/boykin-wins-crowded-democratic-race-cook-county-boards-1st-district-seat
===Boykin backed Republican Mark Kirk in the 2010 U.S. Senate race. During the county board race, Boykin was attacked for backing Kirk and making occasional donations to a few other Republicans.===