*** UPDATED x1 *** Another Republican retires
Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From state Sen. Dan Duffy’s Facebook page…
In case you’re keeping count, that’s three House Republicans and two Senate Republicans who’ve announced they won’t be running next year.
By the way, there are two House Republicans in Duffy’s district. Rep. Ed Sullivan isn’t running again and Rep. Dave McSweeney just told me he is staying put in the House.
*** UPDATE *** Well, this solves a problem in that Sullivan district. Press release…
Hawthorn Woods resident and nonprofit executive Dan McConchie announced Thursday that he is seeking the Republican nomination in Illinois Senate District 26. The incumbent, conservative Republican Senator Dan Duffy, announced today that he is not running for re-election.
“Our conservative district deserves strong conservative leadership,” said Dan McConchie. “Like Senator Duffy, I will be a principled advocate for lower taxes, smarter government and will uphold the conservative values we hold dear.”
Before Duffy’s unexpected announcement, Dan McConchie was running for state representative in the 51st House District.
“My goal of running for office has always been to help bring my experience and success in legislative work around the country to the pressing needs we have in Springfield. There is an even greater need of strong conservative advocates in our Senate. Senator Duffy has been a role model in the principled stands he has taken. I look forward to representing the 26th Senate District as well as he has.”
Back on August 27, Duffy had endorsed Dan McConchie for state representative in House District 51.
Dan is a lifelong conservative with a proven track record of accomplishment in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Having been responsible both to manage an organizational budget and to meet a payroll, he understands exactly what Illinois families and small business owners face in every day under our dysfunctional state government. As a national expert on state legislation, he has committed to bringing his experience in legislative strategy, marketing, coalition building and grassroots advocacy to furthering Governor Rauner’s pro-growth agenda in Springfield.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:09 pm:
Lots of recruiting and clearing of fields…
- too obvious - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:09 pm:
Another hothead off the field. That’s progress.
Thank you for the positive news.
- Juice - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:12 pm:
No he can go back to running those red light cameras with wanton abandon.
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:12 pm:
To complete my last post, i fear the type of republican waiting in the wings in that district!
- Anon2U - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:14 pm:
Meh. Duffy added little and his departure only clears the way for someone who wants to get something done to step in. And why does EVERY FB post of his end with a question? Other than putting another seat in play he will not be missed by his fellow caucus members. Do they even know he is there now?
- 1776 - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:14 pm:
Thank goodness… One of the biggest blowhards ever elected who leaves office with absolutely zero legacy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
The 2016 state House and state Senate races are just going to be incredibly riveting.
Street by street, block by block, building by building.
The Comptroller Race will be the most fascinating, but the Statehouse races, I know I’ll be riveted in the Primaries and the General.
- Anon - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
He can now return to making movies. I loved him in Fargo and the Cooler!
- Corporate Thug - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:16 pm:
Peace out, Duffy. My day is made.
- T.T. - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:16 pm:
And just one Dem pulling the plug so far: John Sullivan. I would have bet more Democrats would be jumping ship than GOPers…still time for more, I guess.
- Touré's Latte - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:20 pm:
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:15 pm:
LOL HEY! I was drinking coffee here!
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:20 pm:
OK everybody, this is fair warning, stop and look both ways before entering the crosswalk. Dan Duffy is back in town.
- Juvenal - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:25 pm:
Michelle -
LOL.
- nona - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:27 pm:
Duffy’s crusade to end the use of red-light cameras has been a dud.
- AC - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:30 pm:
The question he’d never ask: Do you think Republican legislators would support term limits if they were in the majority?
- A guy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:30 pm:
Tears are kinda hard to come by here.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:36 pm:
– I loved him in Fargo and The Cooler.–
William Macy? I don’t see it.
- 35/Shields - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:43 pm:
I saw that guy drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:43 pm:
I’m hopeful that McConchie and Sauer can work something out and perhaps come to an agreement in which one man can run for the House and the other can run for the Senate. Why not?
Duffy rarely got anything done, although he had some good transparency and good government legislation this spring. He was adept at raising Senator Munoz’s blood pressure.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:44 pm:
This is another sign that the political climate for the GOP has not improved with this governor. Republicans are leaving because they don’t want to fight with him, and worse, lose the next election because of him.
Rauner’s “shake up Springfield” needs to first effect the Republicans. He bought the party and then staked bounties upon the heads of those who disagreed with him. This forced the GOP in the GA into silence, since Rauner the Governor revealed himself to be little of what got him elected, and completely unable to do anything politically well.
Rauner is a deaf mess. He has no interest or respect for any differing opinions. Jim Edgar comes to Springfield regularly like a hospice priest, soothing grieving old-timers and giving them comfort as they pour out their silent confessions and concerns.
Government meltdown will continue and Rauner is going to publically dance around the bonfire he is making. This makes for a rough time to work in government as a public servant, or as an elected servant.
Duffy read the graffiti the Governor has scrawled upon our state - “Burn, Baby, Burn!” - and is leaving before he faces voters and asked to defend his part of the conflagration Rauner ignited.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 2:49 pm:
I’m curious how any meetings or chats between Governor Rauner and Senator Duffy went after Rep. Sullivan announced his retirement.
- Bluefish - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:04 pm:
So we now have 5 Republicans who are not running for re-election who SHOULD be able to vote their conscience. /s
- train111 - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:12 pm:
I wonder if the GOP Reps and Senators are feeling a profound sense of dissapointment as in “we’ve got a GOP Governor for the first time in 12 years-so now we should be able to partially run the show and get at least smoe things to go our way”–but find out the cold reality is that nothing is getting done and Springfield is one frustrating political stalemate right now–and hardly anything they may have wanted is being accomplished.
It’s kind of like the tea party folks being all up in arms about the GOP Congress they elected, that seems to have accomplished absolutely nothing in taking apart the Obama agenda. Another political stalemate.
Political stalemates are poisonous for the for the true believers and idealogues.
train111
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:19 pm:
To the Update;
Durkin, “Christine, he’s your problem now… “
- Former Hoosier - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:23 pm:
To the update: How many times do you need to say “conservative” in a press release in order to feel you have made your point?
- Tournaround Agenda - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:32 pm:
Notice the difference in tone when McConchie is talking about Duffy compared to Sullivan…
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:47 pm:
I called it before it happened!
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.
- Anon2U - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 3:55 pm:
McConchie = Duffy 2.0
Like replacing a donkey with a mule.
- walker - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 4:03 pm:
Dan probably was disappointed that the seat didn’t have the power he envisioned. Sounds like we might be moving from a successful entrepreneur with ideological leanings, to a professional ideologue. The new guy actually claims working as a political advocate makes him akin to a business manager. Step down.
- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 4:07 pm:
I’m for TERM LIMITS, but watch me walk out the door with this pension first.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 4:16 pm:
@35/Shields I see you are a Warren Zevon fan too. I’d hit you with an upvote if we had that capability here.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 4:20 pm:
Walker - that and he treated the position like it was his chance to crusade against red light cameras. He was like Don Quixote as the red light cameras were to the windmills.
- Person 8 - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 5:09 pm:
With these Republicans “retiring” any chance we get a deal without Rauner? If they are retiring, they owe no allegiance to Rauner and his money. Unless they plan on being one of his superstars.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 10, 15 @ 9:30 pm:
Conservativism must die or at least be relegated to an inconsequential minority movement. (Minority as in quantities, not ethnicity)