47 Comments - Abraham L - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 2:22 pm: House- Dan Thull. The guy is undefeated in Southern, Central and now Northern Illinois. He is meticulous in the details that bring voters to the polls. This year he took on a race the Governor’s superstars wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole and walked away with a double digit win. While other campaign workers took extended European vacations Dane kept working the precincts. Senate- The Governors office I suppose. - Anon - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 2:31 pm: Kayleen Carlson and Andrew Weissert. Both categories. Kayleen ran Darin LaHood last year, Shimkus primary (Remember club for growth wanted to take him out) and then capped the cycle by leading effort to net 6 legislative seats. Made smart decision after smart decision. Weissert: unsung data hero since 2013. Key driver of the targeting GOP did to maximize their opportunities while recognizes weaknesses. Huge year for both. - Team Sleep - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 2:32 pm: House - Matt Butcher and the tag team of Jeff Wilhite and Jay Bergles. Mr. Butcher put together an awesome effort for Rep. Jimenez that embarrassed Tony DelGiorno. Mr. Wilhite and Mr. Bergles did a great job getting Rep. Bourne’s race to the level of a beatdown. I know that Jeff works for the ILGOP but he still did a great job for an HRO race that made plenty of people sweat up until election week. Senate - Nick McNeely and Jon Wygant. Those two worked their tails off on behalf of Dave Fowler and it clearly showed. They were (and are) stellar. - J. Nolan - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 2:49 pm: This one is hard to split up house/senate because they ran the operation in a completely different manner than has been done before and with people on the ground most of the old guard probably hasn’t heard of. And it worked. My nomination is for Wally Swenson who was over the Southern region for the Rs. With out a doubt one of the hardest working, and most genuinely talented individuals (as a leader and manager) the Republican side has. Rarely do you find a person who has it that together professionally but also is extremely humble. His region was diverse (metro east to deep southern Illinois) but he navigated difficult candidates and kept the troops motivated to net a couple wins. - peets - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 2:55 pm: Whomever ran McAuliffe. Because that poor soul had to deal with the pressure from the top along with all the locals and their idea of how a campaign should be run. In short, a lot of traffic to manage. - A-Aron - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:01 pm: House: Jay Bergles for Team Avery Bourne. That dude walks more doors than any campaign staffer and makes his higher ups look good for keeping him around. Also worth Mentioning Matt Eddy. After only spending a month with Team Bryant in 2014 Matt stepped in and ran the whole show this year. For a family man with kids, he shows that he can run just as fast as all the young guns in the Rauner crew. - 2018 - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:01 pm: Matt Butcher with Rep. Jimenez. He handled the candidate and field program on his own with no additional staffing. They covered my precinct 3 times during the campaign. It was a well coordinated effort and the results showed on election day. - Anonymous - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:03 pm: House Kyle Haevers, McAuliffe. He managed a great campaign while having to manage large personalities in tough terrain where they weren’t expected to pull off the W. Senate Derek Murphy, Seth Lewis. Though they lost by a thin margin the Lewis campaign executed a massive ground game for a state legislative campaign and had a presence everywhere throughout the district. - 2018 - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:04 pm: Also for Senate Rachel Bold with Sen. Rezin. She also worked to coordinate efforts with both Jerry Long and David Welter on the house side. - Dude McDude - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:09 pm: House - Kayleen Carlson hands down. Even though she is relatively new to the scene of state campaigns (mostly federal races before this) she has shown the judgement and patience to handle crazed candidates and overworked staffers alike. She helped lead one of the most successful GOP house years in recent memory and is a total stone cold killer in the best way possible. Plus, anyone who can handle being one of Z’s top lieutenants deserves not just a Golden Horseshoe, buy also a freaking medal. She is the best. - Internet Commenter - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:10 pm: Jon Skarzynski, Parkhurst. He’s a fierce go getter who will run through a brick wall to get his job done. In a seat that was decided by the thinnest of margins year after year they finally brought it home. Jon deserves enormous credit for a landmark win. - recap - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:12 pm: Kyle Haevers - ran Rep. McAuliffe’s campaign like a pro. He managed all of the chefs in the kitchen while also taking on Madigan’s top henchman Marty Quinn. Rachel Bold - ran Sen. Rezin’s campaign. The only defense the GOP had on the senate side and took what could have been a big race out of contention early. - Raising Kane - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:14 pm: Rachel Bold did a great job on the Rezin race. They got in front of it and never let it get tight, despite the Senats Dems bragging about how she was the one they would pick up. Rachel has a very bright future ahead! - Northside City Dweller - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:14 pm: House - Kyle Haevers on McAuliffe’s race. Haevers was one of the top Rauner field staff in 2014 managing Lake County. This year, for reasons mentioned above, had the unenviable task of dealing with Madigan’s number 1 target. Haevers pulled off a big win despite millions spent against them and Madigan sending his top guys. Haevers went toe to toe with Marty Quinn and handed “The General” his first defeat in the city. - Old Man *** - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:22 pm: I’d like to nominate the Governor’s Political Operation as a whole for both House and Senate. Netting 4 House Seats and 2 Senate Seats is not an easy thing to do by any means. It’s very obvious that There work in conjunction with HRO and Senate Republicans is a force to be reckoned with. I can think of some individuals I could name, but I think they would rather go unnamed. A couple have already been mentioned above. The future is bright for the GOP.. - so... - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:23 pm: House - Kayleen Carlson. Her results speak for themselves - four net house seats in a Presidential election year. Truly an impressive achievement. Senate - Rachel Bold. Sue Rezin was the one Republican Senator the Dems said they would take out, and they didn’t even come close. That was largely due to Rachel. - Harry Stamper - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:28 pm: Jeff Wilhite with Rep. Bourne. I’ve known Jeffrey for a number of years and I have met few as hard working as he. Though often times he may come off as soft spoken he is a tireless competitor who has tremendous fire. He knows that district inside and out and knows how to communicate its values. A well deserved win indeed. - 1818 - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:30 pm: House GOP campaign staff: Matt Butcher. The guy knows his stuff. Has been through several cycles. Took on a race that was not really on the GOP radar, but was on the Dem radar, in a county with all the state employees, with a candidate who worked for the Rauners. He dealt expertly with the candidate, made sure a solid field plan was in place, raised enough money, ensured DPI kept their noses out of it, and delivered a thumping victory. House Dem campaign staff: whoever ran Katie Stuart race, the lone bright spot for House Dems. - Steve Reick - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:30 pm: I have to stick up for my guys Jordan Ryan and Dane Thull. They took what was generally described as a not-very-good candidate and took him across the finish line with room to spare. Despite leaving the campaign office after election day looking like the aftermath of the Animal House toga party, I’d take them back in a heartbeat. - Mr.Burbs - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:31 pm: House- Kyle Haevers. That race was a train wreck from day one and he was able to manage the personalities during a tough presidential to propel MM by a large margin. Senate- Derek Murphy. The Lewis race was the closest in the state, going up against one of the most entrenched Dems in Cullerton. They gave Cullerton a scare with a huge presence and the largest field program seen in legislative election history. - 4 percent - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:32 pm: Mike Z!!!! - 1818 - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:33 pm: Oops…I should read better next time. Senate GOP staff: yes, Rachel Bold. Absolutely. - 1867 - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:35 pm: Jeff Wilhite with Rep. Bourne. I’ve known Jeffrey for a number of years and I have met few as hard working as he. Though often times he may come off as soft spoken he is a tireless competitor who has tremendous fire. He knows that district inside and out and knows how to communicate its values. A well deserved win indeed. - Team Sleep - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:36 pm: Rachel Bold definitely did a great job. Anderson in 2014 and Rezin this year. - Raising Kane - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:39 pm: I think Kayleen Carlson deserves her own category to complete in….she oversaw the House and Senate races as well as doing two Congressionals this year. She was nothing short of amazing!! - Realist - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:41 pm: House-David Kubic in the 75th, he took a newly appointed, very young, and largely unknown State Rep. in Welter and got his name all over the district. He did a fantastic job and kept the House Dems from playing in that district at all. Senate-Derek Murphy for sure. Cullerton should have never been that close, but the Senate Republican ground game there was one of the best in years for either side. They ultimately fell short but there wasn’t a thing that they could have done differently on the ground. - Dirty Red - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:41 pm: Matt Butcher for House Republicans. You know the odds: a newly appointed Rauner Republican in AFSCME’s backyard. More than that, Matt kept his candidate motivated, he took advantage of every opening Tony D and SEIU presented, and he did it all while a lot was going on at home, too. - Don - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:42 pm: House - I second the nomination of Jon Skarzynski. This man is a beast. The 79th saw some of the nastiest tactics on the ground by the dems yet Jon was able to weather them all and finally flip this district. Senate - Derek Murphy. Even though they came up just short, Derek ran one of the best campaigns and field operations in the state. Because of his extraordinary work, Cullerton goes right to the top of the list for 2018. - Status Quo - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 3:43 pm: House - Joe Hackler. Dave Severin’s Campaign Manager. Severin over Bradley…nothing else needs to be said. - Anony - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 4:02 pm: Matt Butcher - great operative, poor chooser of baseball teams to be a fan of. - Team Sleep - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 4:05 pm: Anony - agreed on that front! Mr. Butcher needs to improve on his baseball team of choice. - Anonymous - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 4:23 pm: Heading into 2016, AFSCME was convinced they were going to send a message to the Governor by defeating Sara Jimenez. In very short order, she was able to put together a grass roots team that simply out knocked that of AFSCME. Her 22% win was due to the hard work of her campaign manager, Matt Butcher. Top-tier political operative and an asset to any campaign in the future. - Zenns beard - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 4:23 pm: James Zenn for successfully coordinating a field program for the first time in decades for the hro. - The Mayor - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 4:42 pm: House GOP Campaign Staff: Matt Butcher. When the State GOP faced significant challenges electing a former Rauner staffer in a district full of state workers, the picked the perfect person for the job. Ran a solid field program and drove his candidate to a credible victory over a competitive opponent. Senate GOP Staff(Federal Level): Nick Florine. While elections for state offices had more attention this cycle, Nick Florine ran a confident field program maximizing turnout for Kirk with limited resources and an unstable base. Helped to keep U.S. Senate race as competitive as possible. - Scribbler - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 7:18 pm: House GOP- Matt Butcher Butcher’s professionalism and expertise established a reliable foundation for the Sara’s campaign. His exceptional leadership was vital to the success, which sets Rep. Wojcicki Jimenez with the momentum needed to insure future successes. - O.S.T.A.N. - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 7:59 pm: House GOP: In my opinion, there are only three options: (1) Chris Kane, who ran Drobinski, or (2) Matt Butcher, who ran Wojcicki-Jimenez, or (3) Jeff Wilhite, who ran Bourne. Each should be recognized because they did very well despite the fact that the top of the ticket posed a significant threat to their candidate’s candidacy, wheres Trump actually helped Severin and these I-80 corridor candidates (e.g. McCombie, Parkhurst). Wilhite and Butcher also faced fierce opposition from AFSCME — and their candidate’s support of the Governor hurt their side — but still persevered. However, I nominate Chris Kane over Wilhite and Butcher because the map was so outside of their favor, and yet Drobinski outperformed Trump and edged Dold ever-so-slightly. Senate GOP: Without a doubt, Derek Murphy from Seth Lewis. On these grounds. (1) They lost by 1% to a “Cullerton!” That’s just about as good as knocking off a leader — you’re knocking off family! (2) The ground game was legendary; and will never be duplicated or replicated again. (3) The map was so significantly in Cullerton’s favor — Glendale Heights, Villa Park, Carol Stream, and heck even Addison isn’t as Republican as it once was. (4) They campaign was able to drive home the message in a way that set apart their candidate from the two State reps and the top of the ticket. Winger won by slightly more than 3,000, while Conroy won by 6,900. If those that voted for Winger and Holan also voted for Lewis, then Lewis should’ve lost by 3,500. Instead, he lost by 780 votes. That’s damn impressive. - The cat - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:02 pm: I see the Mayor can not follow simple instructions that being said, The award should go to James Zenn and his beard. James organized the the GOP for the first time in decades and without his tireless work of management and recruiting the GOP would not have picked up as well as it did. - Mayor Quimby - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:13 pm: Best House Republican: Dane Thull. The young man is a proven campaigner, having worked on big races and racked up big wins for the HGOP - Kay in ‘14 and now Reick. Not only is he a savvy political operative, but the guy does great work on Education issues for the House Republicans. Best Senate Republican: Nick McNeeley. All I know is the man wins races. Big win down in Southern Illinois. - Streetbeater - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:22 pm: House GOP: David Giltziow who ran David Olsen. They ran a 6 month campaign in 3 months, and beat back DPI’s money in a lean district. I think that team deserves to be recognized. Senate GOP: Derek Murphy who ran Seth Lewis. They ran the best field program I’ve ever heard about. My mother who lives in Bloomingdale said her door got knocked on about 4 times before she told the canvasser she’s voting for Lewis. Close race too. - Baked Mosta - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:35 pm: House goes to Kyle Haevers of McAuliffe, for keeping the train moving under immense pressure. Senate goes to Derek Murphy of Lewis, for running one heck of a program. Came up short by slightest of margins. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:35 pm: Golden Horseshoe, GOP House - When your race is a target for many other interests than the opposing party, it’s easy to forget the dynamics to win are still the same. The trick is always to remain focused and stick to an ever evolving “plan” and see it through. Matt Belcher did that and more. Matt Butcher took the challenge of threats from all sides and made a statement in a district that was suppose to be a statement for others. His hard work and dedication made the victory possible, but in reality made a bigger statement for himself and his candidate, and quieted rumblings that now seem misguided because of his hard work. The Golden Horseshoe - Best campaign staffer - House Republicans, I nominate Matt Butcher. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 8:50 pm: Golden Horseshoe, GOP Senate - there’s something to be said for campaigns that understand that embracing the new doesn’t mean forgetting the old. When someone can run a campaign that has the good ole fashion ops and have a field operation to bring home a victory, then a person that can make a huge difference in an outcome. Nick McNeeley has a reputation by doing just that, with Sen. Anderson just a cycle ago, and putting again his skill and political savvy to a test to bring Dale Fowler home. McNeeley’s work in the field and orchestrating significant support from officials that could make a difference continue to make him shine, proving once again that the science and art of campaigns can also include the old and the new. Nick McNeeley proved he has the skills to make art, science, old and new equal victory. The Golden Horseshoe - Best campaign staffer - Senate Republicans, I nominate Nick McNeeley. - Anon - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 9:17 pm: Mike Z, Kayleen Carlson, Andrew Weissert, James Zenn, and Joe Weiss - They’ve all been key behind the scenes people for years for the ILGOP gradually building what is now known as Team Rauner. - Zenn's Tattoo - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 10:01 pm: House: Kyle Haevers from McAuliffe. Fought off annoying opposition and dealt with loud personalities. Same can be said with the people who ran Christine Winger and David Olsen’s operations. Senate: Derek Murphy. Powerful field operation and rising star. Trump is what doomed that race. - M. Curtis - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 10:07 pm: McAuillfe should’ve won, he was on broadcast the entire campaign. Southern Illinois R’s won largely on Trumps coat tails. Drobinksi’s team, like Kirk’s and Dold’s, had a bad map in a bad year with a bad top of the ticket… but their team did exceptional given all that. Heck, Yingling might be gone in ‘18 with their foundation. I nominate Drobinski’s staffer for House GOP. Chris Kane. Speak of foundation, I’d have to nominate Seth Lewis’s staffer. Derek Murphy. Should not have been that close, but the field program was large enough to drive the message home. Foundation is laid for 18. Yingling and T.C. are out in 18. - Braidwood Billy - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 10:18 pm: House GOP: My vote goes to “Smooth” Jay Bergles of Avery Bourne’s campaign. He worked very hard on that campaign all while staying humble. He knocked so many doors in the district and did excellent work reaching out to voters. He was an essential part of the campaign and victory. - Raunigan - Monday, Dec 12, 16 @ 10:52 pm: I nominate Joe Woodward for House GOP. He’s old school and handled all the dirty work dealing with angry candidates while the state party dropped mail and TV all over without consulting with the candidates or even showing them the pieces in many instances. Joe had THE crappiest job this cycle and handled it with professionalism. It had to be hard to have a bunch of newbies with huge chips on their shoulders come in and take everything over. But, Joe didn’t crack, not once. Also, the races that he really put his back into were all winners. His body of work this cycle wins the day. For the Senate GOP: McNeely wins races whether Rauner’s money is involved or not. That says a LOT about the tactician. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.