41 Comments - Spliff - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:44 pm: HDEMS - Anne Schafer is the best they have. Carried Scheer the last two races and made Mathis get a seat at the table. Runner up goes to Mary Pantle on the Skoog campaign. She was saddled with a candidate who didn’t want to make the lift and do what needed to be done but she almost brought him home anyway. SDEM - Nolan Drea. He has learned a lot over the last few cycles from senator Manar and he kept Simon in the game even when she shouldn’t have been. - Moist von Lipwig - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:52 pm: House - Carl Camacho is the best there is. Working hand in hand with Theresa Mah, Carl was able to take a longshot race by an established and respected figure in Chinatown (Theresa) and show the district that the “fix” is never in unless you let it be. That he also ran the progressive campaign of Sadlowski Garza in Chicago, against another establishment Democrat, and also worked on Quinn’s term limits project as well, is only icing on the cake. He is the next big thing in progressive politics. - Adam Eaton - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:53 pm: HDems: Julia Larkin - Always put on the toughest races under the most difficult circumstances. Tireless and effective. Anyone who has worked with her knows that it’s not just a job for her and genuinely cares about the candidate and the campaign. SDems: Nolan Drea - works hard and always seems to exceed candidate expectations. both tier one campaigners. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 2:56 pm: Only kind words to say about John Burns who worked on the Tony DelGiorno race. They may have lost, but this Granite City native makes us all proud here in the metro east . He is tireless. He gets people to the polls. He really believes in what he is doing. His future is bright. Keep an eye on him. - DemVoter - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:06 pm: H-Dems: Whoever ran Katie Stuart’s race… Nice win in what turned out to be a crazy cycle. S-Dems: Sam Hobert (Bertino-Tarrant’s campaign manager) is a force to be reckoned with. He started the primary cycle locking down the Hastings win in the 19th and kicked it into overdrive in the 49th for the general. This guy has the intelligence, drive and determination to run any race he puts his sights on in the future. Sam is also genuinely one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. - The Other Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:11 pm: Senate Dems- Reena Tandon beat Mike Madigan. What more can you say? Mike drop - Curious - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:22 pm: Senate Dems - Brendan O’Sullivan. He had the Trump wave downstate (Forby), and all the Rauner money pouring in, and was still able to keep his firewall intact in the suburbs. That must have been rough, and probably a little nerve-wracking. House Dems - everyone who worked for John Bradley. That was basically a 24-month campaign and I don’t know the specific individuals but I hope and pray they’re all on a beach somewhere right now. - DonkeyGirl - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:23 pm: Senate Dems - Sam Hobert. With a poise and determination unlike any other I’ve seen, Sam Hobert did an incredible job running Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant’s race in SD49. That campaign was a well oiled machine with employees and volunteers who felt valued. Hobert’s future is definitely bright and any candidate would be lucky to have him on their team. Hands down, Hobert deserves the Golden Horseshoe this cycle. - Anonymouth - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:24 pm: House Dems - This was a particularly difficult cycle for the House Dems. I have to say that the best campaign staffer for them has to be Anne Schaeffer. She’s organized, she knows the district and how to deploy resources. Honorable mention goes out to Greg Castellenos who pulled it out for Sam Yingling. Sam couldn’t have done it without Greg’s focus and hard work. Senate Dems - Whoever ran Tom Cullerton’s race. The GOP came at him hard and the campaign was able to get him a narrow victory. - Toothpicks and Ice Cream - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:26 pm: Senate Dems: Nolan Drea has come a long way from his days as an intern on the House Dem Staff. He has proved that he has what it takes to be a strong staffer. House Dems: Tiffany Moy deserves the nod this year. Although she had an uphill battle from the beginning, Tiffany was organized and upbeat. She kept the army of volunteers that were sent her way feeling as if they were important and making a real difference. You might think, “Oh she had it easy if she had an army sent to her.” Managing the enormous amount of people that Tiffany did is not an easy task. Every one of those volunteers believe they deserve things to be done especially for them. Tiffany was able to work ahead, keep everything organized so that volunteers didn’t have to wait, and she did it all with a smile on her face. Not an easy task at all. Tiffany has definitely earned the increased responsibility she will have in the organization. - Anon - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:39 pm: Anonymouth, it could be argued that the 47th Ward democrats saved Tom Cullerton’s race. If that is your measuring stick, your nominee for this category is Paul Rosenfeld, 47th Ward Democratic Precinct Committeeman! - walker - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:40 pm: Have to go with Carl Camacho for relishing the races with the biggest odds, against entrenched interests, and winning anyway. He won this year’s Patrick Botterman Award for exactly those ereasons. - CapitolCat - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:41 pm: Senate Dems: Reena Tandon did a great job w/ Sen. Bennett’s campaign. She is sharp as a tack, creative and works very hard. - WillCo's Finest - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:42 pm: Senate Dems - Sam Hobert is a rising star in Illinois politics. He is an obsessively dedicated young guy who ran one of the most professional campaigns the caucus has ever seen. When the GOP shifted late resources towards Michelle Smith, he didn’t panic. Throughout October, Sam rallied the troops and the candidate, which resulted in a 5+ point victory in an area where Republicans always seem to be on the cusp of breaking through. - Annonin' - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 3:50 pm: How about a vote for Travis Shea who helps conclude endless prepared speeches from “smartest businessman in the legislature” Dwight Kay. Even the GOPies are happy with that win - Alex Schaumburg - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:03 pm: House Dems - Anne Schaeffer hands down! Anyone who has ever had the privilege to work with her knows that there is no one better! Her hard work, dedication, and commitment to her candidate and volunteers is second to none. A very honorable mention to Sean Murray. He led Michelle Mussman to a double digit win in a very competitive race. He was well organized and energetic and the team fed off of his leadership. - Grundy Co's Finest - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:12 pm: HDEMS – Anne Schaeffer is indefatigable. She has been a staple on HDEM staff for years. She has amassed quite the record on countless races around the state. She is a natural leader who is patient and looks out for her candidates and volunteers. She is a workhorse and will be missed whenever she departs. SDEMS – Nolan Drea. The guy never quits. The chips were constantly stacked against Simon the entire race but he remained calm, collected and organized. Nolan’s effort could be compared to Sisyphus’s task. He is organized and professional plus he is a nice guy. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:34 pm: Senate Dems- Reena Tandon is by far the greatest staffer. She motivates others to work their best and put forth their best work. Always a great person to work with. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:35 pm: Julia Larkin - ran one of the toughest, most cutthroat races in the country while keeping a level head under colossal political pressure. Worked meticulously - she found the newspaper articles where McAuliffe falsely claimed to be a veteran. She kept the campaign under control so her team could canvass until 9:30pm at night. She will be missed when she leaves Springfield. - Chicago dem - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:55 pm: Hdem- Travis Shea. There’s no doubt Travis is one of the hardest working guys on staff and he won one of the biggest races this cycle. Trump won that district and somehow Travis still pulled out a win for Kate. Sdems- Sam Hobert. This kid has been impressive for several years and was thrown a tough seat with JBT. He’s one of the nicest and most level-headed campaign managers you’ll see which is refreshing.. And he gets it done. - 2 Skewps - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 4:56 pm: HDEMS: Tiffany Moy without question. It’s never easy being target #1 and the Republicans threw everything they had at her. Despite all that, she ran a great race and kept Cloonen motivated. She deserves a ton of credit for how she organized and directed that campaign despite everything working against her in a very tough district. - Annonimon - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 5:40 pm: Senate: Nolan Drea - overall solid guy - Tough Guy - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 5:55 pm: House Dems: Anne Schaeffer-Tireless worker who always returned phone calls and emails. Doesn’t get rattled and gives 100% to her candidate. Senate Dems: Nolan Drea-Learned the trade from of the the Senate’s best, Sen. Andy Manar. Has the ability to get candidates back on message when they begin to stray. Calm and focused. - Champaign (snow?) Showers - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:02 pm: Senate Dems - Reena Tandon - I had the opportunity to work under Reena on the Bennett campaign and experienced first hand her dedication to the work she does. Her desire to improve those who work under her was inspiring and she committed herself to helping a campaign dominated by rookies work as if they were seasons vets. I owe everything I learned to her and look forward to using what I learned on campaigns in 2018 and beyond. - Dems4Days - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:03 pm: Senate Dems: Reena Tandon Rauner visited Champaign and offered $1 million to anyone who challenged Senator Bennett - money never came because of superb organization from the Bennett team. Tandon behind that. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:09 pm: Senate Dems: Reena Tandon kept the Bennett campaign organized, on course, and never gave the other Mike Madigan a chance - Midway Matt - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:13 pm: Reena Tandon - took what was supposed to be a close State Senate race and beat Madigan… the other one! - Anon - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:24 pm: Senate Dems- Reena Tandon I worked under Reena on the Bennett for Senate champaign. She devoted so much of her life to that campaign and she worked tirelessly over the last 2 years to help save that seat. She’s the absolute best and has taught me everything I know about campaign work. She helped me more than she knows. I owe her so much. - anon - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:34 pm: The “General” Marty Quinn is only as good as the “volunteers” working for him. Top level Captains in Madigan’s Organization have slowly retired. There are still some top level operatives but the “newbies” are just not as good/talented. And Yingling was not “saved” at the last minute. Castellanos ran that Campaign superbly over the long haul and that’s what won the day. The McAuliffe race was never winnable. Kudos to Kyle Haevers, but the fact is way too many cops and fireman in that District and that although they are Union…..they continually vote Republican. Add Rauner’s money and a flawed Campaign Strategy….result…the Marwig Campaign was doomed. House Dems: Greg Castellanos. - Grain trucker - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 7:59 pm: Kaelan Smith tireless worker who won despite all the odds against him. - Kronsteen - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 8:31 pm: H-Dems - I have to believe this award goes to Travis Shea for his work on Katie Stuart’s race not just because it was a win and the first bright spot downstate in a while but he walked and worked like crazy. His discipline and work ethic are tremendous and that’s what it takes to knock off an incumbent in a crazy cycle from the top of the ticket on down! - Kronsteen - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 8:39 pm: H-Dems - It has to go to Travis Shea and not just. Exams the Katie Stuart race was a win and the first bright spot downstate for the dems in a while but because his work ethic and discipline is tremendous! He managed, worked and walked his butt off and that’s what you need to do to beat a R-incumbent downstate in one of the craziest cycles from the top o the ticket on down. - Apple Picker - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:17 pm: House Dems- Travis Shea is a great pick. Smart, hard working and an experienced hand. Senate Dems- Reena Tandon. She worked the district and her strategy since the day Sen. Bennett was appointed. Many saw that as a prime opportunity for a GOP pickup. She made sure that never happened. It’s no accident the republicans couldn’t come up with a better candidate than Mike Madigan. She won the race before it even started. Now the seat looks safe for years to come. - B4S boiiiiz - Tuesday, Dec 13, 16 @ 9:53 pm: Reena Tandon is a class act. I worked under her on the Bennett campaign and can attest that her commitment, organization, team spirit, and results-driven approach are noteworthy to say the least, and in a league of their own to say it objectively. She’s an absolute delight and always was committed to maintaining high office morale, but make no mistake, she is one tough cookie! Do not underestimate this fantastic woman. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 7:10 am: ===they continually vote Republican=== Hillary won that district by 8 points. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 7:30 am: Travis Shea- Man you could see the toll on the poor guy the one Saturday morning I walked into Katie’s garage to pick up my canvas route clip board. But when I asked the question “How are we doing?” BAMMM back in the game with fire as if he just downed five Red Bulls. It takes a lot actually to match Katie’s pace. She’s a machine. That in itself takes a lot of skill and finesse. It was a good paring and he deserves a lot of the credit for the victory. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 7:56 am: Golden Horseshoe, Dems House - In campaigns, many times it boils down to the zero sum game, “Did you win?”. It’s as cold as as it is brief, but that’s a campaign. In a year with losses, the Democratic caucus can point to a pivotal race that showed the hard work and determination and frankly the smart apolitical and campaigning melding into a victory Democrats can say, “this was important this cycle” Travis Shea took on the task of unseating a downstate Republican and worked the district and worked the needed levers of locality and made this race a “micro” where all around him, the “macro” seems to be much louder and much stronger. It is a credit to him that the race that was arguably the most important to stave off loses elsewhere, Travis Shea delivered by focusing on the task at hand, not the noise surrounding him. Best campaign staffer - House Democrafts, I nominate Travis Shea for the Golden Horseshoe - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 8:20 am: Golden Horseshoe, Dems Senate - when someone looks at the map of Illinois and see the trending colors separate and the Blues and the Reds show such separation that you wonder how anyone can win against the waves of the partisan color codes, you look to find someone that works real hard and understands the micro can win. Reena Tandon worked tirelessly with the locals organized with great skill, using the groundwork from the beginning and made a “hold” stick when everything around seemed suggest a firewall may crack. It’s harder at times to hold serve than it is for your opponent to advocate the breaking, and Reena Tandon worked the ground game and the micro and made the race about the district, not about the wave, in Central Illinois. Best campaign staffer - Senate Democrats, I nominate Renna Tandon for the Golden Horseshoe. - ERB - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 9:16 am: Craig Willert is trustworthy, capable and incredibly hard-working. He has been behind some big wins over the years and deserves more credit for them than he has been given. Willert works with difficult personalities and always manages to get the job done. He has enormous shoes to fill, but has shown the innate political instinct that the job requires. With Rauner’s unlimited money, the future is certainly going to be difficult for the HDEMs, but Willert has shown he is the right person to help lead the fight. - Roscoe Village Dem - Wednesday, Dec 14, 16 @ 9:35 am: Travis Sea who ran and won the only Democrats pick-up this cycle on either side. He’s focused, intense but still does his job with humor, has a keen understanding and command of field numbers and kept a 1st time candidate on track. Especially impressive when considering how bad HRC and local Dems did in Madison this cycle. Senate- Robert Kern who ran Tom Cullettons race. Had the kitchen sink and then some thrown at him, a candidate that needed management, and two competitive House races in District that took money and bodies from him, and he still threaded the needle. Both impressive operatives I’d hire in a heartbeat moving forward. - the Cardinal - Thursday, Dec 15, 16 @ 8:18 am: I’m late to the show but Kyle Havers is a top notch guy…. That House race was a blood bath and he kept above the fray and stayed focused. Keep an eye on him. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.