Dems looking to challenge Roskam
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz reports on the Democrats hoping to challenge Republican US Rep. Peter Roskam…
Among those confirming that they either intend to run or are seriously considering doing so in Roskam’s west suburban 6th District are Amanda Howland, a lawyer and psychologist who got 42 percent of the vote against him in 2016; Barrington Hills Planning Commission member Kelly Mazeski, a former state senate hopeful and ex-financial consultant; and Carole Cheney, who now works as district chief of staff for neighboring Congressman Bill Foster, D-Geneva.
Howland says she’s definitely in the contest and points to the name recognition she built up in her prior race.
Mazesk is is “exploring” running but is interested enough that she’s met both with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (the party’s House elections unit) and Emily’s List, a prominent women’s funding group. Cheney says she “likely” to get in the race because, “The people in the 6th Congressional District are entitled to a representative who respects and listens to them regardless of political party.” […]
I wasn’t able to reach her, but [Maura Sullivan] comes right out of central casting: a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran who graduated from Northwestern Univesity, got an MBA from Harvard University, and until recently was a senior public affairs official at the Pentagon.
But Sullivan also reportedly lives in Evanston, something that likely would become an issue if she moved to run.
Yeah, I’m kinda thinking that an Evanston Democrat may not go over too well out there in DuPage Land, but one never knows, I suppose.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
Today Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) is releasing web ads targeted at Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), urging her to support the VA Accountability First Act of 2017. Duckworth voted for similar legislation, the VA Accountability Act, in 2015.
“How many more veterans will die waiting for care at the Department of Veterans Affairs?” the ad narrator asks. “How many more will be neglected by the people hired to serve them? How many more will suffer before the Senate acts?” The ad then prompts viewers to call Senator Duckworth directly in support of the bill.
Click here to view the ad.
The ad is part of a larger series of sixteen other VA accountability ads that CVA is launching this week. Other ad targets include Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
These ads come as part of a six-figure investment CVA is making into helping the VA Accountability First Act of 2017 pass in the Senate this year. The group is making thousands of phone calls to constituents of Senate targets and is promoting a digital tool which connects CVA activists directly with their Senators’ offices via email and social media.
- Rocky Rosi - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Peter Roskam could get Trumped in 2018 if the special congressional election in Kansas is an appetizer for what’s to come in 2018 for GOP members.
- train111 - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:47 am:
As a resident of Il-6, it would be real nice to see an actual race in our CD for once.
- Glendale Heights Gonzo - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:48 am:
The Dems tried and failed to beat Roskam with Duckworth and Morgenthaler, neither of whom lived in that district.
Please, nominate Maura Sullivan!
- slow down - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:49 am:
Roskam continues to refuse to meet in public with his constituents, and has repeatedly voted to keep Trump’s tax returns hidden. Doesn’t strike me as a winning approach to reelection in today’s political environment.
- The Captain - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:52 am:
The Dem enthusiasm in the 6th is legitimately sky high and Roskam has oddly made a number of unforced errors that have people paying attention but that Clinton win over Trump last year was an outlier. Every other Dem except Jesse White has lost in that district in the last two cycles and most of them got crushed. In order to beat Roskam everything will have to go right, and then some.
- Fav Hum - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:55 am:
Roskam continues to refuse to meet in public with his constituents
Refuses to provide activists with the chance to get some videos, you mean…
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:58 am:
==Refuses to provide activists with the chance to get some videos, you mean…==
If you’re so afraid of negative press that you won’t let your constituents ask you questions, you may not be cut out for this “public service” thing.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:58 am:
As a life long DuPage republican who really really would love to see Roskam gone please please please do not nominate an Evanston democrat to run in DuPage that would be plain dumb
- A guy - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:59 am:
===Amanda Howland, a lawyer and psychologist who got 42 percent of the vote…===
With a HUGE tail wind behind her in a HUGE Democratic year, where Hillary vs. Trump was inspiring a huge turnout….
And she got thumped by 18 points, when Hillary was running +20 a couple inches up the ballot.
Send whoever they want from Central Casting, the juggernaut office of the great Bill Foster, or whoever else. They can spend a lot of money and get smoked.
Last cycle for the first time, Roskam had to deal with a primary trying to jack him from the right, and a general trying to do the same from the left. Two huge wins for him. The lady veteran formula has been tried twice; losses. Maybe something more original this time?
- From the 'Dale to HP - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
===if the special congressional election in Kansas is an appetizer for what’s to come in 2018 for GOP members.===
If it is, then if Rauner’s a tenth of the business man he says he is, he should keep the $100m he has/will drop on the Governors race because he’ll be looking at a ten point loss even if he spends all that money.
- Aim to Misbehave - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
Sorry to be indirect to the post, but I don’t know who Concerned Veterans of America are, or why they want to refer to themselves as CVA.
For years CVA and CVMA has stood for Combat Veterans Association, a nationally known motorcycle group made up of Combat Veterans and their supporters working on Veteran’s issues.
- JoanP - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 12:48 pm:
@Aim to Misbehave:
Google is your friend: https://cv4a.org/
- EVanstonian - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 1:16 pm:
An Evanston-style Democrat can get their message across anywhere, mostly because the bark is generally more liberal than the bite.
And they’d have the resources of that infamous Schakowsky Machine I keep seeing referenced on behalf of one gubernatorial candidate.
Actually living in Evanston but running in Barrington may raise some other inconveniences though, like driving down Lake Cook in the middle of the day all the time.
- allknowingmasterofracoondom - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
Howland has great name recognition - Because she has never seen an office she didn’t want to run for. And she has lost big time in every one except for the all powerful office of Trustee for the College of Lake County. Hang it up Amanda.
- In 630 - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 2:04 pm:
None of them are showstoppers. Howland, Mazeski and Cheney probably have ceilings around 45%. Sullivan’s got that good on paper thing until you get to the Evanston part.
- Sue - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
Dream on folks. The Republican won in Kansas by 7 percent. In Atlanta the loony Dems have spent nearly 10 million with 97 percent of the money coming from out of state. After the primary for Price’s seat assuming no one gets 50 percent the Republicans will have one candidate not 11 to get behind. The best thing is by 2020 the Supreme Court might have two more vacancies for McConnell to get thru with 51 votes
- titan - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 3:27 pm:
“Howland … who got 42 percent of the vote against him in 2016″
When I was a kid, 70-30 was a typical DuPage GOP win. I think these days 60-40 or 55-45 is the more common DuPage GOP win. She got a generic GOP/DEM split in a strong Dem tailwind year. It may well be an unusually strong tailwind for the Ds in the midterm election, but the party would probably need to really work and fund this one.
- Amalia - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 4:45 pm:
watched a report, think on MSNBC, stating that Roskam is part of a group of moderate Republicans who will not have town halls. they are afraid of them. don’t know that I consider Roskam a moderate, but I think that is code for his district is in play. Conservatives with districts where the numbers work in their favor are going out and taking the talk because they know it will not hurt them locally. Roskam, another story. Dear Dems, this takes work, you know old fashioned Chicago precinct captain door to door stuff. (no Bernie, you did not invent this.). for example, about 1/5 of voters in Maine Township turned out. Dems barely won just one trustee seat and lost the Clerk spot by about 135 votes. More work needed NOW. find the best Dem to run who lives in the district now. naperville and Lisle were taken over by Dems in the local township elections. something is out there. find the right candidate. who should be helping to do that? Guys like Rep. Swalwell of California (a star), Rep. Ryan of Ohio (yes he went against Pelosi, and with some good reason) and yes, Rahm, who when he was the head of DCCC found Tammy Duckworth. That kind of recruiting will win that district.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 5:30 pm:
Roskam runs like a moderate then votes hard right.
- A guy - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 5:54 pm:
== Rahm, who when he was the head of DCCC found Tammy Duckworth.==
No, actually Durbin found her. At Walter Reed. Not anywhere near Illinois. Rahm provided the money, and the soldiers from the DCCC. They lost. Until they could draw a map where she would win. They did. She won. Drawing that map coincided with drawing the map Roskam is in now. This is all blather. Roskam’s safe. None of the townships where the protesting people come from are significant blocks of IL 6. Hinsdale, Oakbrook, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, lots and lots of Wheaton, up 355 through the GOP precincts to McHenry. Roskam is as vulnerable as Quigley. There’s a solid shot at 40% and change with a huge tailwind. That already happened. He won by close to 20 points. That is a landslide these days in DuPage in that kind of cycle. The Obama factor was dramatic. It’s fading. Lisle Twp. lost seats but not control. Naperville Twp didn’t need the Dems to beat them. They were busy beating themselves. Lessons learned there.
- DuPage Bard - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 8:58 pm:
Roskam is safe.
There is no viable candidate anywhere near that district. Evanston isn’t the issue on background but it is the issue on Google maps. Imagine Lombard to Barrington everyday, now add in the 45 minutes before and after to and from Evanston.
That district was made for him just like the 8th was made for Duckworth. It’s why they offered all the money to Walsh to run in the 8th and not primary Roskam or Hultgren. They knew the landscape then and were more than willing to throw Walsh to the wolves while keeping the good old boys club in tact.
Also - losing by 18 points when top of ticket won the district isn’t close or a momentum builder. How did Mendoza and Duckworth do in that district?
- @misterjayem - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 9:23 pm:
Although I wish it weren’t so, I agree with every single word that A Guy wrote about the odds of Roskam losing.
Re-read his comments above — they are 100% accurate.
The fact that I have utter contempt for Peter Roskam doesn’t change the unpleasant truth that any effort or money squandered on that race will be worse than wasted.
– MrJM
- cannon649 - Wednesday, Apr 12, 17 @ 11:28 pm:
@ Sue
Nailed it perfectly.
Lot of “outside” money - results will very similar
Dem made a big error to allow 51
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 13, 17 @ 8:24 am:
Anything can happen. Democrats just won in Elgin Township for the first time in over 150 years.