Mazeski the latest Dem to challenge Roskam
Friday, May 5, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Democrat Kelly Mazeski picked a good day to launch her congressional bid: The same day GOP Congressman Peter Roskam voted for the Trumpcare bill. She got a bunch of coverage…
* ABC 7: Dem. Kelly Mazeski challenging Roskam with healthcare focus: One of the challengers is a cancer survivor. “If you told me I would be standing here running for Congress, I wouldn’t believe it,” said Democrat Kelly Mazeski. But Mazeski is believing it now. The 57-year-old mother of two is determined to win the Democratic primary in the 6th Congressional District and take on incumbent Roskam. “This is personal for me in this race,” said Mazeski. “He is out of touch, been in this too long, he doesn’t know what it’s like for American’s to walk this walk.”
* NBC 5: Roskam’s Health Care Vote Has Democrats Lining Up To Oppose Him: The healthcare vote has Democrat Kelly Mazeski announcing she’s running for Congress in the west suburban district. To her it’s a personal mission “as a mother who has lost her medical insurance twice, survived breast cancer, and have a daughter with a very serious medical condition, I think it’s time the voters in the Illinois 6th hold Peter Roskam accountable for making Americans pay more to get less in health care.”
* Fox 32: Trump touts House health care bill, questions linger: Kelly Mazeski is a former chemist who plans to use roskam’s vote against obamacare against him. “I think it’s time we hold Peter Roskam accountable for voting to make Americans pay more for less coverage in health care,” Mazeski said.
* CBS 2: Potential Roskam Challenger Vows To Make Health Care The Issue: On the very day U.S. House Republicans voted to throw out Obamacare, a suburban Democrat is launching her campaign against one of Illinois’ most prominent members of Congress. Her own health care journey is at the very heart of her campaign, says CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley. “I didn’t choose to get cancer. My daughter didn’t ask for a medical condition that was a huge burden on her life for several years. I can’t begin to tell you how personal this is for me,” Kelly Mazeski says. The 57-year-old survived breast cancer and had to find insurance for a daughter with pre-existing conditions. These are two keys to why she’s making health care the centerpiece of her campaign against Republican Congressman Peter Roskam.
You can click here to watch the TV coverage in one spot.
* Mazeski ran for the Illinois Senate last year and got clobbered by 20 points. A union leader, unhappy that she backed a property tax freeze and opposed a graduated income tax, passed along her Daily Herald candidate questionnaire…
I do not support any increases in income, sales or property taxes. I also do not support a graduated income tax as it would place an unfair burden on my district. Generally speaking, I do not support new taxes or tax increases of any kind. I do support a property tax freeze.
- Ron - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 11:44 am:
Can’t wait to see Roskam lose in 2018.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 11:50 am:
Kicking 24 million people off of insurance to fund an $883B tax cut for the 1%, and endangering pre-existing coverage, is a heckuva of a priority and platform to run on for re-election.
You can see why Roskam is scared of his own shadow.
- JoeMaddon - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 11:51 am:
Mazeski is the real deal. She worked her butt off in that race. yea, she got clobbered, but she was never going to win that district.
I’d take her over Amanda Howland every day of the week.
- walker - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:03 pm:
Strong, attractive, personality, who backs up her healthcare points with a personal story.
At least five others (all women) have expressed serious interest in challenging Peter Roskam, including his last opponent Amanda Howland. Kelly Mazeski is first out of the gate this cycle, with a formal launch in front of TV cameras.
The newly energized grass roots women activists are all after him, as are the Washington types. Tough District — we shall see.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:08 pm:
Whoever runs against Roskam will have to effectively message to Republicans and Independents.
- slow down - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
I live in the 10th congressional district but I fully intend to donate money to the challengers of Roskam, Kinziger and Hultgren, something I’ve never done before. Voting for that bill was utterly disgraceful.
- Rogue Roni - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:14 pm:
Are we set on calling it Trumpcare? You could also make the case to call it Ryancare.
- PJ - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:16 pm:
Not really related, but I’ve always thought the characterization of election victories make the margins sound a lot bigger than they are. It was 20 points, but she only needed 10% of the vote that went to McConchie to go to her to win.
Percentages are weird
- Grandson of Man - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
I would like to get involved, perhaps in Roskam’s district, in 2018 and do some canvassing, phone callin’ and whatnot.
Yesterday rich, privileged men were celebrating their years-long effort to end subsidies, Medicaid and insurance protections for millions of sickest and lowest-income Americans. I feel motivated to do something about it.
- Peter Roskan't - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:23 pm:
Roskam is out of step with his district on health care and way out of step on social issues. Roskam opposes abortion except in cases where the life of the mother is at risk, making no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, and opposes same-sex marriage.
- Springfieldish - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:25 pm:
It was a pity that Kelly didn’t garner more union support in her run for the Senate. It’s like they still can’t distinguish between campaigning to the persuadable middle of any district and one in central Lake County in particular, and following an absolute Union checklist. The majority of the unions up there threw their support in for her in a big way, but not all. Good Lord, it isn’t hard. Identify your opponent, then do everything in your power to defeat them. They played the same game with Melissa Bean and we got Joe Walsh. If absolute fealty is required, then for cryin’ out loud, put up a candidate from your ranks that fits the bill. Short of that, remember the freakin’ end game boys! Kelly has all the makings of a top tier candidate. Get over perceived indiscretions and win back the district.
- T Sowell - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
==Kicking 24 million people off of insurance to fund an $883B tax cut for the 1%
The House Healthcare bill will at most impact the 7% or less of the population that access healthcare via an exchange . Obamacare is so unpalatable that a current 19.2 million citizens that are potentially eligible pay the penalty. The tax cut for the wealth - are simply returning business as usual from before ACA. Roskam is totally , completely safe !
- Peter Roskan't - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
To Sowell, you’re right factually, but campaigns aren’t generally based on fact. Roskam will be portrayed as having voted to gut pre-existing conditions, essential benefits for women, etc. and as having voted for an woman-tax, age-tax, etc.
- JoeMaddon - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:54 pm:
**The House Healthcare bill will at most impact the 7% or less of the population that access healthcare via an exchange.**
Uhh…. no. You couldn’t be more wrong.
EHB’s impact everyone. Prohibitions on discrimination based on pre-existing conditions impact everyone. The changes to Medicaid are massive. Employer-sponsored plans are impacted.
You either have no idea what is in the IHCA, or you’re being completely disingenuous.
- Ward Heeler - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
Until the US Senate acts, it is premature to say that there is a new Federal health care law. Nothing is engraved in stone yet.
- illini - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Now if only there were candidates that could effectively send this message to Shimkus and Bost and make them defend their well established positions and votes.
Oh, I forgot, all my neighbors think that these two are above reproach and will continue to support them in spite of all the damage they are doing.
Unfortunately, all the local media dutifully reprint their carefully worded, and nuanced, press releases as “news” - so what are we to expect!
- cdog - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
“…for voting to make Americans pay more for less coverage in health care”
Whatever. I dropped our BCBSIL individual ins plan because I am not paying $18k/yr for blood pressure medicine. It’s like protection money to get “club prices.”
(Fortunately I’m resourceful enough to manage all the risks invited by a decision like that.)
When people, like this gal, start talking about insurance
companies having SKIN IN THE GAME, is when I’ll be impressed.
The media coverage of insurance company reactions to the entire issue is suspiciously nearly non-existent. Today, is the first day I’ve seen coverage.
- Aldyth - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
2018 is coming and it won’t be pretty for Republicans. Especially those who voted for Trumpcare.
- A guy - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:32 pm:
Still plenty of factors to play out. Roskam has run against this tune for a few cycles. He’s voted multiple times to Repeal Obamacare…and his various opponents have “used” it. To no avail. He’s safe.
He’s not afraid of his shadow as Sling suggests, he’s just not feeding the monster. The Democrats packed as many hard Republicans into his district as they could to soften districts around his. The Hillary margin was anti-Trump, not anti-GOP. Despite her romp in that district, he romped in the very same cycle against those headwinds.
I’m seriously wondering now if all of this loud chatter and inexpensive rallying that’s being done is a ruse. Trying to get the GOP to dump a lot of early money into safe seats.
No question there’s anger and frustration out there. But not enough to get anywhere near 50% of the vote in those districts, or even if the traveling mobs live in these districts.
- John Evans - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:40 pm:
She still hasn’t even registered with the FEC. In the meantime you should all go check out Austin Songer. www.austinsongerforcongress.com
- Springfieldish - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 2:59 pm:
The question for Roskam now has nothing to do with voting AGAINST the ACA. That was easy: those votes were never based on a plan to move forward: those were mere play acting. This vote is a measure of whether, after 8 years of talking, was there ever any substance behind it, and even without the CBO score (and voting before that came in is not now and was never fiscally conservative. Every time Roskam or Hultrgren use that phrase, there will always be a huge and loud asterisk) the answer is a resounding no. Every hospital in the district is steadfastly against it, every doctor, every AARP member and even the freakin’ farmers! Roskam can pish-posh it all he likes, but does so at his peril. This issue will stay in the news and continue as a negative for its supporters well into the summer.
- DuPage - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:48 pm:
I’ve known him for a long time, he used to be a moderate Republican. He has changed, not for the better. Now, he seems to share a lot of views with Trump and Rauner. I am no longer sure if he is the right man for the job.
- Texas Red - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 3:58 pm:
==2018 is coming and it won’t be pretty for Republicans. Especially those who voted for Trumpcare.
Perhaps but perhaps not - the Senate may brick the house reform. left unchecked the ACA coverage in rural Illinois may be non existent similarl to our friends in Iowa.
- Ron - Friday, May 5, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
Roskam is toast, which is great.