Rep. Sente won’t run again
Tuesday, Sep 12, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Kerry Lester…
Democratic state Rep. Carol Sente is the latest in a long string of moderate suburban lawmakers to leave office.
She will not seek another term in 2018, she told the Daily Herald exclusively. […]
In office since 2009, Sente said she “set a goal from the outset to serve between eight and 12 years.” News of her departure comes as a host of other moderates from the suburbs have announced similar plans, as an atmosphere of partisan gridlock pervades the state capitol in Springfield.
“I think moderate legislators are getting lost and that troubles me,” Sente said. “Those of us in the middle, frankly, are drowning.”
Her retirement letter is here.
…Adding… The list [Updated]…
…Adding More… The Wheeler mentioned above is Barb Wheeler. Rep. Keith Wheeler is running again.
- Fax Machine - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:21 am:
Looking at the open seats & targets, what are the chances now of the GOP picking up 9 seats? Have we cracked double digits (over 10%)?
- A guy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:21 am:
There’s a trend here worth paying some attention to beyond the surface. Aside from all the moderate/conservative/progressive mumbo jumbo. It appears that carrying water in some of these districts is very tough on these legislators personally where they live. The Speaker can’t protect them from their neighbors.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:28 am:
I wish Carol had been more specific about the “drowning” comment. It appears she has been re-elected handily in recent elections and her statement seems to stress her own belief in the importance to this state of “moderate” legislators. Yet, her larger comment may tend to discourage other moderates from even running in her district and/or elsewhere.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:29 am:
The “smart money line” has the parlay “Rauner loses, Raunerites pick up seats”
Still not sold on Dems losing the House yet, given this is the off-year of a GOP presidency…
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:33 am:
Springfield looks more and more like a meat grinder. Not to say she wouldn’t win, she just can’t muster the enthusiasm to invest the effort again.
- Fax Machine - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:34 am:
I’m rooting for a pickup of 8 for the ensuing 59-59 hilarity, especially since as the moderates leave, the caucuses are getting more filled with true believers.
- LilLebowskiUrbanAchiever - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:34 am:
IMO, not a huge loss. She followed the Jack Franks ideology and wouldn’t take a tough vote because she was always on “the program”. It felt like she was finally finding her own voice, but she was always in a tough spot.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:35 am:
What exactly is a “moderate” democratic legislator who votes in lock step with Speaker Madigan and supports him for leadership?
- Roadiepig - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:35 am:
Moderate politicians are dropping of the map because the wing nuts are running each party further to the fringe. The 24 hour a day “news” channels tend to disparage any politician who doesn’t successfully pass their right wing/left wing purity tests, so we usually end up with extremist politicians as our only options. How’s that working out for the average citizen here in Illinois, and notionally?
- Dozer - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:36 am:
so quitting is the answer?
- Stan - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 9:47 am:
–It appears she has been re-elected handily in recent elections–
52.7% in 2014 is hardly “handily”. Her elections have been fairly brutal and somewhat personal. She did 8 tough years and certainly took tough votes. I wish her the best.
- muon - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:00 am:
Just a quibble with the IL-WT tweet, but it seems that Fine and Stewart should have the same designation, since both are running for open Senate seats.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:02 am:
I would put money on the Beiser and Phelps seats flipping - especially the Beiser seat given how hard Mike Babcock works (and since he literally just ran a great campaign in 2016).
Sente’s, Nekritz’s and Drury’s seats could be in play IF the HRO/ILGOP find actual moderates to run. Otherwise those districts would not carry water for hardcore GOP ideologues.
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:25 am:
Term limits? Tell me again how “job creators” are all giddy about creating jobs, if only we had term limits.
We dont need no stinking term limits.
Two central questions:
D–will you vote for madigan?
R–agree w rauner bad budget/no reforms/bad tax increase?
D is easier
- ;) - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 10:58 am:
I thought Fine was running for State Senate - but the chart says she’s running for office outside the GA - if that’s true, which office?
- Come on Man! - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 11:33 am:
I think the retirees should set up their own caucus.
- mockingjay - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 12:40 pm:
Carol Sente is my state rep, and votes with Madigan. We don’t think she’s moderate. Look at her votes.
- anon2 - Tuesday, Sep 12, 17 @ 4:32 pm:
=== Otherwise those districts would not carry water for hardcore GOP ideologues.===
Rep. Sid Mathias was no “hardcore GOP ideologue,” yet Sente knocked off the veteran Republican. So even a moderate Republican may not be competitive.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Sep 13, 17 @ 7:48 am:
LP
You’re clueless if you think every Democrat is a liberal. Sente was not an extremist like you.
- Sands - Wednesday, Sep 13, 17 @ 8:36 am:
Sente is my district. She lost me, and many like me, when she voted for Madigan’s little scheme to create an elections commission in Lake County. She wouldn’t have won this time around. She’s taken a lot of heat from voters over property taxes and budget reforms.
- logic not emotion - Wednesday, Sep 13, 17 @ 10:27 am:
It seems like our two party system is destroying the country with the moderate majority being stuck voting between two candidates they really don’t like. I wish we could change the structure somehow so that the moderates really had a chance. As it is now in Illinois, they don’t. They either have to follow the directives of Madigan or Rauner and neither has served Illinois well.