Pat Quinn to run for attorney general
Friday, Oct 27, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I’ve been chasing this rumor all week without success. I even reached out to Quinn the other day. Michael Sneed gets the scoop…
Sneed has learned former Gov. Patrick Quinn is tossing his hat back in the political ring.
He plans to run for Illinois attorney general.
“I want to be the lawyer for the people,” Quinn told Sneed in an interview Friday.
“And I intend to present my case for a primary bid next Friday to the Democratic Cook County Party,” he said.
“And I will come armed with a poll which which indicates I’d make a formidable contender,” he told Sneed.
And he dumps this on a late Friday afternoon? Weird.
Quinn had about $232K in his campaign account at the end of the third quarter.
- thunderspirit - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
Pat, I promise we’ll miss you if you just go away.
- Fax Machine - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:11 pm:
He’s absolutely perfect for the job.
Sunday morning press conferences 7 days a week.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:12 pm:
He hasn’t sat out a statewide race cycle since the 1980s.
- The Captain - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:12 pm:
When the going gets weird the weird turn pro.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:12 pm:
Can’t keep him down, best of luck Pat!
- Fax Machine - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:13 pm:
With this he will have run for 5 of the 6 Constitutional Offices. That has to be the record.
- City Zen - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:17 pm:
Wish Pat would run for away.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:19 pm:
Quinn for AG? One more statewide office *he* wins a set of steak knives…
- Tequila Mockingbird - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:21 pm:
Is there a list somewhere of all the democrats NOT running for AG?
- GetOverIt - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:21 pm:
I hate myself for saying this, but “it makes sense”! I mean he’s been the mini Ralph Nader forever….so…makes…sense…waaaaaaaaahhhhhh
- Ok - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:21 pm:
“And he dumps this on a late Friday afternoon? Weird.”
I know, we would have expected it in a Sunday if he was serious…
- Leatherneck - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
“And he dumps this on a late Friday afternoon? Weird.”
I’m not surprised at today’s dump.
And I’m confused–what’s the difference between the “Democratic Cook County Party” and the Democratic Party?
‘“I want to be the lawyer for the people,” Quinn told Sneed in an interview Friday.’
Unless you’re a state employee with a pension.
- Responsa - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Pat should take up an interesting hobby other than politics. He’s starting to look directionless and sad. Democrats need new faces not the same old tainted faces running time after time.
- Dirty Red - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Now all I need is SLC for Comptroller and I have a bingo!
- Lovie - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
And the nightmare continues…he’s like Freddie Kruger.
- Winnin’ - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:23 pm:
Quit complainin’ about the Friday presser. It will be in all papers on Sunday v
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
Good for Pat. Honest, fearless, smart.
Even his detractors have to now admit - old Pat was RIGHT about Rauner.
Go get em Mr. Quinn.
- Texas Red - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
Well, he will have some allies at IDOT …
- LilLebowskiUrbanAchiever - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
In a crowded Primary field, he wins. Raoul would have been the front runner but with Fairley and Quinn on the ballot hard to understand where the coalitions come from for him to win.
Unfortunately, he could actually lose in a General against Erica Harold. Pat Quinn will lose big down state, and Harold may be able to pull votes out of the suburbs and the city.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
Nah Quinn, you need to drop down to mayoral office first and then run for AG if you’re following the Jerry Brown re-governor path
- Nishi - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:26 pm:
I can dig it.
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
==against Erica Harold==
People - Ms. Harold opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest.
That’s the tip of the iceberg.
She is not a moderate. Right-wing Rs have a hard time winning statewide in Illinois.
- Roman - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
Running for AG worked for another ex-governor, Jerry Brown. Set up his return to the California governorship.
- RNUG - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:31 pm:
Quinn has always been a crusader of sorts. This would give him a soapbox for his crusades. He’s an old school politican who knows how the game used to be played, so he could easily find conflicts of interest. And while he wasn’t a great Governor, he was adequate at the nuts and bolts paperwork of administration. Quite frankly, he probably is a better fit than a number of the other candidates.
- IRLJ - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:31 pm:
I’m sorry, but didn’t Quinn’s performance in offuce guve us the Rauner gubernatorial experience? His being so tone-deaf as to allow this to be released late on a Friday is an illustration if how and why his political day is, and should be, over.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:34 pm:
Good for Quinn. He was a much better governor than Rauner, and a better person for Illinoisans, which says more about Rauner than Quinn.
- TinyDancer(FKASue) - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:34 pm:
Oy
- Oh, please! - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
Rauner’s money brought us Rauner.
With millions on TV ads and workers he deceived voters into supporting him. Lied about what he would do and who he was (“no social agenda”- remember that?)
Quinn didn’t do that.
Pat would be a strong AG.
IRLJ — get a grip.
- Amalia - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
Wow. just wow. He would know where all the bodies are buried.
- Anon - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:40 pm:
I’d been hearing this rumor for about a week, too. I’m not surprised, Pat clearly has nothing better to do. Good guy, but he needs to move on and find something to do in the private sector.
- Anonymous former Quinn staffer - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:42 pm:
sometimes I think PQ was put on earth to embarrass me personally (and repeatedly)
- Former State Employee - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:45 pm:
Pat would be a great AG. He is a fighter, and that is the job in a nutshell.
- Nearly Normal - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:46 pm:
No no no!! Dems need new faces new ideas. No retreads that have stale or same old same old odor about than. Gov Wuinn your shelf life expired Nov 2014!!
- Grandpa Lou - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:46 pm:
The AG role was turned into the Better Business Bureau by the current office holder. If Quinn will actually address the broad based political corruption that has made Illinois the laughingstock of the country than I welcome his candidacy.
- Swift - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:47 pm:
I guess he waited until Friday afternoon to get in one more lawn mowing before hitting the campaign trail before the criticism of his lawn care starts up in the Spring.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:47 pm:
===The AG role was turned into the Better Business Bureau by the current office holder===
Try Neil Hartigan.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:48 pm:
Former staffer, I’m sure you’re just unaware how well you embarrass yourself.
- Sideline watcher - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
https://youtu.be/xZhT5ZNyHlM
- IRLJ - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
@ Oh, Please: An attorney general has to be able to read the Constitution. Quinn would have ceased and desisted attacking public-employee pensions if he’d only taken time to read the Constitution. That’s what cost him the election, and should disqualify him from so important a position as Attorney General. He’d be as weak an AG ad he was a governor.
- Swift - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:51 pm:
Just double checking here, is he coming armed with a poll or armed with a pole? He might actually need a pole to separate, both physically and metaphorically, himself from the rest of the AG contenders.
- The Muse - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:53 pm:
I like Gov. Quinn as a person but I think it’s just time for new blood. PQ - another generation of young leaders could really benefit from your experiences, both in success and failure. Why not go into teaching?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:53 pm:
Right now, the Rauner campaign felt instant euphoria then sudden sadness as Quinn announces a statewide bid, but not for governor again…
- Sugar Corn - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:55 pm:
I disagree with you IRLJ. I didn’t like pension reform either. Would’ve cut myself and two of my relatives’ retirement income.
But a lot of smart people disagreed on that topic. Suggesting it’s a “disqualifier” is absurd.
Quinn did a lot more in his public life than pension reform. CUB, Marriage Equality, Veterans advocacy, a normal (if imperfect) budget, a capital program.
Try to see the big picture.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:56 pm:
I heard Roland Burris is all in. He has the experience
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:56 pm:
Rauner destroyed the ILGOP.
Quinn is trying to do the same to the Dems.
If you’re a Dem, think on it, announcing on a Friday is so Ole Pat can sneak past ya.
Quinn doesn’t help. He even knows it.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 4:58 pm:
Bad pennies are taken out of circulation.
Pat Quinn circulates petition.
- FLEA - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:00 pm:
This would be an Epic rerun. He is no longer the worst governor in Illinois..for sure.
Search south for an AG candidate.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:04 pm:
Ugh
- Glengarry - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:05 pm:
Oh boy. This should be fun. I thought for a millisecond this was a joke and almost spit up the last of my shot as I read the joke.
- Moderate Condor - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:07 pm:
Well, this ups the sweatiness quotient of the dem primary.
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:22 pm:
Paging Roland Burris. Paging Roland Burris. Your table is waiting.