* Looks like she’ll have a clear lane through March. From a press release…
Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon released the following statement on his decision to endorse Erika Harold and not to seek the Republican nomination for Illinois Attorney General:
“For the past several months, I have explored the idea of running for Attorney General of Illinois. I have decided that now is not the time for me to seek other public office and have decided to throw my full support behind Erika Harold because she is best equipped to change business as usual in Springfield and take on the career politicians who have run Illinois into the ditch.
As Kane County State’s Attorney, I have seen first hand the problems we face as a state and look forward to continuing my role serving the people of Kane County while also working with the Harold Campaign on the many issues facing suburban families.
Erika represents the best of Illinois and I look forward to helping her over the next year as she fights to take our state and the office of Attorney General in a new direction.
Thank you for the freedom to explore a possible run for attorney general and the support that so many across the state of Illinois have expressed. I have an incredible job; one that I am thankful for and I intend to fulfill my commitment to the people of Kane County and the People of the State of Illinois as state’s attorney for Kane County.”
Republican Attorney General candidate Erika Harold offered the following statement following Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon’s announcement:
“I would like to thank Joe for his support and everything he does for the citizens of Kane County as their state’s attorney. I look forward to working with him to address the challenges state’s attorneys face as they protect families across the state.”
- A guy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 1:56 pm:
Give Erika this much now; she’s been hustling around the whole state non-stop since she announced squeezing the oxygen out of any other efforts. That’s a little bit of moxie worth noticing. Good for her.
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 1:57 pm:
Sad. I guess the full-court Rauner press was too much for McMahon to handle.
- Honeybadger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
Rauner should have dumped Sue and picked Erika to be a running mate
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 1:58 pm:
A Guy, you really believe that’s how this went down? You really believe it was her and not the GOP establishment that brought fire and brimstone down on McMahon????
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:05 pm:
==You really believe it was her and not the GOP establishment that brought fire and brimstone down on McMahon?==
Either way, it’s a point in Harold’s favor.
Still, giving such an unproven candidate a free pass to the General is a risky strategy.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
“Why take a chance?”
Let Harold…who will be running with Rauner, in Trump’s midterm, and as of right now no Raunerite comptroller or treasurer candidates…
… let Harold take the loss.
All I’m saying is Jason Plummer, after years of ridiculous, is now running for the state Senate.
- Phil King - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:32 pm:
Disappointing.
We need a Republican candidate for AG who believes in the rule of law.
Erika Harold is criticizing Lisa Madigan for trying to “stop employee pay.” What she fails to mention is that Lisa Madigan was absolutely correct on the law.
The primary reason the budget stalemate was as long and as harmful as it was is that Courts unconstitutionally usurped the powers of the Executive and Legislative branches to demand payments keep going out. That’s why we racked up so much debt and that’s why the politicians were able to avoid culpability for over 2 years.
No budget should mean no money going out the door. Unless there is a continuing appropriation, not a single cent should be spent by the executive branch for employee pay, social services, vendors, or anything else.
If no budget meant a REAL shut down, we’d never have budget stand-offs like that again.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:41 pm:
Joe is having too much fun running Kane County.
- Curl of the Burl - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
Willy - you and I are in agreement on this. She took on Rodney Davis in 2014 instead of running against Carol Ammons for the open House seat. She sat out 2016 even though she would have been a better candidate against Scott Bennett than The Other Mike Madigan. I appreciate her ambition but the Peter Fitzgerald route is the way to go.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:49 pm:
Harold had less than $100K in the bank at the end of September.
Since then, she has reported one $1K contribution, plus about $7,500 in consulting contributions from ILGOP.
Not exactly a house on fire.
She has a story to tell, but that will take time and money.
- A guy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:52 pm:
==GOP establishment that brought fire and brimstone down ===
I can’t even figure out who in the heck the GOP establishment is anymore, let alone identify any “fire and brimstone”.
What I have seen is Erika criss-crossing the state and showing up at every GOP event on the calendar. And when folks meet her, they like her.
Most people in the GOP don’t know Joe McMahon from Jim McMahon or Ed McMahon. Most of them do know Erika. Because she’s been busting her (nevermind) out on the trail.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
===She has a story to tell, but that will take time and money.===
Rauner’s money.
- Mr. Morris - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
==Most people in the GOP don’t know Joe McMahon from Jim McMahon or Ed McMahon. Most of them do know Erika. Because she’s been busting her (nevermind) out on the trail.==
That may be true among GOP insiders and those who live in the political bubble. Outside the bubble, the rank and file have no idea about any of the candidates for AG. I would be shocked if she broke 20% name recognition statewide.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 2:58 pm:
–What I have seen is Erika criss-crossing the state and showing up at every GOP event on the calendar–
How’d she do that — hitchhiking? Her campaign reports she spent $7,700 last quarter, $5,750 of it on website developments.
Just how many times can you criss-cross the state on less than $2K?
- Fax Machine - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:02 pm:
At this point are the GOP going to field candidates for Comptroller & Treasurer?
Of course there is the option of the State Central picking someone if no one runs. But they’d still have to go and get 5,000 good signatures to get on the ballot.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
===She has a story to tell, but that will take time and money.===
Rauner’s money.–
Not yet, anyway.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:03 pm:
Harold, a powerhouse she ain’t.
Capitol Fax… http://bit.ly/2z9UX9u
===Scott Reeder claims this…
Republican polling found [Lisa Madigan’s] approval rating about 34 percent, hardly a surprise after Gov. Bruce Rauner spent tens of millions of dollars attacking the Madigan name.
I checked around and was told that’s true, but she was leading Erica Harold by 10 points in the head-to-head.====
That’s 10 points behind Lisa Madigan who was polling at 35.
Hmm
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:08 pm:
–At this point are the GOP going to field candidates for Comptroller & Treasurer?–
How’s about Cook County prez and assessor? If you don’t go after Preckwinkle and Berrios now, I guess you’ve written off Cook County forever.
It could be that Rauner is more interested in building a cult of personality than a state party.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
===At this point are the GOP going to field candidates for Comptroller & Treasurer?===
I come at this 2 ways;
1) No candidates als means ramping down turnout, which would be “smart” for Rauner and up to September, a statewide AG candidate running against a statewide Madigan also helped.
No one but Harold obliged to help against Lisa, but now both sides, Harold and Rauner are stuck with each other, and Ole Slip and Sue.
2) Hope upon hope the offices have no takers and then have the embarrassing task of appointing?
I think it’s at a point, Rauner and Trump are so toxic in Illinois, let Harold go down with Bruce and Evelyn.
Who, now, would like to be the appointed “nominee” forced to run against Mendoza or Frerichs now?
- Curl of the Burl - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
Word - she may just be using her own money for transportation and racking up the BP card rewards. Not everyone pulls a Dan Rutherford or Sam McCann and reimburses himself or herself for mileage/gas.
- A guy - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:14 pm:
==Just how many times can you criss-cross the state on less than $2K?==
I guess that depends on the price of gas. She’s been at everything over the past couple months.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:16 pm:
Are the people that don’t support Harold sexist, racist or both? /s/
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:18 pm:
–Are the people that don’t support Harold sexist, racist or both? /s/–
What prompted that?
- Downstate - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:26 pm:
Word,
Just an interesting juxtaposition on prior elections where not supporting a candidate who was a female or African-American was deemed sexist or racist.
- Frequently Blocked By Rich - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:28 pm:
==Just how many times can you criss-cross the state on less than $2K?==
=I guess that depends on the price of gas. She’s been at everything over the past couple months.=
Don’t ask Mautino or McCann, they spent a lot more just in their districts.;)
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:31 pm:
–Just an interesting juxtaposition on prior elections where not supporting a candidate who was a female or African-American was deemed sexist or racist. –
Well, you actually didn’t make a juxtaposition at all. But who, what, when, where, by whom?
Let me guess: “They.”
“They” are always good when indulging a fever dream grievance.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 3:33 pm:
Ivesey out to ask her if she suport GovJunk signin’ HB40 and we’ll see about hee support
- Texas Red - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 4:15 pm:
now Harold will be free to “Check” Raoul in the general
- DarkHorse - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 5:31 pm:
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Harold faces Pat Quinn in the general, which would give her a real chance to win.
- Downstate - Wednesday, Nov 1, 17 @ 9:45 pm:
Word,
Google “Ginsburg and sexism”. Hillary Clinton has also been promoting this theory with her book tour.