Sam McCann round-up
Monday, Jun 25, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
Republican state Sen. Sam McCann says he filed more than 60,000 signatures Monday to secure a spot on the November ballot against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat J.B. Pritzker. McCann needs 25,000 valid signatures to qualify, and a ballot challenge is expected. […]
The Plainview lawmaker says Rauner has “abandoned” core GOP values. Rauner recently signed laws expanding public funding for abortions and limiting law enforcement interactions with immigrants.
* It’s gonna be tough to effectively challenge those petitions. There are so many of them and the people running the show put a lot of planning and effort into the project…
* Tina Sfondeles…
McCann has the support of the Operating Engineers Union Local 150, who will likely play a big role in his campaign. And union spokesman Ed Maher on Monday said the union was “very clear” about telling those circulating petitions that they would not eligible if they had circulated for major party candidates in the primary.
“They had to be very conscious of anyone who had passed petitions for a major party,” Maher said. “That said, the campaign has put a great deal of effort in reviewing the petitions and are extremely confident that they’ll be well above the threshold.” […]
McCann is hoping to continue the momentum conservative voters found in state Rep. Jeanne Ives’ candidacy. Ives lost to Rauner by just 3 percentage points even though she was vastly outspent. The goal is to speak to Ives’ supporters who were angered by the governor’s support of a bill to expand taxpayer funding of abortion; a measure that allows transgender people to change the sex listed on their birth certificates and another that limits law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
While McCann may be seeking Ives’ supporters, the Wheaton lawmaker isn’t actively campaigning for McCann.
“My efforts will be focused on taking Mike Madigan out as Speaker and helping to elect conservative reform House members aligned with my policy principles,” Ives told the Sun-Times on Monday.
* Democratic Governors Association…
“Just when he needs to turn to the general election, Bruce Rauner will have to keep refighting the battles of the primary,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner divided the Republican Party with his lies, and now Jeanne Ives voters will have another opportunity to express their displeasure with Rauner’s failed leadership.”
* Related…
* Four more IL gubernatorial candidates could be on November ballot: Voters could see several gubernatorial candidates on the 2018 General Election ballot in November - including Libertarian Party candidate, a Conservative Party candidate and two independents - if they’re allowed to stay on the ballot.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 4:41 pm:
I’m more than interested in this turn of events.
More than interested.
I’ll also be interested in how that campaign will be run, and who is where in that campaign too.
Oh, I’m interested, and it has my attention.
- A guy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 4:48 pm:
Hope he’s taken a trimester at Charm School since deciding.
- It's crying time - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 4:52 pm:
Bad news for Rauner. At a minimum this guys going to take 10 or 15% of Bruce’s base.
- Estubborn - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 4:53 pm:
It’s morning again in America
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:05 pm:
===At a minimum this guys going to take 10 or 15% of Bruce’s base.===
Hmm.
Ives got 48%… let’s say McCann, statewide, and not being Ives, I’d start at 4.8% for McCann… lemme see who is on that Crew, some ads, some field, even McCann on the stump…
- Board Watcher - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:16 pm:
McCann could pull votes from both remember JB isnt overly popular either. And where Sam did ok in his district, the rest of the state might not be as forgiving about all his baggage and he has plenty of that..
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:18 pm:
===Buh-bye Bruce. McCann’s candidacy is the final nail in the coffin…===
We’ll see. It’s not a help, but what set Ives apart was they ran a campaign of ads, had some troops, had some groups, even had some GOP support in the organizations.
No joke, no snark, true… I’m really interested in lots of this. The nuts and bolts, the real of campaigns.
It would be quite foolish right now to think it’s the end of the end.
It’s only the end of the beginning.
- blue dog dem - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:22 pm:
Isn’t it just wonderful.how the two party system stacks the deck. I wish some billionaire would save us and lead the drive for change. Real change.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 5:32 pm:
I’d also say out loud that some GA members that are Republicans might *want* to be closer to McCann than to Rauner, abd it might even be good politics to do so… but Rauner can’t have that, he’s paying the freight.
- Mama - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 6:21 pm:
“Voters could see several gubernatorial candidates on the 2018 General Election ballot in November - including Libertarian Party candidate, a Conservative Party candidate and two independents - if they’re allowed to stay on the ballot.”
Are the Republicans adding more Illinois Republican candidates for governor to get rid of Rauner or JB or McCann???
- Anon - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 6:39 pm:
Does McCann appeal only to pro-Rauner union members or is it broader? If broader, does McCann more appeal to conservative non-union Rs or pro-union Ds? I am actually unsure which way this cuts.
- "Old Timer Dem" - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 6:48 pm:
I think it is extremely likely that the winner in November’s Governor’s race will win with less than 40% of the vote.
- Original Rambler - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 8:09 pm:
What’s more likely to occur: Ives voters abandon their party’s nominee for McCann or Biss/Kennedy voters abandon their party’s nominee for McCann? As of right now, I don’t see a lot of movement among Dems to McCann.
- Long time R - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 8:44 pm:
Both Rauner and Pritzker camp might attack Sam on different fronts both could lose votes to him. The sad part is he has no chance of winning and these two billionaires will be sure the state really knows who Sam is and that’s not a good thing for him
- RNUG - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 8:55 pm:
== Does McCann appeal only to pro-Rauner union members or is it broader? ==
Sam will have appeal to pro-life, pro-union, and fiscal consevatives. He has some appeal to the middle swing coters unless you are a one issue voter.
IF he had a lot of money to throw at it, he could make it a horse race. But, as others have noted, he has his share of skeltons that will be dug up and thrown at him. Which really leads to an interesting question about the voters: will they relate better to one of the wealthy guys orto a
- RNUG - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 8:57 pm:
(hit enter by accident while editing)
Or a middle class guy with debt and bankruptcy issues?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 9:04 pm:
===he (McCann) has his share of skeltons that will be dug up and thrown at him.===
Which is why I commented exactly as i did…
===I’m more than interested in this turn of events.
More than interested.
I’ll also be interested in how that campaign will be run, and who is where in that campaign too.
Oh, I’m interested, and it has my attention.===
This campaign will be fraught with so many land mines.
Will Rauner bury McCann early? Can McCann get some traction before it gets ugly with stuff we all already know.
This has my full attention now.
Then throw in who McCann might have running the shop, will they have ads… is this anything that can be impactful beyond 4.8%?
It has my attention now.
- Pundent - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 9:41 pm:
McCann provides an option to the still angry Ives voter who doesn’t want to come around to Rauner. It remains to be seen if he can have anywhere near the impact Ives did but he can have enough to make things miserable for Rauner.
- wordslinger - Monday, Jun 25, 18 @ 10:50 pm:
If McCann makes the ballot, it’s big trouble for Rauner.
Those percentage points mean a lot.
Same with Kash (love that name, and all of his names).
Just watch who tries to bump them off.
It won’t be Pritzker.
So…. get, the obvious?
- Chito - Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 8:46 am:
This isn’t substantive but did anyone else notice the sweat soaking through McCann’s shirt while he was at the BoE? Yikes.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 9:10 am:
For Sam to grow beyond a Jeanne Ives-esque coalition, he’s going to have to work people besides the conservative base and craft a message that appeals to them. He hasn’t shown much interest in that so far, but it’s early days.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 9:13 am:
With McCann on the ballot, half or more of Ives’ voters will support him. They expected Ives to lose in a General, believes that Rauner will lose in the General, so voting for McCann isn’t a problem either.
Downstaters, Republicans and many non-progressives are wanting leadership from somewhere place other than Chicago. They supported Rauner in 2014, but he did more than fail them. With his failure, they did not have their wish fulfilled, yet it is still alive.
The Democrats gave us two poor governors, one now in jail. The Republicans gave us two governors, one went to jail, and the current one worse than the Democratic governors.
Pritzker can stop the damage, but he’s just another typical Chicago Democrat. Big Woo.
McCann gets 15%.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 9:32 am:
Hurry back Bruce Illinois has a surprise for your failures