* Center Square, January 2021…

Even Illinois’ legislature isn’t immune to population loss to other states.

As the 101st General Assembly wraps up, they’re without state Rep. Allen Skillicorn, a Republican formerly of suburban East Dundee. The vocal conservative announced on Jan. 5 that he had tendered his resignation in the state Legislature, saying he would no longer pay Illinois’ “corruption tax” in good conscience.

“Illinois has been ruled for far too long by a small handful of Cook County Cronies, lead by Speaker Michael Madigan,” he said in his statement. “For more times than I care to count, the Democrat majority and, disapprovingly, many Republicans have voted to pass legislation that raised taxes, increased spending, and created more regulation. It is to Illinois a death by a thousand legislative cuts.” […]

Fountain Hills, Arizona lies on the far eastern side of the Phoenix metropolitan area that includes Scottsdale, Peoria, Glendale, Tempe, and other cities that represent the majority of the state’s population. The town is in a congressional and state legislative district that leans heavily Republican. Skillicorn said he had no plans to run for office in his new home at present but would help other like-minded Republicans get into office.

Skillicorn lost his re-election bid to Democrat Suzanne Ness of Crystal Lake in November. The two-term representative was first elected in 2016.

Accompanying photo…

Skillicorn didn’t just lose. He didn’t bother to put on a real campaign, essentially handing the GOP seat to a Democrat.

* December 2021…

Allen Skillicorn, a marketing and advertising professional, is officially announcing his candidacy for Fountain Hills Town Council. Skillicorn has filed intent to run with the town clerk and is circulating petitions to get on the ballot.

“President Ronald Reagan once referred to America as ‘a shining city on a hill.’ Well, that also perfectly describes Fountain Hills,” Skillicorn said. “I want to preserve our small-town charm and distinctive character. I live here with my wife, Heather, and our eleven-year-old Doberman, McFly, on Trojan Court. We are both active at First Baptist Church of Fountain Hills. We love the views, the outdoor activities, and we see the potential for a vibrant downtown.

* Arizona Republic last night…

Some of the most hotly contested local elections in the metro area are being decided by voters in northeast Valley communities, where early voting tallies show how the three dozen candidates in the area are stacking up.

Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey, who’s held her seat since 2018, is beating-out former Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the mayoral contest.

The biggest vote getters for the town’s three open council seats are incumbents Brenda Kalivianakis and Hannah Toth, and newcomer Cindy Couture. Incumbent Allen Skillicorn has received the least number of votes so far.

Results…

       

28 Comments - TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:13 am: I’m still waiting for him to pay out on that bet, when he claimed the repeal of net neutrality would lead to faster speeds for my internet connection at a lower cost. - Michelle Flaherty - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:13 am: “No matter where you go, there you are” — Buckaroo Banzai - Hot Taeks - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:14 am: Haha. What a loser. - Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:15 am: Don’t let the door hit ya in the. - Second Chance - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:15 am: Going to be fun to see the finance reports for how many IL residents gave to any of his opponents. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:32 am: Boy will Arizona regret rejecting Skillicorn when the Cubans and the Soviets invade some Golf and Spa. #RedDawnDownAndOut - Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:33 am: It would appear that for some folks, getting elected to office (any office) is some sort of narcotic… one they start they can’t stop. - H-W - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:40 am: Interloper? - Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 10:44 am: Not sure what has happened to the guy - having lived in his district I can say first hand that when first ran for state office he worked his district really well - he personally knocked on my door and won a competitive primary- Lazy now I guess. - Sonny - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 11:02 am: 3,500 of those votes were for the Doberman. - NIU Grad - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 11:14 am: Can we call him a “career politician” yet? - thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 11:30 am: Sonny’s at 11:02 ref 3,500 votes for the Dobe… “I have several questions….” (like the Internet meme)(Dobies are silly and vicious animals ). And the ad writes itself: “It began as a twisted dream…and ended in a city council seat” - don the legend - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 11:35 am: =Incumbent Allen Skillicorn has received the least number of votes so far.= Is Skillicorn currently on the Fountain Hills town council? - Demoralized - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 11:45 am: Meh. It’s Arizona. He can claim the election was rigged. - TheDudeAbides - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 12:47 pm: Maybe Illinois is the problem and people in Arizona will like me more… apparently not. - Steve Rogers - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 12:48 pm: I’m assuming he’ll move back to Illinois when Arizona runs out of water. - Brendan - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 12:48 pm: @don the legend: No. Skillicorn is not an incumbent. It’s just bad reporting/copy editing by low-paid Gannett employees. - Lurker - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 1:38 pm: It’s not his fault. He just needs to move to a state without a Peoria. Everyone knows all peorias hate all skillicorns. - MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 1:54 pm: Alternate headline: Allen Skillicorn finished just out of the medal standings. – MrJM - Michael leone - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 2:08 pm: I thought I was going insane when I saw his name, thank goodness Joe Arpaio seems to have lost there too. - Say What? - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 2:11 pm: Intellectually deficient grifters like Squirrelcorn are easily identifiable in all 50 States. - Commissar Gritty - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 2:27 pm: I’d share this article to dunk on Skillicorn but he blocked me on twitter ages ago. He really doesn’t like when you call his little trips down to the southern border Stolen Valor Cosplay. He would literally just march around with a gun and brag about it on twitter like he was doing anything other than making himself look positively silly. - Club J - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 2:39 pm: Well I’m not surprised by this. No matter how much you polish a chunk of coal. It’s still a chunk of coal. He blocked me years ago from social media and I had forgot about him. It’s good to see he can’t fool the good people there. Maybe a school bus driver would be better. - Old Muttonhead - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 2:42 pm: This guy is almost too catty for a loser. Cook county is 45% of the state and Madigan is indicted. - Sam - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 3:26 pm: I guess they are smart enough there to reject him immediately. - New Day - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 3:32 pm: So sorry the carpetbagger lost. Honestly, it take a lot of chutzpah to move somewhere far away from your former home and immediately run for office like you’re some gift from God. Get a new hobby, Allen. - Edwardsville Guy - Wednesday, Aug 3, 22 @ 3:34 pm: I don’t know what it is about Republicans that they all think the sky is falling. An acquaintance of mine, a former state official, tells me he’s got to leave Illinois because things are so bad. He, too, is looking at Arizona. Meanwhile, houses in Edwardsville are selling at a 10% premium over asking price, business are expanding, new home construction is booming, great jobs are plentiful and new businesses are moving into town each day. I guess he, like many Republicans, can recognize success when he sees it. - Bob - Wednesday, Aug 10, 22 @ 10:02 pm: Wrong Skillicorn won Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.