* From the Twitters…
* The AP ran a story over the weekend about lite guv announcement timelines…
“My No. 1 priority was would this individual both in reality and perception-wise (among voters) be able to succeed me,” said state Treasurer Dan Rutherford, a Chenoa Republican who said he’s already picked someone and will make the name public in the next few weeks.
Brady said he expects to announce his running mate around Labor Day, and an adviser to state Sen. Kirk Dillard said the Hinsdale Republican plans to make his choice public around then, too.
Mike Schrimpf, a spokesman for Bruce Rauner, said the Republican businessman’s campaign likely won’t have an announcement until later in the year. He said Rauner mainly is looking for someone who shares his willingness to “take on the special interests in Springfield.”
Quinn, who became the first Illinois lieutenant governor in more than three decades to ascend to the state’s top spot when now-imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was booted out of office, is looking for a replacement for Simon, who’s running for comp-troller. He said he’s looking for “a people person” who can relate to ordinary citizens, adding that he’s heard from a lot of potential running mates and plans to sit down and talk with them.
Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley, who’s challenging Quinn in the Democratic primary, would like a running mate with private sector management experience who’s also worked with elected officials, spokesman Pete Giangreco said.
Failed 2010 attorney general candidate Steve Kim is apparently on the radar screen for Rutherford in addition to retiring state Rep. Kay Hatcher. We’ll see.
* Jim Nowlan’s take…
Gov. Pat Quinn is unpopular downstate, but more than 60 percent of the Democratic primary vote is cast in Cook County alone, so he may want a black or Hispanic from Cook. His present lite guv is Sheila Simon of Carbondale, daughter of the late U.S. senator, who is running for comptroller.
Quinn will have a tough time finding a running mate, as he is so unpopular with legislators, whose salaries he vetoed, among other slams against lawmakers.
Chicagoan Bill Daley, of the Democratic Daley clan, will want either an attractive black such as state senators Toi Hutchinson or Kimberly Lightford, who do not face re-election in 2014, or a downstater, where his name is not playing well.
On the Republican side, Bill Brady of Bloomington is probably vetting suburban women, a region and gender where Brady fared badly in his narrow loss to Quinn in 2010.
(By the way, gender was not even a consideration back in 1972 when I was a candidate; times change quickly.)
State treasurer Dan Rutherford of Pontiac will also probably want a suburban woman, though I have no idea who that might be.
State senator Kirk Dillard of suburban DuPage County is probably looking for a downstate woman. Karen Hasara comes to mind; a former state senator, mayor of Springfield and member of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, Karen would be an attractive match.
Wild-card megabucks financier Bruce Rauner is thought of as a Chicagoan, where his business is located, but he grew up in the suburbs. Several downstate senators with free rides such as former prosecutor Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, might make attractive complements.
Any ideas?
*** UPDATE *** Chuck Sweeny thinks retiring Rep. Jim Sacia may run for lt. governor...
“I’m very seriously contemplating a run for another office,” he said. It won’t be a legislative office, because “I’m not going to run against (state Sen.) Tim Bivins (R-45),” he said.
Through a process of elimination we narrowed things down to a statewide office, and that’s as far as he would go at revealing future plans. Whatever it is, Sacia gave indications that he’s preparing for an all-out, full-time campaign.
“To me, running for office is like being in office. It’s a full-time job. Had I stayed in the House, I would have not been devoting full time to my legislative responsibilities. Not only that, but you lose some effectiveness as a lame duck.” […]
Treasurer Dan Rutherford, a Republican, is running for governor; at least two Republicans, Michael Scott Carter and Bob Schillerstrom want that job. That might be a possibility for Sacia.
And then there’s lieutenant governor, the office I think he’ll seek. The office will be open because Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, a Democrat, is running for comptroller.
Um, the office will be open because it’s an election year. Other than that, he may be right.
