Among those confirming that they either intend to run or are seriously considering doing so in Roskam’s west suburban 6th District are Amanda Howland, a lawyer and psychologist who got 42 percent of the vote against him in 2016; Barrington Hills Planning Commission member Kelly Mazeski, a former state senate hopeful and ex-financial consultant; and Carole Cheney, who now works as district chief of staff for neighboring Congressman Bill Foster, D-Geneva.
Howland says she’s definitely in the contest and points to the name recognition she built up in her prior race.
Mazesk is is “exploring” running but is interested enough that she’s met both with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (the party’s House elections unit) and Emily’s List, a prominent women’s funding group. Cheney says she “likely” to get in the race because, “The people in the 6th Congressional District are entitled to a representative who respects and listens to them regardless of political party.” […]
I wasn’t able to reach her, but [Maura Sullivan] comes right out of central casting: a former U.S. Marine and Iraq war veteran who graduated from Northwestern Univesity, got an MBA from Harvard University, and until recently was a senior public affairs official at the Pentagon.
But Sullivan also reportedly lives in Evanston, something that likely would become an issue if she moved to run.
Yeah, I’m kinda thinking that an Evanston Democrat may not go over too well out there in DuPage Land, but one never knows, I suppose.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
Today Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) is releasing web ads targeted at Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), urging her to support the VA Accountability First Act of 2017. Duckworth voted for similar legislation, the VA Accountability Act, in 2015.
“How many more veterans will die waiting for care at the Department of Veterans Affairs?” the ad narrator asks. “How many more will be neglected by the people hired to serve them? How many more will suffer before the Senate acts?” The ad then prompts viewers to call Senator Duckworth directly in support of the bill.
The ad is part of a larger series of sixteen other VA accountability ads that CVA is launching this week. Other ad targets include Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
These ads come as part of a six-figure investment CVA is making into helping the VA Accountability First Act of 2017 pass in the Senate this year. The group is making thousands of phone calls to constituents of Senate targets and is promoting a digital tool which connects CVA activists directly with their Senators’ offices via email and social media.
What would have been worse: for Gov. Bruce Rauner to just admit he is campaigning for two days while there is no state budget — or for him to do everything that looks, smells and feels like campaigning, but call it something different? […]
Some of the headlines:
– “Rauner insists campaign-funded statewide tour not about re-election bid,” by Chicago Tribune’s Kim Geiger and Monique Garcia: “When Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner tours a business, talks with employees and stresses the importance of his economic agenda and frustration at Democratic opposition, taxpayers typically cover the cost as part of his official duties running the state. As the governor embarked on a two-day statewide tour Tuesday, his campaign fund was footing the bill. Despite that, the governor insisted Tuesday that the proceedings weren’t political. Reporters, Rauner said, shouldn’t cover his tour ‘in any way other than communication to the people of Illinois.’” Story here
– “Rauner: State trip isn’t campaigning,” by AP’s Sara Burnett: “Rauner, who put $50 million into his campaign fund in December, said Tuesday he wanted media to cover the events as ‘communication with the people of Illinois.’ He also refused to say he’s seeking another term, adding ‘That will be discussed later on.’ Rauner and his political team acknowledged, however, that the tour was being paid for out of his campaign fund, Citizens for Rauner. But they described it as a ‘political event’ like others he’s held throughout his term and not a ‘campaign event.’” Story here
– “Rauner launches campaign-funded tour he says isn’t campaign tour,” by Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles: “Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday kicked off a campaign-funded two-day tour of the state — all the while denying that he’s kicking off his re-election or that the 10 stops are campaign-related.” Story here […]
* Subscribers know more about what went on, but check out these ledes, starting with Public Radio in the Quad Cities…
Hoping to bring pressure on the General Assembly to solve the budget crisis, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has started a two-day tour across the state.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner took his plan to solve Illinois’ financial woes to the people Tuesday, including a stop in Rock Island on Tuesday where he held fast to demands for his reform agenda.
“We’ve had a political system that’s been working for the insiders and not for the people,” he told a group at Performance Food Group in Rock Island. “… The answers to our challenges are real simple: We need to grow our economy.”
Gov. Bruce Rauner repeatedly emphasized his persistence in the more than two-year-long fight over the state budget during a visit to a Peoria business Tuesday.
Rauner is encouraged, however, that Senate Democrats are starting to negotiate some of his proposed structural reforms, including a property tax freeze and term limits among other items.
* As I told subscribers this morning, Rauner couldn’t buy coverage like this from ABC 7 if he tried…
Many people will [say] that the State of Illinois is in worse financial shape now than it was two years ago when Republican Governor Bruce Rauner took office. However, as Newschannel 20’s Esther Kwon reports, Governor Rauner says Democrats have been an obstacle to success.
Rauner said his administration has done “a phenomenal job” on the things he can control, and said the Democratic majority has blocked him from fixing the state’s issues.
Today, the JB for Governor campaign released the first in a series of “JB and Me” online videos highlighting JB’s commitment to his community and the future of Illinois.
The video features Neal Sales-Griffin’s work to help people learn how to write computer code. With the help of 1871, a non-profit small business hub that JB founded to help small tech companies get started, Neal was able to build a company that has taught 1,600 people how to code, design, and build web applications.
“I’ve seen firsthand JB’s impact on hundreds, even thousands of other people and businesses,” said Neal Sales-Griffin. “JB sees a challenge — something that others might see as insurmountable — and he’s ready to take it on. I know I’m just one guy, but I hope that my story will help shed a little light on who this man is, and what motivates him. JB Pritzker helped change my life, and I can’t wait to watch him change Illinois.”
