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* I’m told that state Sen. Michael Frerichs (D-Champaign) will report raising almost $200,000 in the first quarter, giving him more than $500,000 cash on hand. As you may already know, Sen. Frerichs is gearing up to run for state treasurer.
Here’s a little nugget to contemplate while discussing Frerichs’ chances: The last time a non-federal statewide Democratic candidate won both the primary and the general election was 1982, when southern Illinoisan Jim Donnewald won the treasurer’s race.
I’m sure there’s a real hunger out there for a statewide Democratic Downstater. But there are also some serious roadblocks, mainly caused by Cook County. They like their candidates liberal and local.
Discuss.
* Frerichs is a tall guy with huge hands. I took this photo of him several years ago…
Caption?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:17 am
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Show me the money.
Comment by Yossarian Lives Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:20 am
Casino Dealer Salute to Eye in the Sky - good start for Treasurer Candidate.
Comment by x ace Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:40 am
–Frerichs is a tall guy with huge hands.–
You know what that means — long pants, big gloves.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:42 am
Sue Scherer taught me to just smile and wave at the camera. She said I won’t need to say a word, Madigan will take care of that. Just smile and wave.
Comment by Joe from Joliet Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:44 am
Church, steeple, door, people..been doing it for years, man.
Comment by zatoichi Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 10:50 am
And if I recall, Sen. Donnewald owned a large Budweiser distributership in S. Illinois with close ties to the St. Louis Cardinals. He had also been a State Sentator for a number of years prior. Not just a run of the mill guy.
Comment by Stones Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:00 am
Treasurer Donnewald was bounced in the 1986 Dem primary by Jerry Cosentino (a young gadly named Pat Quinn also challenged him).
Both Sen. Dixon and state Sen. Rock worked mightily to protect the downstate incumbent from a Dem challenge. There was a lot of bad blood after that.
An effort to assuage it, a bit, anyway, occurred when Vince Demuzio got some key Cook County support to replace Rock as state Dem chair.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:08 am
No doubt, downstaters face long odds in statewide primaries. Frerichs and Sheila Simon might have a better shot than most Downstate Dems because their college-town roots allow them to get away with being more liberal than some of their downstate colleagues. The John Sullivans, Brandon Phelps’s and John Bradleys of the world have to take pretty conservative positions on social issues to keep in line with their constituents. Their votes on guns and abortion would be huge problems for them in a statewide Dem primary.
Another problem for downstaters beyond ideology is the dominance of the Chicago media market in influencing the overwhelming majority of Dem primary voters. For instance, Sheila Simon wouldn’t stand a chance against Tom Dart in a primary for AG because Dart is so well known in Chicago and the burbs thanks to the frequent coverage he gets on Chicago TV.
Maybe she’d have a shot in a three-way race with Kawme Raoul in the mix, but still, the downstate Dem base has shrunk so much it might not get her to a third of the vote — the Chicago-Cook burbs-collar county vote is just too big.
Comment by Tony Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:21 am
A double Greek Moutza!
Comment by Louis G. Atsaves Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:23 am
Mountain pose for the fingers folks…
Comment by Loop Lady Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:27 am
You know what they say about a politician with big hands (big check book!)
Comment by in the know Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 11:41 am
I have $500,000 in the bank…that’s this many.
Comment by The KQ Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 12:59 pm
“Look ma, clean hands!”
“No sticky fingers here.”
Comment by Yossarian Lives Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:01 pm
That’s a good number - does anyone happen to know how much Sheila Simon has raised for Q1?
Comment by Silent majority Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 1:16 pm
–Dan Rutherford has done nothing as Illinois Treasurer to solve this fiscal mess.–
What, exactly, could any state treasurer do?
Don’t believe the hype from former officeholders and the current treasurer. That job is largely on auto-pilot, part of a Constitutional farm team of state elected officials.
I’d rather we did away with all of them and had a New Jersey system, where executive responsibility and accountability is invested solely in the governor.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 2:12 pm
Paraphrasing the old high school cheer…
Big hands, Big Feet… Mike Frerichs can’t be beat.
Big Hands, Big Feet… Mike Frerichs can’t be beat.
Comment by Dazed & Confused Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 3:43 pm
…”10 times as much money in the bank as the next challenger for Treasurer! Ha Ha–you heard me–10 TIMES!!!”
Comment by Just The Way It Is One Monday, Apr 8, 13 @ 8:46 pm
Met Sen. Frerichs at an event at Chicago State a week or two ago. I’m 6′6″, and he looked taller when we stood next to each other.
Of course, it could have been shoes, too. “Money! It’s got to be the shoes!”
Comment by PrairieFire Tuesday, Apr 9, 13 @ 11:42 am