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Summers to announce in two weeks

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Illinois

Chicago City Treasurer Kurt Summers on Tuesday said he’s spoken with each Democratic gubernatorial candidate about how they’ll represent the needs of African-Americans, Hispanics and women within their campaigns — and that he’ll announce whether he’s running for governor within the next two weeks. […]

If Summers joins the race, he’ll be the only African-American candidate. He’d join J.B. Pritzker, Chris Kennedy, Bob Daiber, Ald. Ameya Pawar and state Sen. Daniel Biss in the race.

Summers says he’s spoken with each Democratic candidate about his plans to represent minorities. He said there’s a need for a candidate “that truly represents the values” of minorities.

“There isn’t a female candidate. There isn’t a black candidate. There isn’t a Latino candidate. And I think each of the current candidates have to be able to show their commitment to those constituencies but also have to show their commitment to those who are most harmed,” Summers said. “And I think low-income communities, working families and black and brown people have been disproportionately affected by what’s happening in Springfield.”

He has an April 23rd fundraiser on his schedule, so that could be playing into this story.

Even though by most accounts he’s been a pretty good treasurer, the simple fact that he’s the Chicago City Treasurer will, unfortunately, write its own hit pieces.

* In related news, you’ll recall last week that I asked all the Democratic candidates to name one state spending program they’d cut. Summers finally got back to me yesterday. …

“Talking about cuts to line item appropriations without a comprehensive budget plan in place is unproductive and does nothing to advance the dialogue about how to address the state’s fiscal challenges. Both parties have backed budget plans with phony savings built in and continue to watch interest pile up on unpaid bills - that’s where we should start. But Governor Rauner refuses to lead. He owns this crisis and needs to give the people of Illinois a clear vision. The Governor and his allies would prefer to negotiate in the press because they know their ideas won’t make a significant dent in our unpaid bills, our bond payments, or our deficit. That’s not how you bring people together to solve problems.”

So, in other words, a complete dodge.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:04 pm

Comments

Would he want to be an Lt Gov candidate? It’s kind of a lateral move

Comment by Fax Machine Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:15 pm
=== Would he want to be an Lt Gov candidate? It’s kind of a lateral move ===

Of course he’d take Lt. Gov. in a heart beat.

Comment by Just Observing Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:16 pm
He still has his seat if he loses. However, your first ever campaign running statewide in an already crowded primary. I’m going to guess Summers has a lot of Yes people in his inner circle. No is the right answer.

This is a big state if he’s relying on Cook County, south suburbs and African American community to put him over the top, I think he’s incorrect. Especially if Kennedy stays in all the way.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:18 pm
Summer’s is “more ready” than Pawar, and that’s not saying too much.

Icarus, wax wings, the sun…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:24 pm
He will not run but will be a champion for the AA community. He is a smart person.

Comment by Rocky Rosi Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:26 pm
Really pitiful comments by Mr. Summers but so representative of the Dems in this state. Unless I look like you or I have the same heritage as you or my income is the same as yours I can’t represent you. Funny, I thought that we were all humans and therefore know what it means to be a human.

Comment by NeverPoliticallyCorrect Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:26 pm
Another Chicago Democrat. Unless they slim down the pool, it will dilute the vote, maybe assuring Rauner another term.

Comment by Ractin Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:33 pm
Ractin, it’s called a primary. There can be ten candidates now but in the end there will be one.

Oh, and no way Summers runs. This is just fundraising.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:46 pm
Never politically correct…

That would be the definition of the Republican Party. What do you think Take Our Country back means?

Comment by Sideline watcher Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 2:48 pm
Looks like the Repubs candidate against Costello bailed yesterday. can he run to retain his seat and primary for gov at the same time?

Comment by blue dog dem Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:14 pm
Kurt & Kwame are the two top Lt Governor names the declared candidates are looking at - black elected officials without any publicly known negatives who don’t have to give up their seat to run.

Both came up from Preckwinkle’s organization.

Comment by Grand Avenue Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:20 pm
Answer to Blue Dog Dem is No, needs to pick one

Comment by Grand Avenue Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:20 pm
Identity politics has been a complete wipeout for the democrats but they continue to play that card

Did President Obama ever mention race?

Very rarely which was a big reason why he was popular

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:44 pm
Trying to raise $ off of rumors of a run for higher office? Nah!

Comment by Shytown Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:50 pm
Sideline watcher

Was it racist when Bill Clinton said we need to take our country back? Of course not why does it become racist when a Republican says it?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:54 pm
Rich - is the lack of anybody making any noise about running for Secretary of State on the Democratic side a strong indicator that the party has successfully talked Jesse White into un-retiring?

Comment by Grand Avenue Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 3:59 pm
=== the party has successfully talked Jesse White into un-retiring===

No word yet. But I’ve been predicting this for two years at least.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 4:00 pm
Sounds like a Lt. Gov. wannabe all right. Someone who was in it to win it wouldn’t be spending so much time asking the other candidates if it was necessary for him to run or not. And is it so hard to simply answer a simple question? That goes for most of them.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 4:22 pm
==about how they’ll represent the needs of African-Americans, Hispanics and women within their campaigns==

Why does Everything has to be about race? Dems can run on what they plan to do? How much they plan on raising taxes and state worker pension benifits?

Comment by Atsuishin Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 4:56 pm
===Why does Everything has to be about race?===

It’s not. You’re exaggerating, and that may say more about you than you think.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 5:16 pm
I find it really interesting that when Black people discuss what is happening in their comnunities they are constantly met with “why do you have to always talk about race?”

Its talked about because its a problem we have in this country. If we had no institutional racism we wouldn’t need to talk about it. And white people will never stop being uncomfortable about it until the conversations are allowed to happen. That means stop trying to discount people’s real lived experiences because talking about race is uncomfortable. Its not as uncomfortable as actually living with the impacts of what structural and institutional racism does to whole groups of people.

Lucky…its Republican rhetoric/policies that have blatant disparate impact on minorities that goes with it that makes it bad. Like hiring white nationalists openly in your administration. Like targeting whole ethnic groups. Like the dog whistle politics and that accompany it. I could go on and on. When Republicans say Take our country back…what do they mean? From who are they taking it back from? I watch what they do more than what they say.

Comment by Sideline watcher Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 5:30 pm
Sideline. When i, a true blue independent, use the term ‘take our country back’, i refer to politicians whom have abandoned their constituents wishes and vote the party line or donors wishes. This happens in both parties, urban and rural, rich and poor. Institutionalized racism? Bad.
Progressive policies? Dont seem to work.
Corporate greed? Bad
Seperation of church and state?……maybe thats where we went wrong. I dunno.

Comment by Blue dog dem Tuesday, Apr 18, 17 @ 5:47 pm