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House Republicans explain why they’re not backing Dwight Kay again

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Illinois

* The Belleville News-Democrat has a story up about the looming primary between former GOP state Rep. Dwight Kay and the House Republican-backed candidate Wendy Erhart. Kay lost to Democrat Katie Stuart last year…

“Dwight is a friend. We’ve supported him in the past, but the fact is on Nov. 8, 2016 … he fell short where we picked up five other seats, so we’re going to go in a new direction for the 112th and we feel the voters have spoken,” said Joe Woodward, political director for the House Republican Organization. […]

“The Illinois Republican Party is not funding me and the governor is not funding me,” said Kay, of Glen Carbon. “If money dictates who we send to the capital, maybe I lose. … The fact that they’re not outwardly supporting me in a primary doesn’t concern me.” […]

“Voters come first, and organizations come second,” Woodward said. “But we feel, and my job as a caucus person is, to protect our incumbents and add seats, and Wendy is in the column of adding seats.” […]

“I really respect Dwight’s years of service in the legislature, (but) I think it’s important we get new voices in Springfield,” Erhart said. “We’ve got to look forward, not backward. If we’re going to get Mike Madigan out as speaker of the House, we have to defeat Katie Stuart. Unfortunately Dwight has shown a unique ability to not be able to do that.”

Oh, that last quote is gonna leave a mark.

Kay was tweeting all summer about how he was walking door to door. I do not know if he ever thought the HRO would support a comeback, and it could get interesting to see who else might start playing around in this district.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:17 pm

Comments

*if we’re going to get Madigan out as speaker…

Notice, its never to “regain a Republican majority”. Or “to make Jim Durkin speaker”. Or even “to enact Bruce Rauner’s agenda”.

Probably becauae such terms are toxic…

Noun, verb, Madigan.

Comment by low level Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:24 pm
Woodward is offering some hard truths here but man, now they really have to make sure Kay doesn’t win the primary after these comments.

Comment by The Captain Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:25 pm
I have to think Madigan’s going to find some back channel way to help Kay win the primary, like by calling some contractors to write him checks.

Comment by Fax Machine Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:27 pm
Not liked by the politicians mucking up Illinois?
Sounds like my kind of guy.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:31 pm
Wow……I find that frightening. As much as Kay did for them. loyalty and fealty are a thing of the past. I have to say as one who has fought hard against Kay, he didn’t deserve that. He fought hard for his side

Raunerites are not honorable.
Loving Jesus I want to go find the electric blanket to warm up.
That’s brutal cold.

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:48 pm
The problem with the reasoning being put forth by Mr. Woodward, is he is expecting us to buy the ground swell argument. It is true they won 5 seats last time around, but the election 2 years before they lost them all. They actually have very few real ideas. Do it our way, or else is their M.O. Anyone who wants to run his/her campaign is left out in the cold. How about this idea? Let the voters decide who they like. Let the political hacks, sit around and pat each other on the back, and say “We almost had that one”. I was involved in a campaign for the house in 2014, believe me these guys have less then a clue.

Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:50 pm
Dwight Kay has his own political baggage and did lose in a way that seemed very micro to him, and not what was going on “everywhere else”

This is the GOP saying, “thanks but no thanks” because they have shed Kay, and they are glad with that shedding.

Maybe Kay just wasn’t going to get a hint or clue.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:51 pm
Is this a good place to predict Durkie ecapes the madhouse on Monroe and goes for AG?

Comment by Annonin' Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 3:53 pm
Kay lost 52-48 by about 1700 votes; it’s not like he got annihilated. Regarding “fell short”: most of the district is in Madison County, which Mark Kirk lost 50-44 while Trump was winning it 54-39. Time will tell if Erhart fits the district primary electorate better; I suspect not, more wasted money from HRO.

Comment by Put the fun in unfunded Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 4:03 pm
No better way for Erhart to lose this race than turning it into a contest between Dwight Kay and the Springfield establishment.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Sep 15, 17 @ 4:07 pm