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Biss wants to back insurgent state central committee candidates

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Illinois

Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss is exploring ways to help insurgent candidates for the state party’s leadership committee and challenge House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chairmanship.

A Biss aide said the state senator from Evanston has talked with campaign attorneys about what fundraising mechanism could be used to assist challengers to about a dozen members the Democratic State Central Committee.

The 36-member panel elects the party chairman. It’s made up of one man and one woman from each of Illinois’ 18 congressional districts, and the seats are on the primary ballot.

There were no details yet on whether any arrangement had been made. Madigan has been actively backing current committee members seeking re-election.

Many of these candidates haven’t even set up campaign committees. Speaker Madigan just disclosed spending more money against Rockford-area candidates Art Bardsley and Elizabeth Lindquist, but neither have committees. You can’t contribute to candidates if they don’t have official bank accounts. So, either they’ll have to set up committees ASAP, or Biss will have to establish an independent expenditure committee and then do all the work of sending out mailers, or radio ads or whatever else he plans to do.

Anyone else have any ideas what he could do (besides spend any money he raises on himself, of course)?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:36 am

Comments

…bro, you got a week left.

Like, even if this were tacitly throwing in the towel, do you really have time to get these guys on their feet?

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:38 am
There are 7 days left. For that reason alone, this is a meaningless offer from Biss. Regardless, Biss is barely able to support a limited tv presence for his own campaign. Not sure that he is in a position to do anything for others.

I suspect, his goal is just to get some free media, like this story, but not really do anything to back it up.

Comment by fly Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:40 am
Oh Biss. Empty. I’m starting to hear people say that they are voting Kennedy because he has a better chance of beating JB. Today’s Bissive is a sign of desperation.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:42 am
Only way this makes sense is if it’s a last ditch effort to leverage these candidates into election day GOTV for Biss. Our Revolution is supporting most or all of them plus Biss, so maybe they’ll run it through them.

Comment by TopHatMonocle Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:42 am
Looks like Biss the Pension Thief is looking for a new gig. He can’t win the current race, but wants to remain relevant. It is a strange time to try to jockey for position in the party, after repeatedly slamming the chairman.

Comment by Retired Educator Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:43 am
–Democratic governor candidate Daniel Biss is exploring ways to help insurgent candidates for the state party’s leadership committee and challenge House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chairmanship.–

LOL, Biss is “exploring ways” today? Voting has been going on for some time now. The last day is in a week.

Is this an example of executive planning, decisiveness and quick action we could expect with Biss as governor?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:45 am
He could go to Speaker Madigan and ask to run PAC that Madigan and Pritzker would fund. Oh wait, he tried that already. Well, I’m out of ideas.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:45 am
No risk move for Biss. If these candidates lose he can just go back to Madigan and tell him he regrets his actions, and now he understands a state committee member is a promise…

Comment by Angel's Sword Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:49 am
How about help yourself win this and help us first. No wonder why people are switching to Kennedy

Comment by Micheal Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:49 am
Congressional district assistance for multiple candidates offered by a Crew with “limited” GOTV statewide operations.

This is either ham-handed or delusional.

Could BE both I guess, but delusional would be leading the ham-handedness.

Six days, actually…

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:50 am
He’s done. Welp.. it was fun to watch, but he’s done.

Comment by Southfarmllama Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 9:53 am
This seems like a an effort to pander to the anti establishment mindset and get some press. This should be “disbissed.”

Comment by Anon2018 Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 10:05 am
i think it is too late to file as a write-in candidate against Marovitz, which is what he would have done if he was 1/4 as smart as he thinks he is.

Biss is running for US Senate in 2020.

Comment by Thomas Paine Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 10:06 am
If it wasn’t 3-13 (aka 4-20 a month early) he could dial up Blair Hull and convince his that this is way to get at Madigan. Remember Blair’s 2016 brainstorm — send Gonzo the Pardoned Felon out to the battle field.

Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 10:17 am
==Biss is running for US Senate in 2020.==

And he’ll get passed over for that, too…

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 10:23 am
Daniel’s academic career flamed out. He turned to politics and that venture is about to flame out. Isn’t exactly lobbyist material, though the idea is pretty funny. So, he’s got to be thinking about the next opportunity: how to get paid by plutocrats to fight for the working class?

Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 11:13 am
Goodbye, Dan. It was nice knowing you. Wait, actually it wasn’t.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 11:19 am
Biss should do nothing.

The Speaker’s mailers will earn these folks more votes than they would have received had he done nothing. He got their names out and he branded them as the anti-Madigan candidates. They could afford to do neither of those things. I cannot figure out why he wasted his money.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 12:05 pm
I’m with Biss on this one.

Comment by Ron Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 1:37 pm
Biss’ next career move should be as a quant for Citadel. Wouldn’t that be something…

Comment by TKMH Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 1:37 pm
Madigan and his cronies need to go.

Comment by Ron Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 1:38 pm
They have ruined Illinois. A once proud and prosperous state.

Comment by Ron Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 1:39 pm
–I’m with Biss on this one.–

Months late and many dollars short? I believe it.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 13, 18 @ 1:43 pm