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Coulson mulls, Cronin announces, O’Brien says he’s in and much more

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* Republican state Rep. Beth Coulson’s voting record would be a good match for the 10th Congressional District, so it’s no wonder she’s under pressure to try to hold that seat for the GOP. Coulson’s office told CQ Politics just days ago that she would run for reelection, but she sent this e-mail to supporters yesterday…

As you know, Congressman Mark Kirk has announced that he will seek election to the United States Senate in 2010. Since his announcement, many people have urged me to run for the 10th Congressional District seat that he will be vacating.

I have been honored to serve as your State Representative of the 17th District for the past 12 years and I believe I have played an important role in effecting policy in critical areas such as health care, education, ethics reform and the environment. Nevertheless, I believe I have the duty to consider this unique opportunity to continue my work on these issues at the federal level.

Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the possibility of running for Congress with my family, my friends and my constituents. As you may guess, this is a big decision and I must give it ample consideration. As always, your input is crucial and I welcome and appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts and advice as to how I can best serve the people of this area. You can visit my website at: www.bethcoulson.org and click on the “Join the Team” tab to leave your thoughts in the comments section or email me directly at: coulsoncampaign@hotmail.com

In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support. I will be making a decision shortly.

* Kirk, by the way, has a new Internet ad that features Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris. Click here to watch it.

* Sen. Dan Cronin announced for DuPage County Board Chairman during a big campaign rally yesterday. But he’s not alone…

State Sen. Carole Pankau of Itasca said she’s also looking to replace Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who is vacating the seat to run for governor.

And Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso kicked off his campaign for chairman by announcing he already has financial commitments of more than $100,000 and endorsements from eight mayors. […]

Whether more DuPage Republicans enter the race remains to be seen. County board members Pat O’Shea, Brien Sheahan, Jerry “JR” McBride and Debra Olson all said they’re considering it.

But the field is narrowing. Despite early speculation, former Illinois House Speaker Lee Daniels isn’t expected to come out of political retirement and enter the race.

* From a press release…

Terrence J. O’Brien, President of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will announce his candidacy for Cook County Board President at 10am on Friday, July 24th. The announcement will be held at the Centennial Fountain and Water Arc located at 300 N. McClurg Court. O’Brien has a strong record of fiscal responsibility and the MWRD continues to stand on solid ground with a AAA bond rating. O’Brien has served as President of the MWRD for the past 13 years, an entity with a budget of over $1 billion. O’Brien has fought hard for and received millions of dollars in state and federal grants. Under the leadership of O’Brien, the MWRD has saved taxpayers millions of dollars through tax abatements.

“I want to do for Cook County what I have done for the Water Reclamation District. I brought greater financial accountability and leadership to the Water Reclamation District,” O’Brien said, “and that is what I will do for Cook County.”

Terrence J. O’Brien has served as President of the MWRD for 13 years and has served on the board of Commissioners for 21 years. O’Brien is a lifelong resident of Chicago. He currently resides on the northwest side of Chicago with his wife, Julie, and three children.

* The Republican primary in the 11th CD is filling up…

Will County resident Henry Meers says frustration with both Democrats and Republicans led him to become the third Republican to announce his candidacy for the GOP nomination for the 11th District congressional seat currently held by Democrat Debbie Halvorson of Crete.

“I am not the handpicked candidate of Republican bosses,” Meers said in a press release. “They have failed our party over and over with insider candidates pre-selected and jammed down the throats of the voting citizens.”

Other candidates are David McAloon of Bourbonnais, who works as a television producer for his Tinley Park church, and Adam Kinzinger of Normal, a former McLean County Board member and an Air National Guard pilot. […]

Though he entered the race on his own volition, Meers already assumes a major advantage over his two announced opponents. His base is Will County, which accounts for more than half of the likely GOP vote in the 11th District. This advantage is seen in his early endorsement by Will County Board Chairman James Moustis, R-Frankfort, and Bill Walker, GOP leader of New Lenox Township. Walker is serving as Meers’ campaign manager.

* And the Daily Herald thinks Republican attorney general candidate Joe Birkett needs to think again…

When it was assumed Attorney General Lisa Madigan would be aiming for governor or Senate, DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced his true vocation is rooting out corruption - and that he is running for attorney general to do that. Then, days later, the seemingly unbeatable Madigan announced she wants to keep her job after all. We like Birkett, but common sense suggests he should reconsider.

Which prompted this letter to the editor…

First of all, that’s not your call, and if Joe Birkett wants to run against Lisa, maybe the ground rules should change a little to even things up. How about Lisa using her married name, Lisa Byrnes, instead of “Madigan.” Wouldn’t that kind of level the playing Field. I’m sure everyone knows Lisa Byrnes is the famous daughter of Michael Madigan, Speaker of the House.

* Related…

* Candidates line up to replace Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias - Former state lawmaker Robin Kelly and newcomer Kip Kirkpatrick heading for Democratic primary battle

* Winters wants to fix political system

* Primary opponent for Hastert? A 27 year old graduate of Elgin’s Judson College is close to announcing his intention to run in the 14th CD, taking on attorney Ethan Hastert for the Republican bid to regain Congressman Bill Foster’s seat back from the Democrats.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 9:52 am

Comments

Coulson will need to work harder than ever if she runs. While her record and her grasp of issues both fit the district, she is not the world’s best campaigner and usually relies on outside staff to run her campaigns. Her campaigns are usually staffed and funded by Cross’s people. She’s also never been close with Kirk, so she can’t expect much help there either.

Comment by E Pluribus Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 9:59 am
Man… Kirk’s campaign site is pretty awful.

Comment by dave Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:00 am
==First of all, that’s not your call, and if Joe Birkett wants to run against Lisa, maybe the ground rules should change a little to even things up. How about Lisa using her married name, Lisa Byrnes, instead of “Madigan.”

Putting aside the absurdity of someone telling someone else what name to go by, I thought the Madigan brand had been gravely damaged by the past session? Or so we were told.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:03 am
I am regularly bashed here for being a die-hard kirk/gop person but I am strongly against coulson and Hastert. Hastert to me is everything that was wrong with the party, and it gets harder for the party to make a fresh start when you have dynasties with strong bush ties looking to take seats.

The district needs a kirk clone. Someone who is good on Israel, has national security experience and can claim the same positions on social issues making the race about big or small government and liberal or conservative positions on defense issues.She’s not it. I’m also not thrilled to support a Springfield Republican after their failure to do ANYTHING right the last few years.

I’m not in the loop on redistricting but would have a hard time seeing Coulson beat Bean or Jan in 2012 with obama at the top of the ticket. Would be interesting to see whether she wants to give up her house seat for the chance to run against Obama’s BFF’s in 2012.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:08 am
Regarding that Daily Herald letter to the editor, Lisa Madigan is using her married name–she chose to keep her family name. Under Illinois law, any person getting married can choose what name she will go by after she is married. I know because I looked it up when I got married to make sure I did not need to do anything to keep my family name after marriage. That comment just makes me mad.

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:08 am
My last comment about the Attorney General’s name, if every woman running for election in Illinois had to use her husband’s last name, then tell all the Cook County judicial candidates that they can’t put an Irish family name in quotation marks on the ballot. I’ll stop now.

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:11 am
E Pluribus: Hey , I’ve worked on a Coulson campaign, and you are dead wrong. Her campaigns have never been run by Tom Cross, she lead the Legislature in fund-raising by a State Rep., she always ran the campaign , and she worked from 7 am to 10 pm everyday, walking precincts every day. I’ve worked on many campaigns, and she is the hardest worker I have ever seen. How do you suppose she won last year in a 66% Obama District?? You obviously have some ax to grind here.

Comment by Legaleagle Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:16 am
I am no madigan fan. However, the contention that needs to use her married name is outrageous. She is a well-educated and smart woman. She has no obligation to change her name. Many successful professional women keep their names (including my wife) and it is never questioned in the business world, why is it being questioned in the political world. the leave-it-to-beaver, trip back to the 1950s commentator does not share the opinion of many men in this state

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:30 am
Due respect Legaleagle, but I’ve been there too and we obviously see things differently. I don’t want to get into a Beth-bash here because she’s a good lady. I’m just saying she’ll need to really step it up to win a Congressional seat.

Comment by E Pluribus Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:31 am
Well, what do you know… there may be three Republicans vieing for the right to face Cong. Bill Foster in the 14th District. Perhaps they can spice up a Primary Debate by introducing this trio with “The Curly Shuffle.” Nyuk, nyuk!

Comment by fedup dem Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:37 am
Doesn’t it seem there are quite a few late 20/early 30 somethings announcing bids this cycle? Right or wrong in their decisions, I hope the “next” generation is stepping up with lessons learned and not blinded with too much bitterness.

Comment by COPN Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:40 am
Regarding the Lisa letter to the editor: You think that Lisa changing her last name would level the playing field between her and Birkett? What a joke. Brickhead Joe is a two-time statewide loser, Lisa runs the AG’s office better than Birkett runs his SA office (both objectively and in public appearance), and Birkett is at a 50 to 1 campaign warchest disadvantage (Approx. $4 million to $80,000).

There’s no playing field to be leveled here; Birkett and Lisa aren’t even in the same league.

Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:41 am
I wonder if Coulson is going to try and use this listening time, to persuade the national GOP to give her the same free ride in the primary. Her decision might rest on whether all the other serious challengers can get cleared out of the way, to give her a straight shot.

Comment by ZC Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:50 am
Besides Vargas, another Republican started campaigning, in that race, at least a week ago. He’s Jeff Danklefsen. He’s pro-life, pro-gun rights, and anti-illegal alien. His site is www.jeff14.com.

Comment by Conservative Veteran Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:03 am
ZC, the Obama 2008 and Kirk 2000 campaigns both emerged successful from brutal primaries their challengers didn’t face. better to discover what the candidate is made of in winter than in summer/fall.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:17 am
===ZC, the Obama 2008 and Kirk 2000 campaigns both emerged successful from brutal primaries their challengers didn’t face. better to discover what the candidate is made of in winter than in summer/fall. ====
That is the problem with the GOP. They are afraid of the brutal primaries. If Jack Ryan would have stuck in there and had Alen Keyes as an opponent he probably would have made it out of the primary. By then the negatives against him would have been old news and Obama would have been in a real contest. Lucky for us dems I guess.

Comment by Been There Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:22 am
Fair point, but in Coulson’s defense, she’s no stranger to competitive elections. It could be argued at this point that she’s much more experienced / skilled at defeating moderate Dems, than beating conservative Repubs. Of course she’d have to take it to a new level now.

Comment by ZC Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:34 am
The 10th GOP really as much as anyone in politics needs a full venting and airing out of who we are and where we go, I’m really not a fan of what Coulson and the gop has done in springfield. I love kirk, too much, but he was a 0 in terms of local party machinery. He could have been a star who zeroed out the dems here for a LONG time, but invested more energy in overseas stuff. If Coulson is more him than porter, I’m strongly inclined to look at one of the zillionaires.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 11:52 am
I’ll bet a dollar that Coulson runs.

The Democratic primary for her seat could be interesting.

Comment by Yellow Dog Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 12:14 pm
Joe the State’s Attorney’s got sexists coming to his defense.

I’m sure that’s sitting well with suburban independent women.

Comment by Yellow Dog Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 12:17 pm
The moderate Coulson seems like a good fit for the 10th CD seat -it’s hard to imagine that a social oonservative - pro gun/pro-life, etc would prevail agisnt any Democrat. What the Republicans need is a Porter clone, not a Kirk clone.

Birkett is tilting at windmills if he runs against Lisa Madigan - a complete waste of time and money and Republican resources. If I were a GOP donor, I’d focus my resources on races where Republicans have a more plausible shot at winning - like the U.S. Senate or the Governor’s race. I wouldn’t give a dime to Birkett. Birkett won’t be able to raise a credible amount of money. His campaign was DOA as soon as Madigan declared her intent to run for re-election.

Comment by Captain America Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 12:23 pm
All of the anger at a ltr to the editor but no similar disgust at a newspaper editorializing that someone shouldn’t run for office??

Maybe Birkett has little shot at beating Madigan. Maybe there is no single individual capable of knocking Madigan off of her perch. However, it is disgusting that the Daily Herald would take try to dissuade someone from taking the shot. The good part about democracy is having options and choices and actually debating the good and bad about our so-called public servants.

The DH might think that Madigan is “seemingly unbeatble” but if nobody runs against that she is completely unbeatable.

Comment by SangamoGOP Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 12:39 pm
One last thought on Shore’s Bean-Coulson scenario in a redistricted CD (and then I have to go to work). I doubt very seriously that Melissa Bean would want to have an incumbent Coulson redrawn into Bean’s District for the 2012 election. They know each other very well and even have a family connection. I think some men in politics always underestimate Coulson because she’s a young-looking blond woman, who therefore couldn’t be very tough or knowledgeable. Beware. Speaker Madigan targeted her four times and failed each time, in a Dem District that he redrew to beat her!

Comment by Legaleagle Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 12:53 pm
I thought Terry O’Brien would make this run. He will be a good candidate and would make a fine President.

Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 1:44 pm
Anybody who is running against Terry O’Brien should pull up the Dane Placko story on Fox News from a while back. He’s presided over a real patronage den of questionable legality.

Comment by Dem observer Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 2:20 pm
was o’brien waiting things out to see what houlihan and dart would do? it just seems to me that since neither of them are getting in, it’s easier for him to get in.

we’ll see if he can derail toni p’s momentum.

any chance that todd will save face and find an excuse not to run?

Comment by Will County Woman Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 2:26 pm
Rich - I interrupt my work- check out the Sox game immediately!

Comment by Legaleagle Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 2:28 pm
LOL at the letter RE Lisa Madigan.

Antecdotally, outside of the political junkies, most of the folks I chat with outside of chicago do not know who Mike Madigan is, but they know Lisa Madigans name.

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 2:36 pm
Lisa could change her name to Bozo and Birkett still wouldn’t have a prayer.

Comment by Chi Gal Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 3:39 pm
===Lisa could change her name to Bozo and Birkett still wouldn’t have a prayer. ===

Lisa can’t change her name to a nickname that Birkett already has. That would create ballot confusion.

Comment by Obamarama Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 4:03 pm
A better reason for Birkett not to run is the fact that he has never acknowledged the long ethical lapses of the DuPage State’s Attorney’s Office in the wrongful prosecutions in the Nicarico case, which is now coming to an end w/ Dugan’s guilty plea.

Comment by Abe's Ghost Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 4:14 pm
[…] IL-10: Top GOP Candidate Reconsidering 2010 Plans Beth Coulson, a state legislator seen as one of the GOP’s best hopes to retain the seat held by newly-minted Senate candidate Mark Kirk, appeared to have shut the door on such a bid earlier this week. Now, according to Illinois’ Capitol Fax blog, Coulson might be reconsidering. In an email to supporters, she seems to indicate that she feels an obligation to at least consider a Congressional bid. Democrat Dan Seals moved into the role of Democratic frontrunner with his candidacy announcement earlier this week. […]

Pingback by Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 7/23/09 | RQDC Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:12 pm
So is Schillerstrom completely finished as Dupage Co Prez?? Could he drop outta the Guvs race and remain the Board Prez or whats going on??

Comment by scoot Thursday, Jul 23, 09 @ 10:15 pm
===========
That is the problem with the GOP. They are afraid of the brutal primaries.
===========

I don’t even know how to respond to that one.

On a completely different topic: Go Deb!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 24, 09 @ 1:45 am
Woops! And “Go Brien!”

Oh the duplicity!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 24, 09 @ 5:18 pm
[…] And Mark Kirk’s first web ad? Chock full of grainy photos, dark music and references to Blagojevich, Burris and scandal. […]

Pingback by Trib’s Rick Pearson needs a hot shower after FOX attack « Illinois Reason Friday, Aug 7, 09 @ 2:53 pm