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* Greg Hinz speculated earlier this week that Congressman Aaron Schock might be gearing up for a gubernatorial bid…
One top GOP funder tells me Mr. Schock recently came right out and asked if he ought to run. Other party sources say they’ve heard definite buzz that Mr. Schock, while far from any final decision, has begun to test the gubernatorial waters.
Mr. Schock’s office, of course, downplayed all of this while stopping well short of a denial.
“People bring up the subject to him,” a spokesman said in an email, “but he has not organized any effort beyond representing the people of the 18th District.”
Added the spokesman: “While never taking any option off the table, his focus remains (on) rising in House leadership.” Mr. Schock holds a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and serves on the whip team.
* But Bernie Schoenberg reports that some important aspects of that statement were left out of the story…
…Steven Schearer, Schock’s chief of staff, sent me the email he provided Hinz, where it says that when Schock hears news of how he might run for governor or U.S. Senate, it “never ceases to amaze him because the scenarios are always news to him. Of course he frequently asks people … what they think about him doing that. He always listens … but he has not organized any effort beyond representing the people of the 18th District.”
Shearer said there are “way more people” who are certain Schock is running for Senate than governor in 2014.
All of this comes, Shearer said, despite the fact Schock has focused in his three years in Congress on rising within the House. In 2010, he was among the top 10 House Republicans in raising money for the National Republican Congressional Committee and also in the top 10 raising money for the Young Guns program to finance GOP challengers for House seats.
“While never taking any option off the table, his focus remains rising in House leadership,” Shearer said, noting Schock is a GOP whip and on the “most powerful Ways and Means Committee. As still the youngest member (age 30) and with the fast start he got off to in the House, his future in there is unlimited.”
* In other news, Joe Walsh’s district hopping isn’t going over well in one GOP township…
Republican insiders told the Journal & Topics Newspapers this week that Walsh recently met with 8th Dist. Republican candidate Darlene Ruscitti in an attempt to “intimidate her” into dropping out so Walsh could run in the 8th rather than face a potentially difficult primary in the 14th against U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren.
Ruscitti was having none of it and told Walsh she was staying in the race, Republican sources said. […]
Insiders also said that Walsh conducted telephone polling in the 6th, 8th, 10th and 14th congressional districts to see where he might have the easiest race.
Walsh’s possible run in the 8th is not sitting well with Elk Grove Township Republican Committeeman Mike Sweeney or longtime Republican stalwart Elk Grove Township Supervisor Nanci Vanderweel who called the alleged meeting between Ruscitti and Walsh “offensive.”
I told subscribers weeks ago that Walsh had polled in Congressman Peter Roskam’s new district, which was not viewed with pleasure by the Roskam camp, to say the least. He really knows how to make friends, this guy.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 11:27 am
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Previous Post: Cat again complains about Illinois business climate
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Walsh got clobbered by Bean last year in the Cook County portion of the current 8th. That was despite the biggest national GOP wave in 75 years. Now Cook has grown from 20% of the old district to 50%+ under the new map.
Comment by reformer Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 11:34 am
I want to see Walsh lose, but I’m going to be sad if he goes away.
Comment by The Captain Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 11:41 am
Schock for governor or senator? You mean there’s a chance the Illinois GOP could figure out how to lose a big race they should win, by picking the worst possible candidate once again?
Comment by walkinfool Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 11:41 am
Considering he’s never lost anything, I wouldn’t underestimate Schock for any office.
Still, the GOP has the House majority and he’s on Ways and Means. That’s a powerful position you don’t give up easily.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 12:13 pm
doesn’t the tea party despise career politicans? I don’t know how Walsh could make himself look anymore like a wannabe career polician by running around trying to find a district to run in. run where you live and represent your neighbors, or don’t run at all. this carpet bagging he is doing is pathetic.
Comment by bdogg Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 12:19 pm
Hinz’s story seems like a trap for Schock’s people. Schock can’t say he is/isn’t running without considering it.
Comment by Dirty Red Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 12:23 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone ran for governor that you thought might actually have some management skills? Like strategic planning, following through, working well with people, listening skils, and the ability to motivate a team?
Comment by Aldyth Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 12:24 pm
As Scott Brown said, these are “the People’s seats”. Nobody has a right nor claim to them except by doing a great job and serving the District and the Nation well. So good on Joe Walsh. If I were any of the people discussed, I would have my nose on the grindstone and seek to earn the votes. My vote is totally up for grabs every election, and I suspect I am joined by a growing percentage of citizens. Show us what you got, ALL of you. Given the redistricting, there are no incumbents.
Comment by Old_IL_8 Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 1:16 pm
Hard to see Schock moving from his safe and secure House seat, which he can probably keep for the next 40 years. He gets plenty of press coverage and perks there. Why chance losing all that running state-wide in a blue state?
Comment by OBSERVER NO. 12 Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 1:32 pm
i’m with word on this one. just because the illinois gop is screwed up, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some good candidates on their side. schock isn’t peter roskam, but he isn’t joe walsh, either. i can’t think of another politician whose FIRST state rep race caused his opponents to criticize fellow partisans for directing volunteers to the presidential election instead of a tiny state representative race even further away…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 2:06 pm
When is Schock going to be too old for the Kid Glove treatment?
We’ve got major battles brewing in DC daily, a Congressman who brags he’s on the Ways and Means Committee, and nobody asks him where he stands on the payroll tax cuts?
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 2:18 pm
=== When is Schock going to be too old for the Kid Glove treatment? ===
when he stops looking like a kid…
Comment by bored now Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 3:21 pm
Nice point YDD. Going for Senate is a safer bet for Schock, he can use all his federal money. Can’t use that for governor. Maybe he wants his name in the mix in case Durbin retires.
Comment by siriusly Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 3:30 pm
If Schock ran for Governor he would be the only candidate in the primary who has never lost a race and who has won in a tough district. He was 22 years old in 60% dem district for state house–first defeated the 8 year incumbent dem by a close margin, then racked up 60% for re-election to the state house and then still carried that dem state house district twice in his races for Congress.
As for Aldyth’s comments, I think winning a dem state rep seat that had never been held by a republican and a nomination for Congress in a republican district at age 26 involves some exceptional “strategic management, following through, working well with people, listening and team motivation.”
You might now be familiar with the details of his story and you might like him or hate him but he would be FORMIDABLE in both the primary and general if he ran.
He also made himself some money in business and got his 4 year finance degree in only two years.
Comment by Winston Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 5:14 pm
he schocks and not awes me. Wev……
Comment by amalia Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 6:08 pm