Michele Saddler is a graduate of Princeton University and the
Northwestern Kellogg Graduate School of Management. For a decade, she
ran the Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund, a respected investment
pool for municipal governments. She worked as a top aide for Gov. Pat
Quinn when he was state treasurer. And for almost two years, she's successfully
ushered Illinois' Department of Human Services through its most
difficult budget crisis in history. Most public servants can only dream of a resume of this caliber.
Saddler also happens to be a biracial
woman. And State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale), a chief ally of GOP
gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady, seems to think her gender and
racial make-up is the only reason she was selected to serve as Gov. Quinn's new
chief of staff. "While she, as an African-American, Asian woman, is a
political choice, it remains to be seen if she can govern state
government," he told NBC 5 yesterday. Watch it below, courtesy of the
Quinn campaign:
It's moments like this when it becomes painfully clear why Illinois' Republican Party has had such difficulty attracting the support of people of color.
While he never mentioned Bill Brady's name during a WBEZ interview today, former Gov. Jim Edgar still managed to get in a dig at the GOP gubernatorial nominee.
Kirk Dillard admitted his chances of a comeback are slim and that he'd like the process to
end before March 5, the deadline for the State Board of Election to
certify the results of the GOP primary election.
Election officials will file their February 2 primary vote totals today, which should ultimately determine who will run for governor on the Republican ticket this fall.
