Progress Illinois

Here's our latest roundup on 2010 political news ...

Giannoulias Snags More Endorsements

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias racked up a few more endorsements this week, including one from the Illinois Democratic County Chairman’s Association (ILDCCA)  on Wednesday. ILDCCA's President Alan Pirtle explained in a statement why the  local chairs are ready to throw their political organizations behind his Senate primary campaign:

"We feel that Alexi Giannoulias has the vision, work ethic, and skill to lead efforts to invest in American jobs and American workers [and] not give tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas from a seat in the United States Senate. He has shown tremendous commitment to the people of Illinois and their values such that he will serve all of Illinois in an effective and honorable way."

Meanwhile, the executive committee and 48 local affiliates of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) voted unanimously to back Giannoulias as well. In his endorsement, LIUNA Vice President and Midwest Regional Manager John Penn made it clear that labor hasn't forgotten how Giannoulias went toe-to-toe with Wells Fargo when the bank tried to liquidate Hartmarx, Inc. and send its employees packing. From a statement:

"When a bank that does business with our state threatened to pull the plug on 1,000 Illinois jobs, Alexi told them they could forget about managing $8 billion in state money. The bank relented and the jobs were saved because Alexi stood up for Illinois workers. That’s the kind of leader we need in the U.S. Senate."

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A couple quick updates from the 2010 field in Illinois ...

A new Roll Call article on Alexi Giannoulias' "consolidation" of support in the U.S. Senate primary ends with this tidbit regarding Merchandise Mart CEO Chris Kennedy, who was reportedly considering a run for the seat:

At least two well-placed sources who were working with Kennedy on his potential bid said they have been out of communication with him for several weeks and they do not expect him to run for office. What’s more, several Illinois Democrats said they had heard nothing from Kennedy or his associates in recent weeks. [...]

This isn’t the first time that Kennedy has openly considered a race for federal office then ended up not pulling the trigger on a campaign. He also considered running for Kirk’s House seat, as well as this Senate seat in 2004.

There have been suspicions all along has been that Kennedy, despite his earlier leaks to the local press, wouldn't end up launching a campaign.  Looks like they may have been on the mark.

Meanwhile, gubernatorial candidate and state comptroller Dan Hynes announced an endorsement today:

Former U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III said he will support Hynes. Stevenson is from one of the best-known political families in Illinois history. He said he can't think of a better way to continue his family's legacy than to endorse Hynes. [...]

"I'm suggesting that we can do better with Dan Hynes, who commands throughout our government already and has that experience," Stevenson said.

In other news, Lynn Sweet reports that Vice President Joe Biden is planning to "fund-raise for the House members the Democratic House politiical operation deem the most vunerable."  Apparently, this effort involves him attending an August 20 Chicago fundraiser for Rep. Debbie Halvorson, who is running for reelection in the 11th Congressional District.

The federal filing deadline for the second quarter of 2009 passed this week.  Below you'll find the relevant totals for the U.S. Senate race as well as several potentially competitive House races:

Giannoulias' $1.6 million in cash-on-hand has already attracted some headlines, particularly considering that the other talked-about Democratic contenders -- Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson and Merchandise Mart Properties CEO Chris Kennedy -- have yet to start fundraising.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Michael Bond's lackluster fundraising numbers in the 10th Congressional District also raised some eyebrows.

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While the 2010 midterm elections seem far off (especially today), there are some early rumblings across the state as congressional challengers gear up to start raising money and building their profile.  Case in point: Rep. Debbie Halvorson may already have an opponent.  Following suggestions to this effect on several local conservative blogs last month, Roll Call reports today that Air Force pilot Adam Kinzinger is "aggressively" exploring a 2010 bid on the GOP ticket:

Kinzinger met with the National Republican Congressional Committee on a trip to Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Additionally, Kinzinger’s campaign also said in a press release that he met with GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) as well as Illinois GOP Reps. Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam.

Kinzinger has a somewhat janky campaign website up and running.  On it, he argues in favor of cutting taxes by repeating the misleading claim that the corporate tax burden is higher in the U.S. than most other countries, makes the case for increased border security by fearmongering about terrorists infiltrating our country via Mexico, and says this of our presence in Iraq: "We must not leave this theatre until the United States can do so without any loss to the objectives that define her involvement."

Is this the path Illinois Republicans see to a "restoration" of their party?

On my way east from Joliet to Indiana this afternoon, I swung by the Mokena-based campaign office of Marty Ozinga. The 11th District GOP congressional candiate operates out of an office building tucked behind his own massive concrete plants. I figured I'd hang around the parking lot and talk to some volunteers as they made their way to or from the building.

I waited. And waited. And walked around the building. And stood by the door. But I didn't see one soul. Granted, it's entirely possible that his field staff was already hard at work getting Republicans to the polls. Unfortunately for 11th District conservatives, I kind of doubt it.

Across the country, heavy turnout has forced many voters to endure seemingly interminable lines. Democratic congressional candidate Debbie Halvorson, on the other hand, breezed right through her polling place in far-south suburban Crete. And frankly, that was just fine with her. "My precinct is technically more Republican," she told me from her campaign headquarters in Joliet.  "So there was no line at all! I got right in."

That's not to say turnout was depressed everywhere in the sprawling 11th Congressional District. Only 30,000 people took advantage of early voting there, in part because of the location of various county clerk's offices.  But Halvorson campaign manager Brian Doory said polling places were jammed this morning in Kankakee (a Democratic stronghold), Bourbonnais, and Frankfort.

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GOP congressional candidate Marty Ozinga had loaned $320,000 of his own money to his 11th District campaign by the end of the third quarter. Campaign finance reports show that, in the month since, he has given an additional $250,000 to the effort, bringing his total personal contribution to $570,000 this election year. This amount flies in the face of Ozinga's statement in September that he wouldn't be "writing big checks for my own campaign. I just don't believe in that."

It also begs the queston: if the Supreme Court had not struck down the Millionaire's Amendment earlier this year, would Democrat Debbie Halvorson now be able to raise some last-minute funds from her maxed-out donors?

First some background.

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When hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents took to the streets in 2006 to protest congressional efforts to criminalize illegal immigrants, they joined millions across the nation in pledging: "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

Two years later, many of those same folks poised to deliver on that message.  At a pre-election rally on Chicago's Near West Side last night, motivated activists and volunteers geared up to move more than 100,000 immigrant voters to the polls on November 4.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has a new ad out hitting 11th District GOP candidate Marty Ozinga as "out for himself -- not for us."  Watch it:

The DCCC also has a new spot up in the 10th District that uses snippets from local media outlets to whack GOP Rep. Mark Kirk:

Editorial boards at some of the state's largest papers have begun announcing their picks for Congress. The Beachwood Reporter's Steve Rhodes makes a good point when he says some of the choices will probably lead readers to check the front page to see if they've got the right paper

The Sun-Times, which describes the paper's editorial voice as "The Progressive Independent Conscience of the City," is backing Republican candidates in three out of the five most contentious congressional races it's weighed in on thus far. Meanwhile, the Tribune board is endorsing some liberal Democrats in three out of five of the state's most heated congressional contests. Following is a run-down (updated on 10/29):

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