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Dem Congresswoman Schakowsky Will Run In Special Election For Obama's Seat
We now have a declared Democratic candidate in the expected special election to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat, with Rep. Jan Schakowsky -- a liberal who has been a vocal Obama supporter going all the way back to his primary campaign for Senate -- throwing her name in the ring.
Schakowsky's political director confirmed to Election Central that assuming there is a special election, she will be a candidate.
Expect this race to have a very wide field, for one important reason: Since it will be held out of sync with regularly-scheduled elections, none of the candidates will have to give up their current elected offices to run. And with a prize as big as a U.S. Senate seat, there is every reason to run with no actual risk being undertaken.
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IL is just too incestuous.
Won't we also have Madigan the daughter of the speaker of the House Mike Madigan running as well?
I think she will be the beneficiary of the outing of JJJr and his dad in this 'paytoplay' scheme.
There is lots of buzz that that the reason Blagojevich was busted Monday is because he was scheduled to announce JJJr for the seat on Tues.
Some are speculating a GOP will win the open seat. I doubt that. Only because they put Ryan in the Gov's house due to the same type scandals and Ryan proceeded to head to the jailhouse himself.
Not to mention how much in shambles the Il GOP is.
So, I place money on Madigan winning or Quinn ascending to the Governorship and appointing Jarrett. Who comes out smelling like a rose, as she refused to pay to play and may have been the trigger that uncovered the auctioning of the Senate seat the shakedown of a Presidency and Blago's ultimate demise.
December 11, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The biggest race here is between the drive for impeachment and the drive to mandate a special election. If impeachment wins, Quinn will appoint the replacement. If the special election bill wins, then it's Lisa Madigan's job if she wants it. If not, Schakowsky has as good a chance as anyone.
December 11, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Madigan has just said she doesn't want the Senate seat, preferring to run for governor instead.
December 11, 2008 9:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Lisa Madigan needs to push to get the Illinois Supreme Court to force Blago out of the governorship.
Quinn could then appoint a replacement who would have the public trust.
December 11, 2008 7:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want a special election. It'll just wake up Jim Oberweis.
Even worse, the GOP could trot out Jim Edgar and he would beat Madigan, Jackson AND Schakowsky.
And I say that as someone who likes Jackson, loves Madigan and is proud to be represented by Schakowsky.
I will be very pleased if we skip the risk and the cost of a special election, and Quinn appoints any one of those three. Or Luis Gutiérrez.
December 11, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't Jim Edgar decline to run for the Senate a while ago because of health problems? If he didn't want it then, why would it be better now?
On top of that, you are assuming that only Jim Edgar is interested. You named Jim Oberweis, I can name Mark Kirk. He knows his days in his House seat are numbered, and eventually, he will lose that seat. He risks nothing in running in a special election.
There could possibly be a bloody primary on both sides, with all statewide and federal Democrats and Republicans running. That would be massively chaotic. Almost none of them would have much to lose, and a lot to gain from a special election.
December 11, 2008 8:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jeez, so many scenarios....this is getting confusing--maybe Blago was right: we should just sell the seat!
December 11, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can sell anything on craigslist. I hope you Illini are keeping an eye on craigslist just in case the price is within reach for you personally.
Hey, that would be transparency in government, wouldn't it?
December 11, 2008 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
She's wonderful, but I do worry about her ex-con husband in the current environment.
December 11, 2008 8:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Schakowsky is probably the best candidate.
I think Emil Jones has a county/city/Springfield worldview.
Jesse Jr. (or at least his staff) is implicated in the Blago complaint.
Duckworth would have been a fantastic choice for VA. My 2nd choice for Senate.
But I would prefer Schakowsky.
December 11, 2008 8:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tammy Duckworth would beat Kirk who will be the Republican candidate.
December 11, 2008 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Schakowsky needs to stay where she is. Only two years ago her husband, Robert Creamer, spent time in federal prison for writing rubber checks and failing to pay withholding taxes. His sentence was 5 months in prison, 11 months house arrest.
The only reason Shakowsky wins reelection is she's resides in a very heavily Democratic district. If there is a special election (and I hope Quinn takes over and appoints Obama's replacement), Mark Kirk (Rep, 10th Cong Dist) will undoubtedly run and he will win, losing the Dems a seat in the Senate.
It's a waste of time and donor money for her to run for higher office. I was a workaholic for Obama. I won't give her one minute of my time or one penny of my money. After all that will come down with Blago, we don't need another dirt-filled campaign. And Kirk will leave no stone unturned. And he know how to play dirty, as he did in his campaigns against Dan Seals.
Melissa Bean, who will be starting her second term in the House, or Duckworth, would be great.
December 12, 2008 6:51 AM | Reply | Permalink