December 16th, 2008
Veteran Rockford Alderman Dan Conness, D-14th, will run in 2009 for Rockford Township Highway Commissioner, a post currently held by Republican Pete MacKay.
Conness may have a shot at winning the post, because it’s not a sure bet that the popular MacKay will be the GOP candidate. Republicans, you see, abandoned their primary election and opted instead to have a party caucus. One reason they’re doing that is to dislodge MacKay, who they see as not a loyal Republican because he sometimes votes with Democrats in his other role as Winnebago County Board member.
There’s anger building against the Repubs who put in the caucus, and it could backfire if someone other than MacKay ends up being the Republican nominee. In that case, the advantage goes to the Democrat, Conness.
If, however, MacKay wins at the caucus, which will be Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. in Flinn Middle School, he’d be the odds-on favorite to win in the April 4 general election against Conness.
Conness’s best hope is that the Republicans unseat MacKay in their caucus.
December 16th, 2008
Illinois Senate Republicans are howlin’ mad over the Democrats’ decision to scrap a special election to fill Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. In the wake of Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s arrest, virtually no one wants the disgraced governor to appoint Obama’s successor.
After Blago’s arrest, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL promoted the idea of a special election. Senate Republicans introduced a measure to hold the special election alongside the April 4 municipal and township elections.
But with disgust at Blago nearly universal,, Democrats fear they’d lose a special election, and the GOP sees a chance to pick up a much needed vote in the U.S. Senate. Popular suburban Republican congressman Mark Kirk has indicated an interest in running for the seat.
The Rockford area’s two state senators, both Republicans, reacted with anger to the Democrats’ refusal to consider a special election:
In a statement, Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said: “Last week we had strong bipartisan support for a special election to give the people the opportunity to choose their next senator,” Syverson said. “President-elect Obama and Sen. Durbin were both supportive of a special election, and the public continues to be strongly in favor of it. By blocking a special election, President Jones and Speaker Madigan are denying the public a voice, and embarking on the same insider political games we’ve seen these past six years under Gov. Blagojevich.”
Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare, added in his statement:
“Last week we were told we’d be returning to focus our efforts on creating a special election to fill the president-elect’s seat. Instead, Senate Democrats didn’t even debate or touch the issue. It’s clear they are interested in still giving the seat to a political insider rather than letting the citizens of Illinois decide. It’s shameful that despite all that we’ve learned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office about alleged misconduct surrounding Blagojevich and the selling of Obama’s vacant seat that the Illinois Senate Democrats still insist on leaving him with that power. Voters ought to have the right to decide, because it’s become obvious Senate Democrats are only interested in preserving Blagojevich’s power to the bitter end.”
