Tag: IL-18

Here’s some more tough news: Democrats have lost their candidate for the open seat race in the 18th District of Illinois.  The Peoria Journal-Star has the story:

Dick Versace, the Democratic candidate for the 18th Congressional District, told the Journal Star in an exclusive interview today he is withdrawing from the race for personal reasons.

“I thank all who offered their support to me and respectfully ask for their understanding,” he said.

Versace was the former coach of the Indianapolis Pacers and also taught the local Bradley University team, so some Democrats held hope that Versace might be able to lend them some star power in a tough race (the district sits at R+5.5).

The filing deadline has come and gone, and I’m not sure what (if any) mechanisms local Democrats have in order to get another name on the primary ballot — Versace was the lone Democrat to file for this race.

This wasn’t a likely flip at all, but Republicans have caught a nice break here if Democrats can’t find a credible replacement for Versace.

UPDATE: As mentioned in the comments, here’s how it’ll roll:

An official at the state board of elections said there is no method to get another Democrat on the primary ballot. Without a nominee after the Feb. 5 primary, Democrats will be able to fill the vacancy by vote using a committee comprised of leaders from around the district.

We’ll see if a hero will emerge.

I’ve always assumed that state Rep. Aaron Shock, the 26 year-old Republican frontrunner in the GOP primary to replace retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R), had to be a pretty impressive guy to be deemed so formidable.  But his reputation sure doesn’t square with his foreign policy ideas, which are, well, freaking crazy:

In regard to Taiwan, Schock said the U.S. should put more pressure on China and Russia to go along with tougher economic sanctions against Iran.

“If China continues to be irresponsible about nuclear proliferation in Iran, we should tell them that if they do not care about proliferation – and since they are enablers of it in Iran – that if they don’t change their position, we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense.”

“Non-proliferation will either be enforced universally or not at all – it is their choice,” Schock continued. “The Chinese will come around, I have no doubt.”

Yep, you heard it from Schock first — let’s provoke the Chinese to invade Taiwan if they don’t rush to support U.S. policy goals in Iran.  Oh, and let’s shred the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in doing so.  Yay!

He also goes on to praise Ronald Reagan for funding the Contras in Nicaragua and the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan.

To read the full speech, including his effusive praise of the courage of George W. Bush, go here (pdf).

Aaron Schock: he’s out of his mind.

(H/T: Arch Pundit)

Democrats finally have a challenger to contest the open seat left behind by retiring Republican Rep. Ray LaHood: former NBA coach Dick Versace.  The Peoria Journal-Star has the scoop:

Former NBA and Bradley basketball coach Dick Versace hopes to add another win to his record with a bid for Congress.

“I’m all in,” Versace, a Democrat, said Thursday.

His confirmation ends several weeks of speculation about whether he would seek election for the 18th Congressional District seat held by Ray LaHood, who is not seeking re-election.

He said he’ll hold a news conference to officially announce his bid in the next couple weeks. After that, Versace will take off in a 38-foot motor home he will call “The Common Sense Express.”

“The Common Sense Express is going to visit all 20 counties in the district,” he said. “I’m going to go on a listening tour.”

Versace started his career as a teacher and later became a basketball coach, coaching at Bradley University from 1979 to 1986 and winning three Missouri Valley Conference championships and an NIT title. He later coached in the NBA, as an assistant coach for Detroit and head coach at Indiana. He was a television color commentator for Turner Broadcasting and NBC in Chicago and an assistant coach at Milwaukee. He also led an acquisition team to purchase the Vancouver Grizzlies and was president and later general manager of the team in Memphis.

With a PVI of R+5.5, the 18th District would be tough sledding for any Democrat (Bush won this district by 10% and 16% margins in 2000 and 2004, respectively), but not impossible.  Versace is a wildcard option, but perhaps his semi-celebrity appeal and anti-war stance could spark an interesting campaign here.

Navy vet Chuck Giger has also entered the race as a Democrat, and former state Rep. Bill Edley is also considering joining the fray.  State Rep. Aaron Schock, considered a “rising star” in Illinois GOP circles, is the Republican front runner.

Race Tracker: IL-18

With the recent decision of Republican Ray LaHood of Illinois not to seek re-election in 2008, Democrats hoped to put up a strong challenge for this open seat.  With a PVI of R+5.5, such a district would require an especially strong challenger in order to overcome the area's Republican lean.  The DCCC hoped that man would be state Senator John Sullivan, who sought the Democratic nomination in the neighboring 17th district against Phil Hare in 2006 after Rep. Lane Evans' retirement.

According to CQ Politics, after weeks of decision-making, Sullivan has decided to seek re-election for his state Senate seat instead:

Sullivan will instead seek re-election next year to the Illinois Senate, where he has held a seat since 2003. He noted in a statement that he serves in that body as chairman of the Agriculture & Conservation Committee and as Majority Caucus Whip.

“I can better serve my constituents in a leadership position as one of 59 state senators than as a freshman in the U.S. House with its 435 members,” Sullivan said.

  Sullivan would have been a serious candidate for the seat, even though his state Senate district does not take in the 18th District’s population centers in and around Peoria and Springfield.

Clearly a setback for the DCCC, who would like to put as many Republican seats in play as possible.  From my observation, Sullivan was seen as the most obvious choice for this fight in a district where the Democratic bench isn't as well-stocked as in other areas of Illinois.  Could another hero emerge? 

Weeks after failing in his bid to become the next President of Bradley University, Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois' 18th District has announced tonight that he will retire after seven terms in the House, according to the Associated Press.

LaHood's retirement will create an open seat in the 2008 elections, and provide Democrats an opportunity (if only a tough one) of picking up another seat in the House.  With a PVI of R+5.5, the 18th District supported Bush by a 54-44 margin in 2000, and by a wider 58-42 margin in 2004.  It would certainly be a tough district for any Democrat to win next year, but House Democrats have proven to be more able campaigners in red territory than Republicans are in bluer turf.  Indeed, seven of last year's 30 Democratic pick-ups in the House came in even redder districts than LaHood's.

So who might run for the Democrats?  DailyKos diarist MrLiberal suggests State Senator John Sullivan, a credible campaigner in the district, or Kevin Lyons, State's Attorney for Peoria County.

Keep your eyes peeled on this race.  It may be a tough nut to crack, but the NRCC can ill-afford too many more retirements like this one. 

A few weeks ago, we noted that Republican Ray LaHood was considering putting his name in the running for the Presidency of Bradley University.  Unfortunately for Democrats, LaHood has made his decision to stay put in the House:

Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) abruptly ended a public flirtation with the presidency of Bradley University on Tuesday, declaring himself out of the running for the top job at his alma mater and recommitted to his re-election campaign.

[…]

This was the second time that LaHood has considered leaving Congress; he also mulled a run for governor in 2006. In this case, he said, “I think I would have had a shot” at the Bradley job, but also conceded that the university was likely to pick someone with a doctoral degree, which he does not hold.

Republican insiders predicted this week that the lack of a doctorate would keep LaHood, an outspoken and often aisle-crossing congressional veteran, from landing the presidency.

The decision likely kills Democrats’ dreams of stealing LaHood’s GOP-leaning seat. LaHood said he would reschedule fundraisers he had canceled and expected the lost time wouldn’t hurt his chances next year.

Indeed: it would be a tough climb for a Democrat in the 18th.  With a PVI of R+5.5, Bush won this district by 16 points in 2004.  But given LaHood’s frequent flirtation with a career change, perhaps it will open up in the not too distant future.

As an aside, while I don’t often take swipes at Rahm Emanuel, I couldn’t help but cringe at this:

At least one Democrat welcomed his move. Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the Democratic caucus chairman and a longtime fan of LaHood’s cooperative style, said, “It’s Congress’s win, Bradley’s loss.”

LaHood didn’t let the decision-making process distract from his day job. He noted in the interview that he fielded a call from President Bush last week. They discussed immigration and the Iraq war, which faces a series of critical House votes.

“He asked me to hang in there with him,” LaHood said. “I am going to hang in there with him… I’m not bailing on him.”

Bleh.  Keeping around Bushbots like LaHood in the House is precisely my definition of “Congress’s loss”.

Man, what’s with Representatives wanting to flee the halls of Congress for cushy university gigs this cycle?  First we had Democrat Marty Meehan departing for UMass-Lowell, then we had Republican Kenny Hulshof seeking the job of University of Missouri President (which he didn’t get, to the misfortune of the DCCC), and now we have Republican Ray LaHood of Illinois:

Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) will make a decision in “10 days to two weeks” about whether he will put his name in the running to become president of his alma mater, Bradley University.

“It’s all about Bradley,” LaHood said yesterday, brushing off the suggestion that a departure from Congress would be the result of the seven-term member’s new minority status. […] 

LaHood added that he is “seriously thinking about” the job and has “talked to some people in the community about it.”  He noted that the university was not looking for a traditional president, but an individual who can raise the school’s profile and demonstrate an ability to fundraise.

This is not the first time that LaHood has considered leaving Congress. In 2005, he formed an exploratory committee and raised $600,000 to challenge Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But eight months later he abandoned the bid and decided to return to Congress, explaining that there was no “heir apparent” to replace him and that his constituents wanted him to stay where he was.

Illinois’ 18th district has a PVI of R+5.5 and voted for Bush by 54-44 and 58-42 margins in 2000 and 2004, respectively.  While it wouldn’t be the easiest nut to crack, an open seat coupled with a strong local Democratic name is always a game changer, even in a lean-Republican district like this one.  Let’s hope that Hulshof and LaHood are not the only Republicans in marginal districts considering a mid-life career change now that they’ve tasted life in the House Minority.

Race Tracker: IL-18