IL-14: The Panic Sets In
“But former Kendall County Republican Chairman Dallas Ingemunson said that to even assume the next 14th District representative is going to be a Republican is ‘an unwarranted assumption in this day and age.’
He cited the changing political landscape across the country, including voter dissatisfaction with the direction of the Iraq War, and said that while the basic makeup of voters in the 14th District may not have changed much since Hastert took office, the events surrounding the district have.”
The stumbling block for Oberweis is one conservatives frequently face in primaries for open offices: Another conservative is competing for votes on the right, so the one moderate GOPer could possibly emerge on top with a plurality of the votes. The other conservative is State Rep. Chris Lauzen, who first won his seat in 1992 as one of a group of legislators known on the right as “the Fab Five” for their opposition to key initiatives by moderate Republican Gov. (1990-2002) James Edgar. The lone moderate in the race is Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, who will be able to tap into considerable money through his contacts as a professional fundraiser for charities. While both Oberweis and Lauzen are strongly pro-life, for example, Burns will say only that he is “personally” opposed to abortion.
Whoever wins what is sure to be a bruising primary will not be home free next year. After holding Hastert to a career-low re-election percentage in ’06, Democrats are now gearing up for a major assault on his open district with likely nominee Bill Foster. A successful businessman and active civic leader, Foster has so far promised to spend $1 million of his own money on the primary and $1 million on the general election.
“Both parties are expected to fight hard for Mr. Hastert’s seat. Bill Foster, the likely Democratic nominee, has an impressive background as a businessman and a scientist that has resonated with voters in recently surveys.”
But a weak crop of Republican candidates could help the Democrats. One Illinois Republican operative called the likely GOP candidates seeking to succeed Hastert “unimpressive.”
September 5th, 2007 at
Arch:
Mr. Ingemunson is an avowed ABC partisan dating back to the defeat of his relative Boyd by a candidate sponsored by Senator Lauzen. (ABC means Anyone But Chris. He tried to get Jim Oberweis to run against Lauzen before in the State Senate primary, prepping him for the 14th run, but Jim was too wise.
He is also a member of the Unreform Group, against direct election of Republican Central Committeemen. Ingemunson is supposedly retiring to concentrate on full time lobbying, and certainly does not want a Chris in his back yard.
Thus, the obfuscation from his corner.
September 5th, 2007 at
Or perhaps Mr. Ingemunson is a smart party leader who feels that nothing should be assumed…
Panic, no. Trying not to be like Michigan before playing a I-AA school, yes.