A Good Crop of Candidates
ArchPundit
Rich runs down the efforts by people running for Congress with new entrants. One of the more interesting races puts Tammy Duckworth against Raja Krishnamoorthi. Raja ran a decent campaign for comptroller and probably was better off by losing in the primary. He also has the requisite name that is damn near impossible to spell off the bat, but Tammy will have my support in this one. That’s not a knock against Raja at all who has a real shot and would make a good Member of Congress–I just have a ton of respect for Tammy and want to see her in Congress.
Frerichs is out, which I expected in IL-13. Frankly, a statewide run would be smarter for him so I didn’t expect much else.
Koehler is already putting in phone time which is great news. When he was a in the Lt. Governor selection process he really impressed me and I think he’d be a perfect fit for that District. His biography is compelling (and yeah, George Ryan aide Scott Fawell ended up doing time at his old college now converted into a prison).
Prior to serving on the Senate, Koehler spent six years on the Peoria County Board and eight years on the Peoria City Council—including two years as Mayor Pro Tem. In every elected position, Koehler has worked tirelessly to serve the voters who elected him and to improve the quality of life of the communities he represents.
Before he first held elected office, Koehler embarked on a career of community development. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yankton College in 1971 and earned a Masters of Divinity from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. From 1972 to 1978, he worked for the National Farm Worker Ministry, helping improve the lives of migrant workers. After moving to Peoria in 1978, Koehler began a job as a community organizer and later became manager of Peoria Friendship House—an organization that helps the city’s most vulnerable citizens secure education, nutrition, clothing, shelter, and other basic necessities.
In 1985, Koehler became the first Executive Director of the Peoria Area Labor Management Council (PALM)—a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing cooperation between labor and management in the area’s many unionized factories and facilities. In 1992 he also became President of PALM’s Labor Management Cooperate Health Programs—a purchasing cooperative aimed at finding low-cost, high-quality health care for its members and the community.
I usually wait for endorsements, but I’m on board for him as well as Duckworth.
Finally, Oneman will be annoyed as Foster jumps in the 11th with Atkinson bowing out of the race leaving the question of what Atkinson is thinking of doing.