Internal Show Dems in Trouble in IL-2

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Illinois' ridiculous primary date doesn't help either. That's quite incumbent-friendly.

Except in 1992, of course.

[ill ind]

  Ray 'Spanky the Clown' Wardingly is the GOP nominee against Bobby Rush in Il-1.

Ill_Ind

[minionofmidas]

Illinois' ridiculous primary date doesn't help either. That's quite incumbent-friendly.

Except in 1992, of course.

What happened in 1992?

[they don't love you like i love you]

Carol Mosley-Braun defeated the incumbent Senator who was some fairly conservative Democrat from downstate. I think the key issue was that he voted to confirm Clarence Thomas which is what resulted in the upset. There also was a third candidate in the race which I understand was just some rich white guy who spent tons of money attacking the incumbent, thus weakening him and allowing Braun to slip through with a plurality thanks to strong support from blacks and liberal activist groups even though she didn't have much money or much of a visible campaign.

And yeah I looked it up and Clarence Thomas had been confirmed less than four months earlier. That was fresh in the minds of voters.

[ill ind]

  1992 was also the year Mel Reynolds ousted incumbent Gus Savage from his seat in Il-2 (on the third try)

Ill_Ind

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Alan Dixon lost his Senate primary to Mosely-Braun, basically because of the Thomas vote.  A bunch of other incumbents lost, several due to redistricting.  The DoJ approved a map that created a new Hispanic seat, as well as pairing three sets of Democrats together.  The 1992 plan threw Dan Rostenkowski and Frank Annunzio together, as well as Marty Russo and William Lipinski and Glenn Poshard and Terry Bruce.  Annunzio, then chair of the House Administration Committee, retired, and I think that both Russo and Bruce lost the primaries.  In addition, Gus Savage and Charlie Hayes both lost their primaries to Reynolds and Bobby Rush respectively.  Hayes lost because he had something like 700 overdrafts with the House Bank.  Also, John Cox in the 16th district, who had gotten elected when Lynn Martin ran for Senate against Paul Simon in 1990 (she got crushed) lost to Don Manzullo.  Overall, that's six incumbents who lost and one who retired because he couldn't win.