Illinois Congressional Jujitsu

[minionofmidas]

Any word on what Shimkus is going to do? He'd possibly win his new district....but it was rather cleverly drawn to go after him.

Wait... Shimkus? I thought they made that even safer?

[minionofmidas]

Ya, I guess I took it for granted that the 17th was the Shimkus District.

[minionofmidas]

Darn, I was hoping Kinzinger would stay around a little longer.

What a disgusting, partisan map, if I may add.

After the last set of redistricting (nationwide really) I'm sure the generic response is...Payback is a bitch.

I'd like to see every state drawing districts to have a non-partisan commission, but find me people who are actually going to be non-partisan...even the best people have feelings that can be swayed by current events.

Some kind of bipartisan commission with public input is always, always, ALWAYS going to be preferable to legislative redistricting even if it's hardly unpolitical/independent/nonpartisan. Look at Washington, look at Arizona.

[minionofmidas]

Most of those systems just turn into incumbent protection plans.

Ah, but even then they're not nearly as bad as legislative incumbent protection plans. (Thinking of Illinois, California...) Anyways, it's sort of self-evident that once a state is reasonably drawn, unless it gains or loses seats or its population distribution shifts massively within the decade, the new map ought to look a lot like the old one.

[minionofmidas]

He'd have to primary Roskam.

He'd have my moral support, as a matter of course.

[minionofmidas]

None of this is for sure, but it certainly makes sense if the GOP is going to attempt to minimize its losses in Il.

It makes sense for the party. It doesn't make sense for the incumbents in question (unless there's something in it for them). Thus, the usual outcome would be for it to not happen.

[minionofmidas]

How can they be in this together? Certainly, stronger Black districts means one of them has got to go? Or do they think Lipinski's hometurf is at least in Chicago and ought to have been given to them? In that case, they're basically right, but good luck in court.

[minionofmidas]

Lol, lots of vultures around Bobby Rush. He ain't dead yet, folks, and Illinois has no runoff.

[minionofmidas]

All the challenges have been processed and absentee voting starts on Feb 9 (early voting starts on Feb 27) Here's the updated list, with removed candidates.

IL-4
D: Gutierrez, Zavala
R: Concepcion

Lol. Congratulations on your reelection, Congressman Gutierrez (does Illinois even allow write-ins?)

[minionofmidas]

But there could be any for the General?

[minionofmidas]

What's the Dem candidate for IL17 like?

[minionofmidas]

Davis was chosen from among four finalists. The three others were:

* Jerry Clarke, who previously served as Johnson's chief of staff;

* Former Miss America Erika Harold, an attorney and Urbana native;

* Kathy Wassink, of Macoupin County, who owns a business that serves students with special needs. She also is an organizer of a local Tea Party-type group.

Summary stolen here

[minionofmidas]

Harriman was still the very clear favorite in that race.

[minionofmidas]

I can see Dold, Biggert and Schilling putting up somewhat decent fights in their seats.

Walsh is a horse of a completely different color. If this were someone like Kirk Dillard, I would concede him too, but the guy is male version of Michelle Bachmann in a seat that gave Obama what, 56, 58% of the vote?

61.5. Which sorta translates to 56-8 in a normal place.