IL-02 special election thread

[Benj]

The first special election of the new Congress! JJJ is resigning following his diagnosis with bipolar disorder this summer.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/11/21/report-jesse-jackson-jr-resigning-from-congress/

Safe D, obviously. Only question is who the Democratic nominee will be. Will be interesting to see if Debbie Halvorson tries again.

[minionofmidas]

Hilarious.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Hilarious.

I don't qualify serious mental health issues to be "hilarious." But I guess we must have different senses of humour.

[philly09]

Hilarious.

I don't qualify serious mental health issues to be "hilarious." But I guess we must have different senses of humour.

Hilarious when you consider that Jesse FAKED the entire mental illness thing to divert attention away from his sexual affairs.

[minionofmidas]

A certifiably insane man to have served in Congress for so long? Doesn't it just confirm all you have ever felt you knew about the place?

Kudos to him to get a diagnosis, of course.

[adma]

A certifiably insane man to have served in Congress for so long? Doesn't it just confirm all you have ever felt you knew about the place?

To refer to being bipolar as "certifiably insane" is a little obtuse and insensitive, isn't it?

[Speed of Sound]

A certifiably insane man to have served in Congress for so long? Doesn't it just confirm all you have ever felt you knew about the place?

To refer to being bipolar as "certifiably insane" is a little obtuse and insensitive, isn't it?

A little? It's really obtuse and insensitive...and not much like Lewis.

[Zioneer]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

[tmthforu94]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

A non-corrupt politician from Chicago? You might as well be asking for a black female politician from Utah.

[CatoMinor]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

lol, You know where this district is anchored right?

[Zioneer]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

A non-corrupt politician from Chicago? You might as well be asking for a black female politician from Utah.

Yeah yeah, I know. But I can hope, right? Maybe a complete political newbie could win in an upset before having time to be corrupt

Actually, speaking of diverse politicians, I'm honestly surprised that there's been a black Utah politician before a Polynesian politician. How on earth has the Polynesian population of Utah never had a single elected official from among their ranks? Not even a state senator/representative.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

That's kind of bizzare to resign shortly after winning reelection, before your next term even began.

[muon2]

That's kind of bizzare to resign shortly after winning reelection, before your next term even began.

It's not at all unusual in IL. If a resignation is likely (as it was here) then the organization benefits by waiting until after the election. There is always the risk of an unknown winning if the seat opens up or appears to effectively open before the general (see for example the indicted Rostenkowski in 1994). With a special election organizations can better get their voters to turnout for the replacement. For lower offices in IL there is no special election and by waiting until after the election the party in power has the ability to appoint a successor until the next election.

[Nhoj]

There is a non negligible chance hes going to face charges. That is probably the actual reason hes resigning.

[smoltchanov]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

A non-corrupt politician from Chicago? You might as well be asking for a black female politician from Utah.

How about Mia Love?)))))

[Zioneer]

Good that he resigned; it's a Safe D seat (and a Safe liberal D seat at that), so maybe we could try again with a non-corrupt Dem. Who are some possibilities for a Jackson replacement, and what are their political views?

A non-corrupt politician from Chicago? You might as well be asking for a black female politician from Utah.

How about Mia Love?)))))

That's the joke.

[limac333]

There is a non negligible chance hes going to face charges. That is probably the actual reason hes resigning.

It sounds like JJJ resigning is part of a plea deal.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

That's kind of bizzare to resign shortly after winning reelection, before your next term even began.

It's not at all unusual in IL. If a resignation is likely (as it was here) then the organization benefits by waiting until after the election. There is always the risk of an unknown winning if the seat opens up or appears to effectively open before the general (see for example the indicted Rostenkowski in 1994). With a special election organizations can better get their voters to turnout for the replacement. For lower offices in IL there is no special election and by waiting until after the election the party in power has the ability to appoint a successor until the next election.

I don't know about this, but it's clear Lipinski's father resigned after the primary just so the machine could pick his son. Someone really needs to primary Lipinski.

[Badger]

That's kind of bizzare to resign shortly after winning reelection, before your next term even began.

It's not at all unusual in IL. If a resignation is likely (as it was here) then the organization benefits by waiting until after the election. There is always the risk of an unknown winning if the seat opens up or appears to effectively open before the general (see for example the indicted Rostenkowski in 1994). With a special election organizations can better get their voters to turnout for the replacement. For lower offices in IL there is no special election and by waiting until after the election the party in power has the ability to appoint a successor until the next election.

I don't know about this, but it's clear Lipinski's father resigned after the primary just so the machine could pick his son. Someone really needs to primary Lipinski.

It's been tried and failed multiple times now.

[ill ind]

  Several possible replacements candidates have been named:

  Will Burns--Chicago Alderman
  Anthony Beale--Chicago Alderman who kicked about primarying JJJ back in March
  Debbie Halvorsen---primaried JJJ back in March, but I think done in politics.
  Toi Huchinson--Halvorsen's former chief of staff and her replacement in the Il State Senate when she went to Congress.  AA senator in a non AA majority Senate district, so could be an interesting candidate. 
  Sam Adam Jr--R. Kelly and Rod Blagojevich's attorney--interesting but doubtful.

  Whoever would win would have to carry the heavy AA precincts on Chicago's southside.  Back in March Halvorsen kicked JJJ's rear in Will and Kanakakee Counties and even carried Chicago's 10th ward on the far Southeast side, but still wound up with under 40% of the vote.  Heck the GOP candidate this time around kicked his rear in Will and Kankakee Counties but still got nowhere.  (JJJ was particluarly unpopular in the far southern part of his district where people didn't want the Peotone Airport he kept pushing.)  That makes the Chicago Alderperson candidates: Beale, Burns probably most likely to win as they have a base already on the south side.  Hutchinson represents none of Chicago, but would have a base in the  far south suburbs anchored around Chicago Heights which probably wouldn't be enough unless the Chicago vote was split.  After the primary they will have a special general election which would be pretty meaningless.  Obama got over 80% in this district in 2012.

  As far as Little Lip in Il-3 is concerned:  He isn't going anywhere.  He ran several points ahead of Obama in his district.  He has considerable appeal to the remaining white working class (Reagen Democrats) of his district, not to mention that he has considerable Chicago 'machine' support and running a liberal against him in the primary probably would probably make good headlines on Daily Kos, but would probably be a miserable failure in reality.

Ill Ind

[Meeker]

Illinois law indicates the election would need to take place by March 16, but the county clerks plan on asking a judge to waive the law so they can hold the election at the same time as municipal elections. If the county clerks get their way the primary election would be February 26 and the general on April 9.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/16543199-418/how-a-special-election-for-jesse-jackson-jrs-open-seat-could-work.html

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

R+1, right guys?

[muon2]

Illinois law indicates the election would need to take place by March 16, but the county clerks plan on asking a judge to waive the law so they can hold the election at the same time as municipal elections. If the county clerks get their way the primary election would be February 26 and the general on April 9.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/16543199-418/how-a-special-election-for-jesse-jackson-jrs-open-seat-could-work.html

It would be difficult and confusing to hold an election during the early voting period for the consolidated elections, which includes all local districts such as parks, schools, townships, and mosquito abatement districts. If a waiver is not granted the most logical alternative would be to hold the special election on the municipal primary date and hold the special primary in early Jan. that however would start early voting for the special primary in late Dec.

[Meeker]

Quinn has set the primary for February 26 and the general for March 19. However, he will be asking the legislature to change the law so the general can coincide with the April 9 local elections that were mentioned upthread.

I can't find the deadline for submitting nominating petitions in any news article and Quinn didn't designate it in the Writ of Election, but it seems like it must be within the next two or three weeks. moun2, do you have any insight into that?

[Meeker]

Oh, and Debbie Halvorson is running: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84223.html