Citizens for Jeffrey L. Junkas

Learn more about how Republican’s plan to re-take the state House by reading a Crain’s article excerpted below.


©2010 by Crain Communications Inc.

Illinois Republicans see a chance to recapture control of Springfield

Crain’s Chicago Business July 05, 2010

By Greg Hinz

For Illinois Republicans, Nov. 2, 1994, was as good as it gets. Not only did they win every election that counted, they took away Michael Madigan's speakership, making Springfield's senior Democrat the minority leader of the Illinois House.

Can they do it again?

. . . 2010 still is shaping up as the kind of year in which the GOP can actually dream. The dreams don't get any more delicious than dispatching Mr. Madigan's majority the year before legislative reapportionment.

"The political environment for us has never been better," says Kevin Artl, political director for House GOP Leader Tom Cross. "If you look at any metric compared to 1994, they're all better."

. . .

As Team Cross sees it, its chances start with picking up at least a couple of the four seats outside Chicago held by . . . Democrat incumbents who might be vulnerable — like Jay Hoffman (who was former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's floor leader) and Kevin McCarthy (whose district often votes Republican).

' The Democrats . . . have failed miserably.'

. . .

It's a little early to tell how those newcomers will perform. But the party already has made 174,000 phone calls, with field organizers on the ground since April, Mr. Artl says. In every case, the core message is the same: "Enough is enough. Every Democratic candidate we're going after voted for more government spending (and) for more borrowing."

But even the staunchest Republicans may pause in going after someone like Mr. Madigan, who, despite a ton of bad publicity of late, has run the House (and much of the rest of Illinois government) for 28 of the past 30 years, excepting only the term after the Newt Gingrich revolt of 1994.

. . .

Illinois State Chamber of Commerce President Doug Whitley says business folks "are much more sensitive to what's at stake" this time. "The Democrats who have been in charge for a decade have failed miserably. Look at the budget, the condition of the Illinois economy," he says.

Some business leaders clearly are helping, with a group including former state party Chairman Andy McKenna Jr. (whom Mr. Cross endorsed for governor), private-equity mogul Bruce Rauner and the horseracing Duchossois clan part of a small group that reportedly has promised to raise $1 million for Mr. Cross' campaign coffers.

Will it work? It won't be easy. But if the GOP really catches the wind, it could get interesting.

©2010 by Crain Communications Inc.