On to 2014!!!
The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Dick Durbin, all six of Illinois’s state executive offices, 20 Illinois Senate Seats, and 118 Illinois House Seats will all be up for grabs in 2014 in Illinois.
U.S. Senate: There’s a 50/50 chance that Dick Durbin (D) will not seek a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Expect wide-open primaries on both the Democratic and Republican sides of the ledger if that happens, if Durbin does run for re-election, he probably won’t face a serious challenge from Republicans.
Governor: Pat Quinn (D) is WILDLY unpopular here in Illinois. He’s not all that popular in the Chicago area, and he’s almost universally hated downstate, so Quinn probably wouldn’t make it out of a Democratic primary if he ran for re-election. Expect Republicans to make a serious play for the Governor’s Mansion in any case. Already, State Treasuer Dan Rutherford, State Senator Bill Brady, and U.S. Representative Aaron Schock have all been named as potential Republican candidates for Governor.
Lieutenant Governor: Sheila Simon (D) has nowhere near the fame of her father, legendary former U.S. Senator Paul Simon. Sheila may consider a run for Governor or U.S. Senate, so getting a strong candidate to complement the gubernatorial nominee is going to be critical for Democrats if Simon runs for higher office or retires, and in any case with Republicans.
Attorney General: Lisa Madigan (D) is well-respected in Illinois and may be seriously considering a gubernatorial or U.S. Senate bid. Madison County judge Ann Callis may be the front-runner on the Democratic side if Madigan retires or runs for higher office. Republicans probably won’t seriously challenge Madigan if she runs for re-election but will make a serious push for this office in an open-seat scenario.
Secretary of State: Jesse White (D) will be 80 years old in 2014 and may retire. Getting a strong candidate, such as Vermilion County Clerk Lynn Foster, to run for Secretary of State if White does indeed retire will be critical for Democrats. Republicans may use the Derrick Smith corruption scandal against White if he does run for re-election, so expect them to make a serious play for this office in any case.
Comptroller: Judy Baar Topinka (R) is probably the only person who can win the Comptroller’s office for the Republicans, so they will probably do anything to convince her to run for re-election, although there’s no guarantee that she will do so. Democrats should focus on recruiting a strong candidate in any case.
Treasurer: Dan Rutherford (R) is reportedly considering a run for higher office in 2014, so Democrats need to focus on recruiting a strong candidate.
U.S. House: Depending on the outcome of the too-close-to-call 13th Congressional District race, Democrats will likely have a 12-6 but possibly a 13-5 majority in Illinois’s U.S. House delegation, so Republicans will likely target districts that Democrats targeted in 2012, and Democrats will likely be playing defense in Illinois for the most part.
Illinois General Assembly: Due to Democratic-controlled redistricting, Democrats were able to win veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. Look for Republicans to go on offense and Democrats to go on defense. 20 Senate and 118 House seats will be up for re-election in 2014.
I heard that Chad Koppie plans to run for the U.S. Senate, in 2014. He’s a member of the Kane Co. Regional Board of Schools. In 1998, he was the only conservative who opposed George Ryan, in the governor primary. Chad got almost 20% of the vote, although he didn’t spend much money.
I’m a Durbin backer through and through, and, if Durbin runs for re-election, I’ll vote for Durbin, if Durbin retires, I’ll vote for the Democratic primary winner, but thanks for informing me that Chad Koppie intends to run in the 2014 U.S. Senate race here in Illinois as a Republican.