Congressional A-Go-Go: Bean Bashers Assemble

By vouchey in News on Jun 21, 2005 1:49PM

Before any voter begins to think about their choice at the polls, candidates scramble for "the election before the election." For Congressional races, this typically starts about nine months before the primary election, when aspirants do their best to raise money and prove their "viability." June 30th is the first real deadline for those aspirants to demonstrate their fundraising prowess, as the first important Federal Elections Commission deadline.

This post is the second in a series of three detailing three potential big Congressional races in the Illinois Suburbs. The first was about the open seat race in Illinois-6 in DuPage County. This post will be about the Republican attempt to take back Illinois-8 from freshman Melissa Bean. The third, for tomorrow, will be about the rumblings against GOP Rep. Mark Kirk in Illinois-10.

There are some who compare Congresswoman Melissa Bean's 2004 victory against veteran Republican Congressman Phil Crane to Mike Flanagan's 1994 win over old school Chicago Democratic Congressman Dan Rostenkowski. A case of an unknown insurgent beating a tired, out-of-touch incumbent in a district that had no business switching parties. Republicans believe - they know - that Melissa Bean has no business representing the 8th District.

The 8th has been Republican as long as anyone can remember. From that district Phil Crane launched his 1980 presidential campaign. And before Crane was Don Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld was an Illinois Congressman before getting plucked to serve as President Gerald Ford's Chief of Staff and later on becoming the Defense Secretary we know so well. This history of storied conservatives in the 8th only makes the GOP want to take Melissa Bean down even more.

So far though, the Republicans can't seem to agree on a candidate. two-time statewide candidate Al Salvi says he might run, while so has State Rep. Mark Beaubien, State Rep. Bob Churchill, State Rep. JoAnn Osmond, Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins, and then there's investment banker David McSweeney and businesswoman Teresa Bartels.

Without a doubt Salvi has the highest name recognition, but his win/loss record isn't so good. Beaubien is popular, and as a part of State House Republican leadership, he's got great connections. Churchill's strength is a bit more questionable, since although he's held his seat for 19 years, he went through a bruiser reelection campaign in 2004 against Sharyn Elman, winning with only 53% of the vote -- oh, and he's already got a 2006 primary challenger for his State House Seat.

WIth such a broad field of primary challengers the June 30th FEC deadline becomes even more important. If any of these candidates can manage to raise over $100,000 - that doesn't come from their own checkbooks - they will break away from the pack and get to move to round two. We'll check back again later in the summer to see who's left.