Blago to Face Primary Challenge

By Amy Hart in News on Dec 19, 2005 4:45PM

After much speculation, former Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath has decided to challenge Governor Blagojevich in the Democratic primary this coming spring.

Edwin currently serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs for Kendall College. Prior to that he served as alderman for the 43rd ward from 1987 to 1993 and headed the Chicago regional office for the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1995 to 1997 under President Clinton. Eisendrath lost a 1990 bid for Congress.

Eisendrath said on Sunday that he is running because Blago has failed to clean up the state government after former governor George Ryan damaged its reputation:

Four years ago, I supported Rod Blagojevich because I believed his promise that he would end the Ryan legacy of pay-to-play. I thought he was committed to change. I was wrong... It took our party nearly 30 years to win the governorship. In less than four, the Blagojevich administration has let the perception of ethical lapses put all that we've worked for at risk.

Eisendrath doesn't seem to be too big of a threat to the governor. Although Blago has yet to respond to Eisendrath's entry into the race, he can't be happy that he will be forced to try to explain the corruption occuring in his office this early in the game and spend part of his campaign warchest on a primary battle. Oh, and the fact that Eisendrath has discussed his decision with Blago's father-in-law, Dick Mell, probably isn't making Blago very content either.

Photo courtesy of ABC 7.