Primary Election Aftermath

By Amy Hart in News on Mar 23, 2006 10:59PM

Now that the primaries are over, we can all take a deep breath before we look ahead to the November election. However, there are still plenty of questions that need answering.

Will Stroger be on the November ballot? We all know that he is currently recovering from a stroke, but what we don’t know is just how serious his condition is, and if he will recover well enough to stay on the ballot or serve another term. If Stroger pulls out of the race before the November general election, the Democratic ward and township committeemen would choose a replacement candidate. If he wins in November against Republican candidate Tony Peraica, but decides not to serve, then the members of the Cook County Board would vote for a new president among themselves.

Will Meeks run for governor? Pastor/State Senator James Meeks has been considering running for governor, and now it seems he is kicking up a notch with the circulation of petitions to get his name on the ballot. And we’re sure Judy Baar Topinka thinks this is a fabulous idea.

Will Oberweis back Topinka? At a Republican unity breakfast Wednesday morning, all of Judy’s primary opponents backed her, with the exception of Jim Oberweis. Oberweis, who obviously loves remaining an attention hog even in defeat, said Topinka needs to “meet conditions” in order to win his support. Like having ice cream every night for dessert? Maybe he can run as a third party candidate like Meeks. Too bad he can't run as a third party candidate like Meeks. The lactose party, maybe?

How dirty will the governor’s race get? Governor Blagojevich and Topinka both came out swinging yesterday. Topinka called Blago a “slick” politician while Blago, when responding to Topinka’s complaints that he gives preferential treatment to those who donate to his campaign, said Topinka “ought to practice what she preaches.” We can't wait to see these two debate, but if Topinka doesn't brush up on her presentation skills, Blago will wipe the floor with her.

Will the burbs hang a left? There's been lots of talk about the changing demographics in the suburbs. Will this help lead to a reelection for Melissa Bean (D-8th) and the election of Tammy Duckworth (D-6th) in the former Republican strongholds?

Will the kinks in the new voting equipment be worked out? Election judges, politicians, and voters seemed to be miffed over problems with the electronic voting machines. It seems like something that has the potential to simplify the process is making things much more difficult.

Aren’t you excited that we have seven months to ponder all of this?