 One freshman Republican congressman has had to challenge a veteran
GOP colleague in territory he doesn't know. Other Republicans are
scrambling to introduce themselves to unfamiliar voters in their own
districts, now redrawn by Democrats to favor Democrats.Amid
partisan bickering from Washington to Springfield, Democrats and
Republicans can wholeheartedly agree on one thing: Illinois' March
20 primary election may be critical this year as Democrats set out
to reverse the GOP's 2010 victories as part of an effort to win back
an overall majority in the U.S. House.
Democrats have called Illinois a "center of gravity" for their
national congressional campaign, based on high hopes for the new
congressional map that Democratic leaders drew up last year because
they control the Legislature. But Republicans contend that more
areas of Illinois are trending conservative, and they believe they
can at least pick up one seat left open by retiring Democratic Rep.
Jerry Costello in southern Illinois.
Voters get their first chance to weigh in Monday, when early
voting begins for the primary election, which will set the stage for
a November showdown.
"Illinois offers one of the most dramatic playing fields," said
Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who oversees the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. He says the group has had a
presence in Illinois -- coaching candidates and purchasing
billboards -- for months, the earliest it's been in the state before
a primary.
Come November, Illinois could provide up to five new Democratic
seats when 25 are needed to take the majority, Israel said. Only
California comes close to offering the same opportunity, he said.
But Republicans are ceding nothing. They believe they still have
momentum from the 2010 victories that put five GOP freshmen in
office and gave them their first state congressional majority in
seven years. And they believe another factor will help them when
voters go to the polls: anger over Illinois' state fiscal crisis.
"The state is in just bad shape and the Democrats are in charge,"
said Pat Brady, chairman of Illinois' Republican Party.
Mike Shields, political director for the National Republican
Congressional Committee, downplayed any advantage the Democrats
might have from what he called their gerrymandering.
"We plan on being very aggressive. We plan on being on offense,"
Shields said.
Republicans will lose one seat in Illinois for sure. The new
Democrat-drawn map carves the state into 18 congressional districts,
down one from 19 because census data showed Illinois didn't grow as
fast as other states.
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The two Republicans running against each other are freshman U.S.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger and veteran congressman Donald Manzullo. Both
are touting their opposition to President Barack Obama's policies
and efforts to cut spending in a district that Manzullo has served
for nearly two decades. It now curves through the north-central part
of the state, touching both Wisconsin and Indiana.
Kinzinger decided to challenge Manzullo after his own district
was pushed together with more Democrat-friendly territory in a new
district where U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson faces a Democratic challenge
in March, for the first time, from former one-term congresswoman
Debbie Halvorson. Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot, defeated
Halvorson with tea party support in 2010.
On the national watch lists of both Democrats and Republicans is
a race in Chicago's northwest suburbs, where Iraq War veteran Tammy
Duckworth and businessman Raja Krishnamoorthi are facing off in the
Democratic primary. The winner will challenge tea party-backed
congressman Joe Walsh, who decided to stay in his old district
despite its new Democrat leanings rather than mount a primary fight
against another freshman GOP incumbent in a different district.
Other incumbent Republican districts both parties are focusing on
for the fall are those of U.S. Reps. Bob Dold and Bobby Schilling,
both freshmen, and U.S. Reps. Judy Biggert and Tim Johnson.
Johnson's re-election effort -- he took office in 2001 and is
known for calling constituents directly -- could be a clear
indicator of the atmosphere in Illinois. He is now running in a
district that covers a wider section of central Illinois to the
Missouri line. He has Republican primary challengers for the first
time in a decade, and two Democrats are running for the chance to
challenge him, including Greene County State's Attorney Matt Goetten,
who has received backing from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.
"If the economy continues to improve, that will be good for the
president and good for (Democratic) candidates for Congress," said
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat who faces no opposition
next month. "It's ripe for Illinois to pick up Democratic seats."
[Associated Press]
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