by John Riley
State senate candidate Suzanne Elder's signs are more visible in the Andersonville neighborhood, while signs for Heather Steans are more visible in the Edgewater section.
Signs for state senate candidate Suzanne Elder line North Clark Street in Andersonville.
In an election year when only six state senate seats in Cook County have contested primaries, the race for the spot being vacated mid-term by Carol Ronen should be one of the most closely-watched local races.
But to talk to people living in the district, the race is not even on the radar.
The two candidates seeking to replace Ronen are Suzanne Elder and Heather Steans, both liberal Democrats.
But while Steans is seeking the endorsements of establishment figures and interest groups, Elder is attempting to stir up grassroots activists angry at the leadership of the Illinois Democratic machine.
Looking at the district, Elder’s signs tend to be located along North Clark Street and surrounding streets in the Andersonville neighborhood.
Signs for Steans are visible on a few side streets in that neighborhood, but are more prominent in the Edgewater section, especially along North Broadway.
But attempts on Wednesday to survey area residents were unsuccessful: Most people said they don’t follow politics and refused to be interviewed.
“Politics is not one of my favorite things I like to indulge in,” said Andersonville resident Caryscine Branch.
Branch, 44, said he has not been paying attention to legislative races, even though he has received candidate mailings.
Branch said he is concerned about government officials in charge of taxes. He said he thought there should be more oversight to make sure taxpayer money is being spent wisely.
“There are a lot of people who like to stick their hands in the pot, and end up going to jail for it,” he said.
“We’re going to need someone to monitor it, someone to stand guard to make sure it’s used for what it’s supposed to be used for, and no one’s taking advantage of it.”
Elder has tried to distinguish herself by making tax increment financing reform and transparency in taxation important issues in the campaign.
She also said Steans, who has the endorsement of many prominent Chicago politicians, including Ronen, is an insider likely to rubberstamp the agendas of Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones.
“She’s a machine-backed politician,” Elder said of Steans. “She’s unlikely to be a change agent on reforming TIF districts.”
But Steans said just because she’s endorsed by prominent politicians doesn’t mean she’s indebted to them.
“Anyone who knows anything about me knows I’m independent,” she said. “I’m very new to politics. I come with no baggage in that regard.”
The two candidates have also sparred over who supports same-sex marriage versus civil unions, and rumors that Ronen tipped off Steans about her retirement, giving Steans an unfair advantage over other candidates.
Ronen announced her retirement on Oct. 22, leaving only two weeks for candidates to circulate petitions and collect 1,000 signatures from registered voters. The next day, Steans announced her candidacy. According to her Web site, Steans collected 3,600 signatures in one week.
Local political analysts say the race will be close, but Steans is favored because she has the support of the party brass and a more organized campaign.
One of Elder’s problems is that voters do not understand TIFs well enough to want reform them, said Dick Simpson, a former alderman who now heads the political science department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
He said for Elder to win, when she talks to voters, Elder must frame TIFs as the reason behind underfunded Chicago public schools or as a backdoor tax increase.
Elder is a viable candidate, said political analyst Russ Stewart.
But she’s at a disadvantage because a large number of younger or first-time voters are expected to turn out to vote for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in his bid for the presidency, he said.
These same voters will not know the politics of down-ticket races, which hurts Elder.
“Elder has a lot more credibility as a candidate, but can she get enough votes?” Stewart asked. “Suzanne has a base and does well among people who know her, but Steans is just burying the district with mail. That may be enough to get by.”
14 comments:
Russ Stewart said....> "Steans is just burying the district with mail. That may be enough to get by."
That's only if the voters of the 7th district are dumb enough to believe the unverified claims in such mailers.
People who "aren't interested in politics" tend to be the very people who complain the most about rising taxes, deteriorating services and neighborhoods, and government inefficiency and corruption, yet they are the very same people who also enabled entrenched polls to retain their offices term after term.
I cannot convey the disgust I felt at the first Lincoln Square TIF meeting a couple of months ago, the wife of a local dentist stood up to about how she and her husband would lose many of their patients, and how many area businesses would be decimated, yet when she referred to Da Mare, her tone was one of worship- "bless his heart", said with great feeling, was one of the phrases that dropped out of her mouth. She was surprised and hurt that her beloved little fat mayor would destroy her neighborhood and take her home or business.
I wanted to stand up and shriek GET WISE AND GET A BRAIN YOU FOOL,DA MARE IS DESTROYING YOU PEOPLE AND YET YOU LOVE HIM and you couldn't help but think that if these people had taken an interest in their leadership heretofore, perhaps they wouldn't be getting the vile TIF plan, and eminent domain, stuffed down their throats.
Nothing will change, because people don't demand it, because they "aren't interested in politics"- they only want someone to scapegoat when the garbage starts accumulating around their feet.
And, somehow, they never blame the right people.
Wait and see- as the economy of this country unravels further and we begin to experience real shortages of essential commodities along with big cuts in services and rapidly escalating prices, there will be an orgy of scapegoating and finger-pointing, yet most of the sheeple will continue to worship the very people who are doing the most to destroy them.
craig,
you are violating the copyright on this store. you are allowed to post up to 4 graphs and a link. period.
I like how Mr. Publisher's "tribute" to Lorraine Swanson consists of stealing her story without paying her. With "friends" like this, who needs enemies? Craig steals stories and reprints them in full without permission, and then wonders why legit journalists don't give him the time of day. 'Cause you're a thieving asshole who steals their work, Craig, that's why.
Elder is going to run into a brick wall on election day, and among the many people she will have to thank for the punishing defeat will be Craig. Elder should never have associated herself with the Todd Stroger of the Internet.
So does this mean you wouldn't vote for her (even if she were the best candidate) because Craig blogs about her and she responds? If Craig were for Steans and the same thing happened it would just be which ever candidate Craig blogs about positively? And where in the world is the connection between Craig and Stroger? Tom, your anger must get in the way of a lot of things. Steans may win because she has tons of money and can send out fancy flyers - a lot of people vote because it is the only name they recognize - not because they are actually picking a candidate. Or because they believe the endorsement machine and hope THEY are picking the right candidate. It is clear that the Steans people are machine people - signs all over rental properties and in parkways. So the fact that she may win doesn't actually mean people have picked her over Elder - it's because they are too lazy to find out about Elder before the election and make an informed choice. Much like most of the elections here in our city.
hey tom, you sure must like this snow huh, to hide all your dog shit under?
you sound like you've got some serious issues. should probably go talk to someone in the mental health field.
I see that all the customary excuses for failure to connect with the voters have been prepared and are already being deployed. Usually people wait until after the election to explain away an embarrassing defeat, but in this case I think you might as well get going.
You still are not explaining the Stroger connection. But I think I get it - the connection is Steans is also being RAMMED down our throats by the machine that RAMMED Stroger down our throats. Put out enough flyers with enough names on them, take enough donations from someone who wants a seat or office and you have a candidate that will win due to voters not voting with information - just flyers and the 49th Ward voter guide put together by the same people who have taken money from Steans and now have to pay her back. I get it - really.
sick of dems- the 49th voter guide.
i want to make something clear about these guides that are hitting mailboxes right now.
these endorsements are made based on the votes of the rank and file of the party in this ward. there was an endorsement session held at loyola park where 60-70 people came to hear the candidates, and voted on whom to recommend. this was for all but president and judges. (the regular members voted to endorse barack back in november or december. sorry don't remember exactly)
judicial nomination were done in a similar fashion, although by a smaller group. we invited candidates to come to a meet and greet, which many did. the executive committee compared their bar assoc ratings and voted.
how much money a candidate has or doesn't have was not a part of the process. there is certainly no quid pro quo of-pay x dollars, appear on our mailer.
these recommendation are from rank and file members who took the time to educate themselves, to meet candidates, to listen to speeches, and to look stuff up. they are not bought and paid for, they are not what big wigs told us to do.
anyone who thinks that the above is not true- i urge you to do like howard dean said- show up.
"been there", that is not an accurate portrayal of that "rank and file" vote. When Heather Steans and Suzanne Elder spoke there were only about 25 people present, maybe 30 if you count all the MWRD candidates hanging around for their turn. There couldn't have been more than two dozen people max who met both candidates or heard them speak. The vast majority of those 60-70 votes you refer to were ballots filled out, or at least attributed, to members who dropped a ballot in the box in the hallway without hearing a word either candidate said, at least at that forum.
What qualified a person to vote included any work on Joe's campaign. So that could include any paid worker as well as any volunteer, whether in or out of the district.
Joe Moore and David Fagus and Wayne Frazier were already fully committed to Steans and Wayne had been working members for days in advance. Elder had no similar access to membership. The result: the first dozen or so ballots counted, the ones that had been put in the box first, were all filled out nearly identical. It was pretty obvious that Suzane Elder carried the group that stayed and heard both speak, but was buried by those votes that were already "in the bag." Even if every single person who heard them both speak voted for her, Elder would have still lost! And many -- maybe most -- of the Steans voters may not even live in the 7th District.
I'm not saying Steans is without some actual indigenous 49th Ward support, but that lopsided vote was not a rank-and-file movement reflecting 70 people who came, sat, and listened with open minds. It was top-down decisionmaking, well-executed. All perfectly legit under 49WDP rules, but let's not spin a fairytale.
well, i will point out a couple of things- one is that both elders and steans had attended the regular meeting of the 49th ward. most of those who came in with their minds made up, which i concede did happen, made them up after a longer and more intimate presentation weeks earlier. most people agreed that both were good candidates. no one would have cried had the vote gone the other way.
but take a close look at the rest of the endorsements. there are several races where the daley/cook county candidate was not endorsed. i'm sure we will catch some grief should jay paul deratany win. there are several others.
not sure what your definition of the rank and file is, but the folks i saw were the same folks i have seen at other party functions. and your count is way off.
Hey Craig, could you do us a favor & cite your source? & everyone else, chizill about the copyright issues. This is a good article, and I am glad he shared it with us. Thanks!
Cheryl, People make a big deal out of this copyright issue - and all they had to do is click John's high-lighted name at the top of the story. It'll take you right to Medill's site and story. If it hasn't been deleted yet.
Wonder how everyone missed that link and John's by-line? It is right there.
i didn't miss the link. i went there and the copyrights are stated in plain english. fair use is 4 paragraphs and a link. that is the law. and that is fair. get it? fair.
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