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At the end of a political campaign it's not uncommon for a candidate to grasp at straws, but Jim Oberweis literally proposed drawing straws to decide who should stay in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, two of his rivals said Saturday. On the Democratic side, Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) extended his feud with his son-in-law, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, by featuring primary challenger Edwin Eisendrath at a bingo game of senior citizens in the ward. But Mell stopped short of a formal endorsement. As the GOP candidates for governor fanned out across the state on the final...

Oberweis statement on Rick Garcia, member of Gov. Blagojevich's Hate Crimes Commission "It is my understanding that Rick Garcia, a member of Rod Blagojevich's 'Hate Crimes Commission' has called Cardinal Francis George, the venerable leader of our Catholic Church in Chicago, a 'bigot' because he teaches and promotes the time-honored tenets of the Catholic Church. I also understand that Garcia has labeled as 'rank bigots,' millions of Illinois citizens who believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage. This type of anti-Christian/anti-Catholic intolerance has no place in any state sanctioned commission purporting to advocate tolerance. I call for Rod Blagojevich to...

CHICAGO, March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich maintains a comfortable advantage over his Democratic primary rival, while Judy Baar Topinka, the state's three-term treasurer, is losing some of her sizable lead over the pack of potential Republican candidates for governor, according to a new Chicago Tribune / WGN-TV poll. Complete story and poll results appear in the Tuesday, March 14, edition of the Chicago Tribune and online at chicagotribune.com/elections . The poll, surveying 600 likely voters in the Republican primary and another 600 indicating they would cast a Democratic ballot, was conducted March 8-12 by Market Shares Corp. of...

Hopefuls put politics on parade By Mickey Ciokajlo and Ofelia Casillas, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Liam Ford, James Kimberly, Carlos Sadovi and John Chase contributed to this report Published March 12, 2006 ......During the session at the Rose Garden restaurant, Oberweis received the endorsement of conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly, founder and president of the Eagle Forum. "You were one of my heroes," Oberweis told Schlafly, adding that her 1964 book "A Choice Not an Echo" inspired him. The book, used that year to promote Barry Goldwater's presidential run, argued that grass-roots elements of the Republican Party must stand...

Topinka 36% Oberweis 25% Gidwitz 19% Brady 11% Martin 1% Undecided 8% Oberweis closing on Topinka, poll finds SPRINGFIELD BUREAU 03/12/2006 Judy Topinka continues to pose the most serious threat to Gov. Blagojevich, still holding him under 50% support among likely voters, according to a new Post-Dispatch/KMOV-TV poll. But two weeks out from the GOP primary for governor, Topinka herself faces a growing threat from Jim Oberweis. Oberweis, a wealthy dairy owner, has made substantial gains against her in the past month. The poll of 800 likely voters was conducted Monday through Wednesday by Research 2000. The poll has a...

CHICAGO - On an afternoon when March felt more like summer, politicians turned out Saturday for the city's St. Patrick's Day parade, waving to voters they hope will remember them on Election Day. Some GOP gubernatorial candidates were there, including state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, as were the Democrats, Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his challenger, former Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath. "Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, it's wonderful," said Topinka, who is Czechoslovak but was decked out in shamrock beads. A new St. Louis Post-Disptach/KMOV-TV poll released Saturday shows Topinka leading the pack...

February 7, 2006--State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R) leads Governor Rod Blagojevich in an early look at the 2006 campaign for Governor of Illinois.The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows Topinka with 48% of the vote while the incumbent Governor attracts 37%.Blagojevich does better against two other potential challengers. Blagojevich is tied with Ron Gidwitz at 40%. The Governor holds a very slight lead over Jim Oberweis, 43% to 39%.None of the candidates are viewed favorably by 50% or more of Illinois voters. Blagojevich and Topinka have far higher name recognition than the other candidates.Topinka is viewed favorably by 46% of...

The first televised debate, between all four GOP candidates: Bill Brady, Judy Baar Topkina, Jim Oberweis, and Ron Gidwitz Wednesday, January 25 6:00 - 7:00 P.m. CBS - Channel 2 The debate will be held at North Centeral College, Naperville Sponsors are: CBS - Channel 2, IL Chamber of Commerce, NFIB, and the Naperville Chamber of Commerce

[Title: "Suit: Oberweis milked illegal labor"] Two undocumented workers from Mexico have filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor alleging Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis and a Lake in the Hills subcontractor paid them well below minimum wage to clean three suburban Oberweis ice cream shops. Immigrant rights activists said although Oberweis was unaware that Rosa Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra were allegedly hired and exploited by the subcontractor for a mere $3.23 an hour, as chairman of Oberweis Dairy, he is still responsible. They further characterized the gubernatorial candidate as a "hypocrite," since he blamed illegal immigrants for...

The Illinois Republican Party took another body blow Thursday, as the candidate considered the favorite by a number of GOP leaders dropped out of the running to replace U.S. Senate nominee Jack Ryan. State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger said his late entry into the race would have made it nearly impossible to raise the money required to compete effectively against Democrat Barack Obama... Aurora dairy owner Jim Oberweis argues that his second-place primary finish makes him the "logical" choice. But many Republicans remain uneasy over TV commercials Oberweis ran during the primary attacking President Bush's immigration reform plans. Oberweis insists he...

http://www.illinoisleader.com SPECIAL ELECTION WEEKEND: McKenna hits the road Saturday, March 13, 2004 By The Leader-Chicago Bureau (chicago@illinoisleader.com) GLENVIEW -- If you're looking for U.S. Senate candidate Andy McKenna this weekend, follow the McKenna's New Beginning Bus Tour. Andy, his wife Mary and their four young adult children will be aboard, visiting with supporters from Carbondale to Springfield to Rockford and finally, his home town of Glenview. The "New Beginning Express" will roll through twenty cities and more than 40 counties in an effort to reach out to Republican voters around Illinois, energize the campaign’s statewide field organization and spread McKenna’s...

CHICAGO, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Immigrant rights advocates are ripping a pair of provocative campaign ads from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Oberweis as racist and fallacious. In his ads, Oberweis warns the nation is being overrun by illegal immigrants. "Illegal aliens are coming here to take American workers' jobs, drive down wages and take advantage of government benefits such as free health care, and you pay," the wealthy dairy operator says in one of the spots. "How many? Ten thousand illegal aliens a day. Enough to fill Soldier Field every single week." (Soldier Field is the stadium where the...

<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - It's not often that a Republican Senate candidate runs ads criticizing a popular Republican president, but that's what Jim Oberweis is doing when it comes to immigration.</p> <p>President Bush proposes granting legal status to millions of immigrant workers who are here illegally. He would offer three-year "temporary worker" status but not a chance at citizenship.</p>

CHICAGO -- According to a WGN/Chicago Tribune poll on the United States Senate race to replace retiring Senator Peter Fitzgerald released tonight, Jim Oberweis of Aurora has jumped ahead of Jack Ryan to take the lead on the GOP side of the ledger with 16% support from those surveyed. On the Democrat side there is a three-way tie between State Senator Barak Obama (D-Chicago), Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and State Comptroller Dan Hynes. The poll, taken last week, shows the majority of Republican voters as being undecided -- 57%. After Oberweis, investor turned teacher Jack Ryan is at 12%,...

CHICAGO -- According to a WGN/Chicago Tribune poll on the United States Senate race to replace retiring Senator Peter Fitzgerald released tonight, Jim Oberweis of Aurora has jumped ahead of Jack Ryan to take the lead on the GOP side of the ledger with 16% support from those surveyed. On the Democrat side there is a three-way tie between State Senator Barak Obama (D-Chicago), Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas and State Comptroller Dan Hynes. The poll, taken last week, shows the majority of Republican voters as being undecided -- 57%. After Oberweis, investor turned teacher Jack Ryan is at 12%,...

O'Shea backs out of Senate raceCandidate says he lacked support, funds The field of Illinois Democrats seeking to replace retiring Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald became a little less crowded Monday when Matt O’Shea, mayor of Downstate Metamora, announced he is dropping out of the race. With just over four months until the primaries, Mr. O’Shea, 44, is the first Democrat to withdraw his candidacy. “I decided it would be best to drop out now, before my name is on the ballot,” he said. Continuing to campaign didn't make sense when polls show he has just 3% to 4% of the...

He's broken out of the pack. In his bid for the Senate seat that is being vacated by Republican Peter G. Fitzgerald, educator and investment banker Jack Ryan has established himself as the undisputed front-runner for the GOP nomination. Ryan is ahead of the crowded GOP field in polls sponsored by news organizations, led his primary rivals in a DuPage Republican straw poll, and is first among senatorial hopefuls in his own state telephone poll of likely Republican voters, which showed that he is the first or second choice of 42 percent of likely GOP primary voters. The poll of...

CHICAGO - Goldman Sachs' partner-turned-teacher Jack Ryan's most recent investment in early campaign television ads and mailings appears to be paying off. The other GOP campaigns, however, aren't buying it. In a poll released today by his campaign, Ryan is showing a 24-point lead in his bid to be the next Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, replacing Illinois' retiring U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald. Ryan was supported by 35% of those polled, followed by Jim Oberweis with 11%. State Senator Steve Rauschenberger got 3% of the votes, and retired General John Borling and businessman Andy McKenna tied at 2%. 45% of...

Illinois Democrats looking to recapture retiring Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald's seat have been mobilizing for months -- raising moneiy, rounding up endorsements, recruiting volunteers. Republicans, meanwhile, have had trouble even finding candidates. First Fitzgerald said he wouldn't seek a second term. Then political veterans Jim Edgar, Judy Baar Topinka and Jim Ryan bowed out. In the past month, a handful of newcomers have stepped in. With 17 months to go before Election Day, Republicans, already tainted by former GOP Gov. George Ryan's scandals, must now fight a costly, uphill battle to hold the seat. "They kind of had that head...

In second place came Thomas J. McCracken, chairman of the RTA, who oversees the nation's second-largest public transportation system, and praised as one of the state's 10 best legislators by Chicago magazine. The field includes a retired Air Force major general and highly decorated prisoner of war, John L. Borling; lawyer and successful entrepreneur, John Cox, whose charitable organization renovates homes for the low-income elderly and disabled, and a highly successful dairy owner and stock analyst, Jim Oberweis, whose Oberweis Report ranks in the top five of all stock investment letters by the Hulbert Financial Digest. Add to these the...