State Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Peoria)
Candidate for U.S. Congress
;-)
Posted on 12/07/2007 4:34:24 PM PST by LdSentinal
Former National Basketball Association coach Dick Versace has decided to drop out of the race to replace retiring Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), leaving Democrats without a candidate in a race they had hoped to make competitive.
Versace announced Friday in a statement that he was exiting the race “due to unforeseen personal circumstances,” but he did not provide details.
“Over the course of this campaign, it is clear to me that Illinois families are hungry for change and that Democrats, Republicans and independents are fed up with President Bush and his failed policies,” Versace said. “While I’m disappointed it’s not going to be me, this community deserves a leader that will stand up to Washington Republicans that are out of step with the real needs of this wonderful community.”
Versace asked for privacy as he and his family face “a difficult personal issue.”
The Illinois primary is in less than two months, and the filing deadline has already passed. Versace was the only Democrat to file.
An official at the state board of elections said there is no method to get another Democrat on the primary ballot. Without a nominee after the Feb. 5 primary, Democrats will be able to fill the vacancy by vote using a committee comprised of leaders from around the district.
On the Republican side, state Rep. Aaron Schock, businessman Jim McConoughey and former Peoria City Councilman John Morris are running.
“With three strong Republican challengers running for the nomination, we believe that we remain in a good position to retain the seat,” said a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, Ken Spain.
It is unclear who might fill the void for Democrats.
The chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), said: “We wish Dick Versace well. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dick and his family at this difficult time.”
Too bad, so sad.
Who are we supporting here ?
LOL! We're talking about RATS!
Deadlines, we don't need no stinkin' deadlines!
I'll take your money on this one and give you 2-1 odds just so you don't see yourself getting ripped off. :o)
We caught a break (best wishes of course to Versace’s family). Let’s make sure the right guy wins the primary.
I think Schock’s going to win.
Dunno, I know Aaron Shock is 26-years old representing a Democratic house district.
26 years old and looks 16.
Dims: “I got nothin.”
He looks like a promising Republican in a growingly Democratic state.
What do you mean? The 18th is currently Republican and the 96th state dist represented by Shock is also republican.
Yes, but the 96th is a Democratic leaning seat. Shock, well, shocked by unseating the Dem incumbant in 2004 and barely hanged on last year.
Good. Maybe he can become Senator Schock one day - LOL - I like the sound of that!
I’m still leaning toward voting for him, even if he does look like a kid.
He seems to have a lot more sense than our boy governor.
Sadly, though I'm a lifelong Illinois resident, I don't have an answer to this one. I'm on the board of a statewide conservative lobbyist group and we've been trying to vet the three GOP candidates to see which one distances themselves the most from LaHood but they're hard to figure out.
When it comes to where they stand on the issues, all three are running as Reagan conservatives -- pro-life, pro-gun, pro-family, pro-smaller govenrment, pro-tax cuts, pro-WOT, etc. That doesn't really matter, as Ray LaHood sold himself as a Reaganite too, but then he stabbed Peter Fitzgerald in the back and openly pimped for Obama.
What this district REALLY needs is someone from OUTSIDE the Peoria GOP club to represent the area after 50 years. The powers that be in the Peoria GOP are well known for their "go along, get along" style of being cozy with their RAT overloads. Bob Michel, LaHood's predecessor Congressman, is the perfect example, he was a favorite of the Peoria GOP bosses and was content to be House Minority Leader for 18 years.
All three candidates have close ties to the Peoria GOP. Jim McConoughey is a Peoria area Businessman & Economic Development Consultant, John Morris is an Ex-Peoria City Councilman, and Aaron Schock is a young State Rep. who made headlines for taking a Peoria-based seat in the general assembly that had been held by a RAT for 30 years.
Undoubtly, Schock is favored to win the primary. He's become somewhat of a wonder-boy of Illinois GOP politics in recent years, having been elected to the Peoria school board at age 19, becoming board President at age 21, being elected state Rep. at age 23, and now seems destined to be elected to Congress at age 27. At this rate he'll be a Senator by the time he's 31 (perhaps the only thing stopping him is the comotose nature of the state party).
Schock's generally a good reliable conservative in the IL General Assembly, but LaHood endorsed him in 2004 and was instrumental in Schock's upset victory, so there's certainly a case to be made that Schock owes him big time. I've heard from conservative activists who are very impressed with John Morris after meeting him in person, though I doubt he and Schlock disagree on any issues and Morris is just as tied to the Peoria bosses.
One thing's for certain, with the Dem candidate already giving up on this race, this proves once and for all that LaHood was full of it when he presented himself as a great GOP leader who was needed to stay in office to "hold the seat" for the Republican Party. LaHood's district has been Republican since the Republican party existed (hell, it was mostly Abraham Lincoln's district back in the 1840s BEFORE the GOP existed!). The last time it had a RAT Congressman was around World War I. Every single county in the district is solid Republican, except Peoria itself -- and even THAT isn't anywhere ultra Democrat as CRook County, Illinois. Peoria the city is Dem, the suburbs are Republican, and the county as a whole is 50-50 (Bush and Kerry just about broke even in Peoria county)
No question, the GOP will hold this seat, and Schock is likely to be the next Congressman. But who's the candidate we want on our side? Hard to say. Possibly none of 'em.
State Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Peoria)
Candidate for U.S. Congress
;-)
I live in this district. I’ve watched Aaron Shock run for office and seen him work a political event in person. He’s a juggernaut - well liked in the district, extremely well organized, and with a strong reputation in a short time for representing his constituents and getting bills written and passed.
I have not doubt at all that this seat will go to Aaron Shock. No doubt.
I live in this district. I’ve watched Aaron Shock run for office and seen him work a political event in person. He’s a juggernaut - well liked in the district, extremely well organized, and with a strong reputation in a short time for representing his constituents and getting bills written and passed.
I have not doubt at all that this seat will go to Aaron Shock. No doubt.
I was looking it up. 31-year old Claude Ulysses Stone was the last Democrat from the district (when it was the 16th) when he beat GOP incumbent Joseph Verdi Graff in 1910. He held on through the Wilson win of 1912 and again in 1914. He was finally beaten in 1916 by Republican Cliff Ireland. Stone, who was later appointed Peoria postmaster and would go on to serve in a local judicial capacity AND would run the local newspaper (Peoria Star) for the next several decades lived long enough to see Bob Michel win the seat 40 years later and died in 1957. Prior to that, William Henry Neece who served 2 terms (1883-87) when it was the 10th district, Bradford Stevens for a single term (1871-73) when it was the 5th. Prior to that, it had been Dem before 1853 when it sent Whig James Knox. Lincoln technically never represented Peoria, he represented the 7th district which covered Pekin/Tazewell Co. and the area east of the Illinois River in the central part of the state (at the time he was elected for his single term from 1847-49, he was the sole Whig from the IL delegation).
"Peoria the city is Dem, the suburbs are Republican, and the county as a whole is 50-50 (Bush and Kerry just about broke even in Peoria county)"
Peoria has a Republican Mayor (both Jim Ardis, and his predecessor, Dave Ransburg -- I don't know what Bud Grieves was, though).
So will he “Schock and Awe” his district ? ;-D
(OK, I know that was bad).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.