CHICAGO - Democrat Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon officially announced she's running for Illinois comptroller, ending speculation about which office the politician would seek next.
Simon is likely to face at least one Democratic challenger in the primary: Will County Auditor Duffy Blackburn has mentioned plans to run. Either would face a difficult challenge against Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, a former three-term state treasurer. Along with experience in winning statewide offices, Topinka has a fundraising advantage, reporting more than $805,000 cash on hand at the end of the second quarter, compared with $272,000 for Simon and $25,300 for Blackburn.
In February, Simon abruptly announced her plans not to seek re-election with Gov. Pat Quinn, and was thought to be eyeing the Attorney General spot until current AG, and fellow Democrat, Lisa Madigan decided to run again.
As is common in Illinois, Simon is the child of another politician - the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. She has held umerous political jobs and taxpayer-funded positions throughout her career and has no experience in the private sector.
Despite being the Lt. Governor and a member of the majority party, Simon told the Associated Press that "It's a shameful state that we're in. That's something that lawmakers need to pay attention to."
Governor Pat Quinn with his Lt. Governor Shelia Simon
