CHICAGO - State Rep. Mike McAuliffe is the only Chicago area Republican left after serving in the Illinois since 1996. McAuliffe succeeded his father Roger after he accidentally drowned in a Wisconsin fishing accident in 1996.
The primary challenge could signal an effort to oust Chicago of all Republican representation in the Illinois House. In 2012, Speaker Madigan turned on State Rep. Skip Saviano - also a moderate Republican from the Chicago region - and ousted Saviano to bolster Democrat numbers.
Monday morning, a Republican filed petitions to challenge McAuliffe in the 2014 GOP primary. Most certainly Michael Yorty of Schiller Park expects to have the petition signatures examined, if not challenged.
