Freshmen Democrats Sean Casten (IL-6) and Lauren Underwood (IL -14)
DuPAGE COUNTY- It's been just a few short months since the once-Republican dominated DuPage County was stunned when a deep, dark blue wave swept the region – taking with it two Republican Congress members – the 6th CD's Peter Roskam and the 14th CD's Randy Hultgren along with several GOP state lawmakers.
Many pointed to the failed top of the ticket – the ousted Governor Bruce Rauner – while others pointed to the U.S. House members themselves – just a little too comfortable and unthreatened by the dark blue wave that others were fearing.
We haven't heard much from either Roskam or Hultgren much since November, but there's been a considerable buzz concerning who may step out and try to win back those two districts from freshmen Democrats Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten. They could be vulnerable, thanks to the negative reaction to Underwood and Casten's radical Leftist classmates Alexandria O Costez and her gang turning off so many middle-of-the-road voters.
Friday night at DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin's annual Corned Beef & Cabbage bash, Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti wasn't shy about her intentions to run for the 6th CD in 2020. "I'm seriously thinking that I will run," she said, and nodded her head yes when asked if that information could be shared with Illinois Review readers.
Sanguinetti – sporting a cast on her shin after a bout with a treadmill – successfully kept herself ideologically separated from Governor Bruce Rauner during her term and during the re-election campaign. She always made it clear she held her own opinions on issues that would hold up in her home district – despite her "good soldier" efforts to campaign on the team's behalf.
Sanguinetti said she'd spoken with Roskam's people and that they thought it was unlikely Roskam would seek re-election, so she was planning to move forward to regain the 6th for the Republicans.
In the 14th CD, things are already heating up. State Senator Jim Oberweis (R-Aurora) is promoting congressional candidate fundraisers on Facebook – saying he'd like to try once more to get to D.C. He has tried a couple of times before to make the U.S. Senate, but hasn't been successful. He's trying once again – in a district where the not-so-popular Gov Rauner won by 14 points.
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) has spoken about his intention to succeed Randy Hultgren in the 14th CD, and with his strong libertarian political leanings, his youth, energy, outspokenness and name recognition in the region, he's in contention.
A newbie on the local political scene is Matt Quigley, a 32-year-old Navy veteran, has already won the support of a respectable number of conservatives and is serious about obtaining the nomination to challenge Democrat Underwood.
The question will be if the Democrats will be willing to finance their freshmen, and if the Blue Wave will return in 2020 with President Trump at the top of the ballot. Or have the demographics changed so dramatically that Republicans have permanently lost their Illinois stronghold?
What buzz are you hearing?
