Story posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hamos, Coulson, Seals Lead Endorsement Race
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
As primary Election Day draws near, high profile endorsements are flooding into some candidate's campaigns in the 10th Congressional Dist. race while only trickling into others.
Eight candidates, three Democrats and five Republicans, are vying to fill Mark Kirk's seat in the U.S. House.
Leading with 50 high profile endorsements is Democratic State Rep. Julie Hamos. Republican State Rep. Elizabeth Coulson comes in a close second with 45 and Dan Seals comes in third with 21.
While the number of high profile endorsements by public officials and groups is important, who those people and groups are also holds weight.
Hamos and Coulson both have a long list of current and former congressional representatives, state lawmakers and local officials. Dan Seals has several township Democratic organizations backing his campaign and Robert Dold picked up the backing of former Vice President Dan Quayle, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and several Republican township organizations.
Among Hamos' supporters are U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th), Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, State Senators Susan Garrett (D-29th) and Jeff Schoenberg (D-9th), State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-57th), Buffalo Grove Village President Elliot Hartstein, Northfield Township Clerk Laura Fine and Glenview Village Trustee Scott Britton.
She also has the backing of several high profile organizations including the National Organization for Women, the Stonewall Democrats and several union locals including Teamsters Joint Council 25, the United Auto Workers Region Four and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Coulson's supporters include former U.S. Rep. John Porter (R-10th). Coulson got her political start working as a health care policy annalist for Porter. She also has the backing of five other current and former Illinois congressmen.
Coulson's other endorsements include former Governor Jim Edgar, House Majority Leader Tom Cross, local state representatives Sid Mathias (R-53rd), Rosemary Mulligan (R-65th) and Suzie Bassi (R-54th), Northfield Township Supervisor Jill Brickman, Palatine Township Supervisor Linda Fleming, Cook County Commissioner Gregg Goslin and former gubernatorial candidate and State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.
Hamos and Coulson's rivals have attempted to dismiss some of those endorsements by state officials saying both women were only garnering the support of friends they served with as lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly. One of those critics, Seals, who narrowly lost to Kirk in the last two elections, has the backing of the New Trier and Wheeling township Democratic organizations, State Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-33rd), State Rep. Mark Walker (D-66th), Palatine Township Democratic Committeewoman Sue Walton and former Wheeling Village President Shelia Schultz.
In his last run for office, Barack Obama recorded a radio commercial backing Seals in the general election and Michelle Obama held a general election fundraiser for him in Glenview. The president and first lady have not made any endorsements in this race.
Even though Republican Dold does not have as many endorsements, he has the backing of the New Trier Township, Elk Grove Township and Vernon Township Republican organizations, Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica and recently received the endorsement of former Vice President Dan Quayle.
The rest of the field of candidates has few endorsements. Democrat Elliot Richardson has the backing of former State Sen. Howard Carroll and endorsements from several small periodicals, Arie Friedman has the backing of WLS-AM radio host Tom Roeser and a number of influential conservative bloggers and Paul Hamann and Dick Green have none listed.
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