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Republicans hoping to clear field in Ill.-8
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem May 16, 2005 09:58pm |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Tuesday, May 17, 2005 03:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | By Peter Savodnik
Illinois Republicans will meet next month to begin clearing the GOP primary field in the 8th District so that a consensus candidate can be chosen to challenge Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) next year.
The strategy was revealed yesterday by Dr. William Dam, who, as the district’s GOP state Central Committee man, will play a leading role in shaping the Republican effort.
“Will there be an effort to get all parties involved, including the candidates, to work toward a consensus of who has the best chance of prevailing?” Dam said. “Yes, there is discussion along those lines.”
But the state GOP remains divided more than two years after Gov. George Ryan (R) left office engulfed by scandal, and several Republicans voiced confusion about Dam’s remarks, saying they knew of no efforts to narrow the GOP field.
David McSweeney, a former investment banker who announced last week that he would run for the House seat, and McSweeney’s campaign manager, Jim Thacker, say no one has told them anything about it.
“I’m running for the United States Congress no matter what,” McSweeney said, “Nothing is going to make me back down.”
And a competitive primary is exactly what the state party needs right now, one Illinois Republican source said.
“Clearing the field is the worst thing — the absolute worst thing,” the source argued. “It makes it so nobody has to work. … We don’t have precinct captains. Nobody’s done anything. There was no organization. If we don’t have a primary to build enthusiasm and get our nominee press and have people on the ground actually going door to door, this will be a disaster.” |
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