Election Names                                                           

Gov. Jim Edgar, saying he kept his campaign promises to the taxpayers of Illinois by not raising income taxes and by cutting the number of state employees, announced his candidacy for a second term on November 9. Alongside Edgar in a seven-stop flyaround across the state was his wife Brenda and Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, who Edgar endorsed as his running mate. Edgar is being challenged by Kane County conservative Republican Jack Roeser of Barrington, who is unhappy with Edgar's refusal to renew his no-tax pledge. Roeser is circulating petitions — he needs 5,000 signatures by December 10 — to get on the ballot.

On the Democratic side, Jim Gierach, 49, of Palos Park, a former assistant state's attorney in Cook County, announced on November 4 his intention to run for governor. Gierach joins Dawn Clark Netsch, Roland Burris and Richard Phelan vying for the Democratic nomination in the March primary election.

In a surprise move, Phelan chose Sen. Penny Severns (D-51, Decatur) as his choice for lieutenant governor. That takes Severns out of the race for comptroller, for which she announced in October. With Severns' withdrawal. Sen. Earlean Collins (D-4, Chicago) is the only Democratic candidate as of November 29 to bid for the comptroller's seat. Severns will face Sheila Smith (see Illinois Issues, November 1993, page 32), who will run as Roland Burris' choice for lieutenant governor.

Only one Democrat, Nancy Drew Sheehan of Chicago, has announced for the treasurer's office as of November 29.

Sheehan, a commissioner with the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, plans a statewide campaign trip the first week of December, the time incumbent Treasurer Patrick Quinn says he will announce his intention to seek reelection or add his name to the growing list of candidates for governor or perhaps run for another office.

Republican Loleta Didrickson of Flossmoor, who was director of the Department of Employment Security (see "Names," page 32), announced November 4 that she is running for comptroller. Two Republicans are running for attorney general: Jim Ryan, DuPage County state's attorney, and Jeff Ladd, a McHenry County attorney. So far, Didrickson for comptroller and state Sen. Judy Baar Topinka (R-22, Riverside) for treasurer are running uncontested in the GOP primary.

Beverley Scobell