Election shifts political dynamics

The November election has rearranged the political dynamics. The stubborn problems of the economy, health care and education are about to be attacked — again. Will gridlock crumble under the changes? The Republicans won a majority of Illinois Senate seats, giving Gov. Jim Edgar one legislative chamber controlled by his party. But countering that change is the Democrats' winning the White House and just about everything else in Illinois.

Bill Clinton won the presidency, carrying Illinois with 48 percent of the vote (George Bush got only 35 percent, Ross Perot 17 percent). Carol Moseley Braun of Chicago is Illinois' new U.S. senator and the first African-American woman in the U.S. Senate. She trounced Republican Richard S. Williamson of Kenilworth, 53 percent to 43 percent. She takes over Alan J. Dixon's seat as Illinois second Democratic U.S. senator, joining Illinois' senior Democratic U.S. senator, Paul Simon of Makanda.

The majority of the reduced Illinois delegation to the U.S. House is still Democratic, 12-8, but Republicans succeeded in gaining the seat formerly held by Lynn Martin of Loves Park in northern Illinois' 16th District: Republican Donald Manzullo of Egan beat the Democratic incumbent, freshman U.S. Rep. John W. Cox Jr. of Galena. The 16 other Illinois congressional incumbents on the general election ballot won reelection, including powerhouses like Republican House Leader Bob Michel (18-Peoria) and Democrat Dan Rostenkowski (5-Chicago), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. With "change" the rallying cry, perhaps another plus for the Illinois Democratic delegation is its three brand-new faces: Bobby L. Rush (1-Chicago), Mel Reynolds (2-Chicago) and Luis V. Guiterrez (4-Chicago).

Expectations are high that the new Congress will open a window for change, backing Clinton strategies to improve the economy and a health care situation where too many Americans are priced out of the system.

Meanwhile in Illinois Gov. Edgar, like every other Republican governor, has lost that insider edge in national policy and pork that goes with having a Republican in the White House. That Illinois advantage now goes to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and other Illinois Democrats who stuck with Clinton, from the early troubles in his campaign to final victory.

For Edgar, his plans for change during his first two years as governor have usually been stymied by the Democrats in control of the General Assembly (not unlike Bush trying to push his policies through Congress) and a continuing disappointing performance by the economy. Yet Illinois government has not been exactly in gridlock. While each move forward or backwards on any issue in Illinois is weighed for its political effects (Democrats and Republicans alike want to win the next election), Edgar has stuck to a fairly straightforward strategy of attempting to control spending and not increasing general taxes.

The Democrats have stuck to their strategy, too: to not do anything that makes Edgar and the Republicans look like winners. But when Edgar appeared ready last spring to deal with Daley and the Democrats on the Lake Calumet site for a third Chicago airport, it was Senate Minority Leader James "Pate" Philip (23, Wood Dale) who refused to budge. He wants a new airport for the region, but not in the city of Chicago.

Now Philip seems assured of the Senate presidency with his Republican majority, 32 seats to the Democrats 27, and speculation centers on exactly how well he and Edgar will work together. Both Philip and House Minority Leader Lee A. Daniels (46, Elmhurst) are suburban Republicans (elected from DuPage County districts), while Gov. Edgar is a downstater, raised in Charleston. Also in the equation, of course, is House Speaker Michael J. Madigan of Chicago (his district number changed from 30 to 26). Democrats maintained a strong majority in the House, 67 seats to the Republicans

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51, even though the new districts were drawn by the Republican-controlled redistricting commission.

The election also affected the courts and Democratic party influence. Clinton as president will fill federal judgeships; traditionally the president seeks nominees sponsored by the senior senator of his party — Sen. Dixon in Illinois. Illinois judges are not appointed, but the November 3 results kept the state Supreme Court at four Democrats to three Republicans. The first woman justice was elected: Democrat Mary Ann. G. McMorrow of Chicago (to the seat from Cook County vacated by Democrat William G. Clark). Also elected were Democrat Moses W. Harrison of Caseyville in the 5th District (for the seat left vacant by the late Horace L. Calvo, a Democrat) and Republican John L. Nickels of Maple Park in the 2nd District (for the seat vacated by Republican Thomas J. Moran).

Odds are better than even that the Illinois Supreme Court will hear the lawsuit challenging the state's education funding system before the legislature takes action on revamping funding for schools. The task force working on education funding has not reached consensus. And the proposed constitutional amendment on education funding failed to be ratified. It did gain 58 percent of the vote in the November election, but two other statewide questions got greater support: The amendment guaranteeing victims' rights was ratified with 80 percent of the vote; 81 percent of voters said — on an advisory question — that the state should stop placing mandates on local government without providing funds.

One last word on political dynamics. The Democratic party swept the three seats on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, and the top vote-getter was incumbent Judith Calder of Chicago with 1,179,493. (These are unofficial votes.) Clinton got 2,378,932 Illinois votes; Braun topped that with 2,554,801. For Republicans, the top vote-getter in Illinois was Williamson with 2,107,428, followed by University of Illinois trustee incumbent David Downey of Champaign with 1,784,970, and next came Bush with 1,717,834. For the record, the education amendment also beat Bush with 1,866,918 votes.d

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