© 1993 The State Journal-Register, Springfield. Cartoons are by Mike
Thompson and are reprinted with permission.
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Candidates for 94 elections:
Official, unofficial
or rumored?
The words official, unofficial and rumored take on
political meanings when defining who is and isn't a
candidate in the political pecking order of the upcoming
statewide elections.
Incumbent Secy. of State George H. Ryan officially
announced his intentions on September 14 for renomination in the Republican primary. The primary elections are
March 8, still more than five months away. By September
21, neither of the other two Republican incumbents, Gov.
Jim Edgar and Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, had made any
official announcements concerning their future plans for
renomination. Republican DuPage County state's attorney Jim Ryan officially announced his intention on
August 23 to seek the state's attorney GOP nomination.
The Republican candidate for treasurer is state Sen. Judy
Baar Topinka (22, Riverside), who officially announced
August 24.
Other Republicans in the rumored category for statewide office in mid-September were — for attorney
general — Jeff Ladd, chairman of METRA community
rail board and a delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention, and — for lieutenant governor —
Loleta A. Didrickson, director of the Illinois Department
of Employment Security.
For Democrats, as of September 21, state Sen. Penny
Severns (D-51, Decatur) says she is "intending to announce" her plans for running for state treasurer. Democrat Sheila Smith of Chicago and Galena, CEO of
Advance Rubber Concepts Inc., announced August 10
that she is officially a candidate for treasurer. She is
running on the platform of changing the office to an
appointed one if she is elected. Yet the incumbent state
Treasurer Pat Quinn still had not declared whether he
was or not an official candidate for governor; neither had
Cook County Board President Richard Phelan, another
Democrat unofficially considered a candidate for governor.
On the other hand, two Democrats declared their
official candidacies for governor in August: current Atty.
Gen. Roland W. Burris and current Comptroller Dawn
Clark Netsch.
For secretary of state, two Democrats are officially
candidates: state Sen. Denny Jacobs (3 6-East Moline),
who announced September 12, and the early-bird candidate, Kane County coroner Mary Lou Kearns, who
announced June 8.
Other Democrats announcing early as official candidates for statewide office are Chicago trial lawyer Al
Hofeld for attorney general and state Sen. Earlean
Collins (4-Chicago) for comptroller.
Expect the political pecking order to be sorted out by
"the official" date for candidate petitions due at the State
Board of Elections. The last official date for filing
petitions is December 13.
James Pollock
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