Skip to content

Illinois: Davis Decides He Will Run for Another Term

Rep. Danny Davis (D) announced Monday that he will run for re-election instead of running for president of the Cook County Board in 2010.

Davis announced he was running for board president in June, and even though he insisted he was focused on the county race, the Congressman circulated nominating petitions for both the local office and re-election to his House seat. Davis filed for both races last week, but he announced Monday morning — the final day to remove petitions under state law — that he would seek an eighth term.

“Notwithstanding the fact that I have filed the most signatures, have the best standing in all of the polling data that I have seen, have the broadest base of support and have the largest network of volunteers, I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for President of the Cook County Board and instead will run for re-election to represent the greatest Congressional district in America, the 7th district of Illinois,— Davis said in a statement.

Several candidates, including a handful of local officeholders, had filed to run for Davis’ seat. According to online records filed with the state of Illinois, only one candidate has withdrawn her name from the race so far. Other candidates, including Alderman Sharon Dixon and real estate businessman Jim Ascot, have said they would stay in the race no matter what Davis decided.

Hamos First to Go on the Air in 10th District

State Rep. Julie Hamos (D) is the first candidate to hit TV airwaves in the open-seat contest to succeed Rep. Mark Kirk (R), although local reports say the Democrat only bought $19,500 in airtime.

Hamos, who is running in the Feb. 2 primary against marketing consultant Dan Seals, aired her first advertisement over the weekend through a very small ad buy that only covered select parts of the district, according to her campaign. Hamos must overcome the huge name identification advantage held by Seals, who was the party’s nominee in 2006 and 2008.

Hamos had more than $490,000 in the bank at the end of September, and she used a small portion of that to fund her first spot, “The Time Has Come,— on cable networks in the district. The ad focuses on the health care reform debate that has been raging in Congress.

“I’m Julie Hamos. The time has come for every American to have quality, affordable health care,— she says in the ad. “We finally have a chance to make that happen with a comprehensive package that includes a public option so that everyone has an affordable choice for health insurance, no matter what. We have to let Congress know that real health care reform demands a public option. Let’s not let this moment in history pass us by.—

Several Republicans are also running for Kirk’s seat, including state Rep. Beth Coulson and businessmen Dick Green and Bob Dold.

Recent Stories

Capitol Lens | O’s face

Mayorkas impeachment headed to Senate for April 11 trial

Muslim American appeals court nominee loses Democratic support

At the Races: Lieberman lookback

Court says South Carolina can use current congressional map

Joseph Lieberman: A Capitol life in photos