Five Candidates in Primary to Challenge 4-term Dick Durbin, Two Independents in November
Haven’t done a lot of coverage for the U.S. Senate race in next year’s election, for the significant reason 4-term Democratic incumbent Senator Dick Durbin is seeking a 5th term and he’s unopposed in the Democratic primary.
And frankly, barring a catastrophic health issue or death, Durbin is heavily favored to win a 5th term in order to serve well into his 80s. Currently the #2 Democrat in the Senate and passed over for party leader, he feels he has another term in him.
Throughout the year, nine Republicans filed papers with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and a 10th prospective candidate said he would and never did. After December 2nd, the last day to file petitions, only five Republican candidates filed for the primary, and here they are in ballot order.
Clicking the Republicans’ names will link to their respective campaign websites:
Former 3-term Lake County Sheriff Mark C. Curran, Jr. won the lottery against one other candidate to be at the top of the ballot.
Curran lost his reelection bid last year when Lake County turned very blue.
At the outset, Curran appears to be the closest to an “establishment” candidate of any of the five Republicans.
Curran announced his candidacy in mid August and filed his FEC paperwork on August 19.
Through September 30, Curran raised just under $30,000 with a little over $23,000 cash-on-hand.
He also has the most endorsements, including:
- DuPage County Auditor & 6th Congressional District State Central Committeeperson Bob Grogan
- DuPage County Coroner Rich Jorgensen
- Former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan
- Former Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti
- Former State Senator Michael Connelly
- Former State Senator Dave Milner
- Lake County Republican Party Executive Committee
The first of two retired medical doctors, Dr. Tom Tarter from Springfield is one of two downstate Republicans running.
Dr. Tarter is a favorite with many local conservatives, and late last month, the Sangamon County Republican Party’s Executive Committee endorsed his candidacy in the U.S. Senate race.
Early last month, Dr. Tarter spoke at an event hosted by conservatives in Huntley, and the video is below courtesy of the Dundee Township Republican Organization:
Know hardly anything about this candidate and his campaign website says little.
Casey Chlebek filed his FEC paperwork in late August, but did not file a campaign disclosure report for the 3rd quarter.
Apart from his genuine pride for his Polish-American ancestry, as he was born in Poland, thus far, not much to distinguish himself from the other candidates.
The other downstate candidate, Peggy Hubbard is running.
Her background is very unique, like many strong women working for President Trump, including one of his senior advisers.
She does have the support of local A.B.A.T.E. membership since she is a Harley rider herself.
Hubbard has been in the U.S. Senate race the longest of all of the candidates, filing her FEC paperwork back in mid February. She also raised the most money, through September 30, at just under $45,000.
As of September 30, her cash on hand was $21,398.
Perennial candidate Dr. Robert Marshall is running again for the U.S. Senate. He’s been running for federal office since the 1990s.
Marshall served as a village board member in Berwyn and was the 1998 Republican nominee for Congress in the 3rd district losing to then Congressman Bill Lipinski.
Dr. Marshall filed his candidacy with the FEC in late May, and through September 30, his cash-on-hand was a little over $30,000, which makes him the money leader based on cash-on-hand.
Dr. Marshall spoke at the Dundee Township Republican picnic in early September, and his video is here:
Algonquin Independent U.S. Senate Bid
As Dr. Marshall’s video pointed out, he believes the Independent candidacy of Chicago mayoral hopeful Willie Wilson will put the U.S. Senate race against Senator Durbin into play by potentially drawing away votes from Durbin.
Wilson has to make it to the ballot, and those petitions are due in the summer.
And a 2nd Independent candidate announced in late October he was running for the U.S. Senate
Patrick Feges announced his candidacy in late October and filed his FEC paperwork on November 21.
Like Wilson, Feges will have to get on the ballot as an Independent, and the more significantly higher petition signature requirements.
Two years ago, Feges announced he would run for Congress in the 6th congressional district as an Independent, but did not make it to the ballot.
Therefore, unless he makes it to the ballot and in spite of his living just across the county line in Algonquin, McHenry County Blog is introducing him now and will see if he does something to get our attention in the future.
Given his track record from 2018, he needs to make it to the ballot first.
I met Peggy at a Republican event.
Huge energy and an engaging personality.
She will be fun to watch.
There is a candidate running as an independent who will drain a significant portion of the chicgo black vote which might siphon off enough from Durbin to make this a winnable race for Republicans.
Peggy is a Carole Mosley Braun flash in the pan. “Vote for me, I’m black!”
I agree with Cro Mag.
If you read Peg’s many public pronouncements, its race, race, and race-all the time.
Meanwhile, we are supposed to accept that she had the bad judgement to vote for Obama not just once but TWICE-long after Barack’s hard Left progressive stances were well proven.
Haven’t we had enough of IL Republicans who fly false flags and end up burning us in the end?
If you watch her videos she frequently asks what Durbin is “doing” for poor black communities like East Saint Louis and seems to blame him for the city’s woes.
It’s like she wants Durbin to send more money or something
Senators don’t have magic wands to fix broken communities; part of that lies on the people in the community, e.g. not having the homicide rate of a third-world country.
With regard to Peggy Hubbard, I just wanted to point out that A.B.A.T.E. membership is not exclusive to Harley riders
It is open to, and supports the rights of ALL motorcyclists.
Durbin is from East St. Louis.