• Ben Szalinski
    OCT 25, 2024

    UNLOCKED

    McCombie revises election expectations as House GOP tries to make issue of Madigan trial

    article-image
    House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) holds a news conference in her Springfield office. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

    House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) is revising expectations for her caucus in November, saying she is “cautiously optimistic” the results will turn out well for Republicans. 

    After initially projecting this summer that Republicans would protect all 40 incumbents and pick up five new seats this fall, McCombie told reporters on Thursday she now believes House Republicans will pick up four seats, while there remain two “sleeper” districts they’re hoping can deliver a surprise.  

    “It is a challenge, especially with the disgusting campaigns that [Democrats] are running, the cookie cutter campaigns,” McCombie said.  

    In the 3rd quarter of the year, House Republicans reported the highest spending totals for Democrat-held seats in the 45th House District in DuPage County, 97th House District in Will County, 76th House District in the Starved Rock region, and 112th House District in Madison County.   

    With the corruption trial of former House speaker and Democratic Party of Illinois chair Mike Madigan leading the news in Illinois in the days leading up to Election Day, House Republicans are attempting to win over voters in key races calling attention to their opponents’ past connections to Madigan.   

    McCombie and three Republican House candidates held a news conference on Thursday to attempt to tie their opponents to Madigan, who stepped down from all his main party leadership positions more than three-and-a-half years ago. As jurors in Chicago hear how Madigan wielded influence over the House and Democratic Party, McCombie hopes it makes voters trust Republicans.   

    “The system of patronage and power did not go away when Madigan left office,” McCombie said. “Madigan’s candidates and Madigan’s systems remain in place under Speaker Welch.”  

    Madigan was ousted from power in early 2021 after falling out of favor with House Democrats over prior sexual harassment issues in the caucus and being revealed in 2020 as the target of an FBI investigation. Though 2024 is the second election with House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) as head of the House Democrats, McCombie accused Welch of deploying the same tactics being reviewed this week in federal court to inform jurors about what they say was Madigan’s absolute control over the House and its Democratic members.   

    “The remnants of his political machine are still running dishonest campaigns throughout the state,” McCombie said.   

    A spokesperson for Welch and the Democrats for the Illinois House flipped the script on McCombie for Republicans’ support of former President Donald Trump as the party’s nominee for president.  

    “Four years ago, House Democrats led the effort to elect a new Speaker for our state, create the first-ever leadership term limits in Illinois' history, and put new regulations on lobbyists,” Democrats for the Illinois House Executive Director TaQuoya McConnico said in a statement. “Meanwhile, Rep. McCombie and her party are marching in lockstep behind a 34-time convicted felon who tried to orchestrate an insurrection to hold onto power and who has repeatedly threatened violence if he doesn’t get his way this November. It’s no wonder Rep. McCombie wants to focus on the past, because her party is working full time to take us back.”   

    Though Madigan’s leadership is now two election cycles removed, McCombie and three of her candidates accused House Democrats have continuing to benefit from Madigan’s money.  

    “Every candidate running on the old Madigan money should answer for it,” McCombie said.  

    Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) criticized his opponent, former Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) for failing to break from Madigan. Jay Keeven, who is running against Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), said a prior sum of $1.5 million Stuart received throughout her career from funds previously controlled by Madigan demonstrates her loyalty to the former speaker. However, Stuart was ultimately one of 19 House Democrats who ended their support for Madigan in 2021, forcing him out of the speakership.   

    Gabby Shanahan, who is running against Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield), accused Benton of receiving $560,000 from Benton during the 2020 campaign, which Benton ultimately lost before winning in 2022 — under Welch’s leadership. Shanahan had a bigger axe to grind, however, and criticized House Democrats and Benton for running a TV commercial attacking Shanahan for receiving money from politicians who voted against the budget. Benton also voted against the budget.   

    “Benton has the nerve to run false attack ads against me claiming weak guilt by association links to his lies,” Shanahan said. “This is the Madigan playbook that we’ve seen from Benton and other candidates across the state: lie and attack because they cannot run on their record.”  

    McConnico did not respond to questions about Benton’s commercial.   

    House Republicans are getting slammed with negative TV ads run by House Democrats as Republican candidates struggle to raise money.   

    “He’s trying to make a point to again show that he has all the power,” McCombie said. “So we’re not going to compete with the money. We’re going to compete with the work ethic.” 

Be the first to comment

Comment here

Or sign in with email

    To comment on our website please login or join

    Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.