Illinois's 14th congressional district special election, 2008
Encyclopedia
After the resignation of Republican Party
United States Congressman Dennis Hastert
from his Illinois's 14th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives
on November 26, 2007, a special election was held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 110th United States Congress
.
Governor of Illinois
Rod Blagojevich
set the special election date for March 8, 2008. The Democratic and Republican parties held special primary elections on February 5, 2008. Democrat
Bill Foster
won the election on March 8, 2008.
officially began his campaign on September 19, 2007. Rudy Clai officially entered the race on October 7, but withdrew less than a month later, citing dysfunction within the Illinois Republican Party
.
The race was very competitive between Lauzen and Oberweis. On January 15, 2008, they debated at Aurora University
. During the debate, Oberweis raised questions regarding International Profit Associates, a company that donated $100,000 to Lauzen's campaign and was being investigated for widespread sexual harassment and fraud.
The Chicago Tribune endorsed Oberweis, stating that had a better command on national issues. Dennis Hastert endorsed Oberweis on December 13, and Kevin Burns subsequently withdrew his candidacy. Lauzen received endorsements from the Aurora Beacon News, the Kane County Chronicle
, the DeKalb Daily Chronicle and the Chicago Daily Herald.
, attacked Foster on his various political stances. Foster, with $1.8 million of his own money and an additional $1 million provided by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
, countered that Oberweis had employed illegal immigrants in his retail stores.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
appeared in a television ad for Foster that ran immediately prior to the special election. John McCain
endorsed Oberweis.
endorsed Bill Foster for the seat in its March 4, 2008 edition based on Oberweis' history of "nasty, smug, condescending ... and dishonest" campaigning, and Foster's position that he would be a Blue Dog Democrat
. The Chicago Sun-Times
endorsed Oberweis as "forceful and informed", painting Foster as "poorly informed" and unable to discuss specific issues in depth.
Observers cited several factors explaining Foster's victory, including rapid suburbanization of Kane
and Kendall
Counties, Foster's position regarding the expansion of health-care and his support of immigration-reform, including a path to citizenship, and Lauzen's refusal to endorse Oberweis following the Republican primary. In contrast, Oberweis' campaign tactics were criticized, including the over use of mass mailings and automated phone calls to remind voters of the special election. Reporter John Fund of The Wall Street Journal
pointed to the failure of Lauzen to endorse Oberweis, Hastert's preference for "self-funded" but unskilled candidates, and local reviews that the NRCC ads were "nasty," "stupid," "largely incomprehensible" and "factless" as additional reasons why Foster won the seat. By contrast, Fund noted that the Democratic party spent much of its funding on an ad featuring Obama touting Foster's credentials as a physicist and problem-solver.
Governor Rod Blagojevich
had scheduled the special election for Saturday, March 8 in an attempt to increase voter turnout. However, the election drew a low voter turnout, with only 22 percent of registered voters participating.
Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April due to the need to count absentee ballots before the election would be certified, he took the oath of office on March 11. On his first day in office he cast the deciding vote to keep from tabling an ethics bill that would create an independent outside panel to investigate ethics complaints against House members.
Foster's victory was the first time a House seat flipped parties in a special election since Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin won the open South Dakota
at-large seat of Republican Bill Janklow
in June 2004.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Congressman Dennis Hastert
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
from his Illinois's 14th congressional district seat in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on November 26, 2007, a special election was held to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the 110th United States Congress
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
.
Governor of Illinois
Governor of Illinois
The Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
set the special election date for March 8, 2008. The Democratic and Republican parties held special primary elections on February 5, 2008. Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Bill Foster
Bill Foster (Illinois politician)
George William "Bill" Foster is a physicist and businessman, and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2008 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
won the election on March 8, 2008.
Candidates
- Bill FosterBill Foster (Illinois politician)George William "Bill" Foster is a physicist and businessman, and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2008 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
, physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and business owner - John Laesch, 2006United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2006The 2008 congressional elections in Missouri were held on November 7, 2006 to determine who will represent the state of Illinois in the United States House of Representatives....
Democratic candidate for Congress - Jotham Stein, attorney
Results
Candidates
- Jim Oberweis, 2002United States Senate election in Illinois, 2002The United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin won re-election to a second term.- Candidates :*John H. Cox, businessman*Jim Durkin, State Rep.*James D. Oberweis, businessman...
Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, 2004United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004The 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald decided to retire after one term. The Democratic and Republican primary elections were held in March, which included a total of 15 candidates who combined to spend a...
Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, 2006Illinois gubernatorial election, 2006The Illinois gubernatorial election of 2006 occurred on November 7, 2006. The Governor of Illinois, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, won re-election for a four-year term scheduled to have ended on January 10, 2011. However, Blagojevich was impeached in 2009...
Republican candidate for Governor, owner of Oberweis DairyOberweis DairyOberweis Dairy, headquartered in North Aurora, Illinois, is the parent company of several dairy-related operations in the midwest region of the United States... - Chris LauzenChris LauzenChristopher J. Lauzen is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992, has been re-elected to the State Senate in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010, and ran for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and Congress in 2008...
, Illinois State Senator
Campaign
Chris LauzenChris Lauzen
Christopher J. Lauzen is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992, has been re-elected to the State Senate in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010, and ran for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and Congress in 2008...
officially began his campaign on September 19, 2007. Rudy Clai officially entered the race on October 7, but withdrew less than a month later, citing dysfunction within the Illinois Republican Party
Illinois Republican Party
The Illinois Republican Party is the state-level affiliate of the Republican Party in Illinois. Since August 20, 2009, it has been chaired by Pat Brady...
.
The race was very competitive between Lauzen and Oberweis. On January 15, 2008, they debated at Aurora University
Aurora University
Aurora University is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Illinois, 40 miles west of Chicago, Illinois. Additional university locations include the George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wisconsin and the Woodstock Center in Woodstock, Illinois...
. During the debate, Oberweis raised questions regarding International Profit Associates, a company that donated $100,000 to Lauzen's campaign and was being investigated for widespread sexual harassment and fraud.
The Chicago Tribune endorsed Oberweis, stating that had a better command on national issues. Dennis Hastert endorsed Oberweis on December 13, and Kevin Burns subsequently withdrew his candidacy. Lauzen received endorsements from the Aurora Beacon News, the Kane County Chronicle
Kane County Chronicle
Kane County Chronicle is a daily newspaper serving Kane County, Illinois.-Market:The Kane County Chronicle serves central Kane County, located in the Fox Valley region of Illinois, about 40 miles west of Chicago.-History:...
, the DeKalb Daily Chronicle and the Chicago Daily Herald.
Results
Negative advertisement campaign
The race for the 14th district was marked by intense negative campaigning between the regular primary elections of February 5 and the special elections of March 8. Oberweis, with $2.3 million of his own money and an additional $1 million provided by the National Republican Congressional CommitteeNational Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
, attacked Foster on his various political stances. Foster, with $1.8 million of his own money and an additional $1 million provided by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
, countered that Oberweis had employed illegal immigrants in his retail stores.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
appeared in a television ad for Foster that ran immediately prior to the special election. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
endorsed Oberweis.
Endorsements
The Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
endorsed Bill Foster for the seat in its March 4, 2008 edition based on Oberweis' history of "nasty, smug, condescending ... and dishonest" campaigning, and Foster's position that he would be a Blue Dog Democrat
Blue Dog Democrat
The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs, is a group of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates....
. The Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
endorsed Oberweis as "forceful and informed", painting Foster as "poorly informed" and unable to discuss specific issues in depth.
Results
The election of Foster over Oberweis ended a 20 year Republican streak of holding the seat. The election of Foster also brought speculation that Republicans would lose three more seats up for re-election in the November general election, resulting in a 14–5 Democratic advantage in Congress for Illinois.Observers cited several factors explaining Foster's victory, including rapid suburbanization of Kane
Kane County, Illinois
Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
and Kendall
Kendall County, Illinois
Kendall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,736, which is an increase of 110% from 54,544 in 2000. It was the fastest-growing county in the United States between the years 2000 and...
Counties, Foster's position regarding the expansion of health-care and his support of immigration-reform, including a path to citizenship, and Lauzen's refusal to endorse Oberweis following the Republican primary. In contrast, Oberweis' campaign tactics were criticized, including the over use of mass mailings and automated phone calls to remind voters of the special election. Reporter John Fund of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
pointed to the failure of Lauzen to endorse Oberweis, Hastert's preference for "self-funded" but unskilled candidates, and local reviews that the NRCC ads were "nasty," "stupid," "largely incomprehensible" and "factless" as additional reasons why Foster won the seat. By contrast, Fund noted that the Democratic party spent much of its funding on an ad featuring Obama touting Foster's credentials as a physicist and problem-solver.
Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
had scheduled the special election for Saturday, March 8 in an attempt to increase voter turnout. However, the election drew a low voter turnout, with only 22 percent of registered voters participating.
Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April due to the need to count absentee ballots before the election would be certified, he took the oath of office on March 11. On his first day in office he cast the deciding vote to keep from tabling an ethics bill that would create an independent outside panel to investigate ethics complaints against House members.
Foster's victory was the first time a House seat flipped parties in a special election since Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin won the open South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
at-large seat of Republican Bill Janklow
Bill Janklow
William John "Bill" Janklow served as the 25th Attorney General of South Dakota, before being elected as South Dakota's 27th and 30th Governor, as well as to the United States House of Representatives where he served for a little more than a year. A Republican, Janklow's career has continued as a...
in June 2004.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2008United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Illinois were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who would represent the state of Illinois in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections...
- Louisiana's 6th congressional district special election, 2008Louisiana's 6th congressional district special election, 2008The February 2, 2008 resignation of Republican Richard Baker triggered a special election for Louisiana's 6th district. In anticipation of this election, party qualifying occurred before Baker's resignation. The timeline mirrored that of the 2008 special election for the 1st congressional district...
- Mississippi's 1st congressional district special election, 2008Mississippi's 1st congressional district special election, 2008The 2008 Mississippi 1st congressional district special election was a special election in the state of Mississippi to determine who would serve the remainder of former Representative Roger Wicker's term...