Topinka tells GOP: I'll run for governor

[Walt Starr]

TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE
Topinka tells GOP: I'll run for governor

By Rick Pearson
Tribune political reporter
Published November 7, 2005


State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka has told leading Republicans that she intends to run for governor, dramatically recasting the GOP's prospects for capturing an office it had held for a quarter of a century, sources familiar with the decision said Sunday.

Topinka's move ends weeks of political indecision and personal introspection as she weighed whether to seek a fourth term as treasurer, a post she would be the odds-on favorite to win, or risk a more brutal fight for the state's top job.

A decision to run in the March 21 Republican primary also could lead to a reshaping of the current GOP field for governor, in which five men have announced or are considering a run. Four of them are social conservatives; Topinka is a social moderate.

<snip>

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0511070247nov07,1,736732.story?coll=chi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

This is bad news for Illinois Democrats and I expect this governor seat to go from blue to red should Topinka be nominated.

Rod Blagojevich is embroiled in scandals within his administration and his approval rating in the state is nearly as low as Bush's is in the nation. Fitzgerald has been investigating his administration and it doesn't look good. On top of that, the only potential threat to Blagojevich in the primaries won't run against him, so he has a clear field for the nomination.

The only chance that Blagojevich has is the fact that Topinka is pro-choice, so the whacko base of the GOP in Illinois might nominate a far-right mouthbreather that would be unacceptable overall to Illinois, thus resulting in a protest vote against the whacko.

Unfortunately, I expect Topinka to get the nomination. Since the IL GOP crashed and burned after the Ryan fiasco, she is the single most influential Republican in the state and is the only Republican holding a statewide office at the current time.

Watch this state flip.

Developing...

[truebrit71]

1. The Illinois Dems need to come up with another candidate...

...and sharpish....

Blago was a bad choice to begin with, and will be a liability come the next election.

His connections with "the machine" and with his father-in-law, plus murmurings about associations with other ne'er-do-wells will only weigh him down, and if Topinka gets the rethuglican nod, the governorship will be up for grabs...

[Walt Starr]

2. As it looks now, at best there will be token opposition

I fully expect a Republican governor to be elected next year, unless the whackos get out in force during the primary and nominate Oberweis.

[madrchsod]

5. copterman?

they must have someone better than him...to bad we have a closed primary hell i`d love to vote for topinka..if it wasn`t for hastret i`d change my primary vote

[madrchsod]

3. the right wing hates her guts

the only problem i see with her is her "cigarette voice"..just what is the difference between her and any democrat she`d run against? unless blago comes up clean i`m going to vote for topinka

[RaRa]

4. Yeah but

she's guilty by association. Since Clinton's inmpeachment, I've sworn off EVER voting republican, no matter how small or local the candidate. She could be a perfect angel, but to join THAT party, you stink by the ocmpany you keep. The whole idea of these two running makes me ill. If only the Dems could come up with someone else. But Blago has a huge war chest, from what I've read.

[madrchsod]

6. ya i know..

the only salvation i have over here is that may state rep is a liberal republican. he`s so good the democrats won`t run anyone against...

by the way- have you seen any of those indians denny got 49,000 dollars from?