Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias aims for Senate seat

[Hope And Change]

Giannoulias aims for Senate seat

2010 RACE | Focus is on fund-raising to get early start

March 3, 2009

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, 32, opens his exploratory bid for senator hoping his close association with President Obama, generational appeal, record and early start lock him in as a front-runner in what today is a very undefined field.

Giannoulias, I am told, is running no matter the election scenario or other contenders.

Last week, William Daley, the former commerce secretary and Mayor Daley's brother, floated his name in order to head off Giannoulias in securing early endorsements. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) is also considering running for the Senate.

Though there are calls for a special election to force embattled Sen. Roland Burris from office, lawmakers may have second thoughts because of the cost. The regular primary and general election is in 2010 and nominating petitions are due later this year for the February primary.

Giannoulias is figuring the primary could cost $5 million and a general election at least $15 million.

Full article here

[Thrill]

1. Not good news for the other contenders. Considering he is one of Obama's friends

[WeDidIt]

2. First with the spine to throw his hat into the ring. He now has my endorsement.

Today, I support Giannoulias for Senate. Everybody else takes a back seat in my mind. This is for a number of reasons.

1) He has the spine to throw his hat into the ring now without regard to whatever scenario he might face. That takes nerves of steel.

2) He has already proven capabilities to win a statewide election become the first Democrat to hold the Treasurer office in 12 years when he won it in 2006.

3) In 2006, Barack Obama endorsed him for the State Treasurer run.

4) Jan Schakowsky has endorsed him, and really, if Jan likes him I gotta like him.

5) He played basketball for Boston College, and that's an important skillset when Barack Obama is your president.

[Cha]

8. Thanks for this info on Giannoulias, WeDidIt.

I wanted to find out more about him.. He must be a super dynamo..
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/

[Hope And Change]

9. WOW!Thanks for that link Cha.Didn`t know he already had set up a site.

[Cha]

10. You're welcome

Hope And Change~

[WeDidIt]

3. K&R

[WI_DEM]

4. It's best not to have a Daley, I don't think he would do well downstate or in the collar counties.

[WeDidIt]

5. He already won a statewide election in 2006.

He's a proven quantity as he won by double digits (53.94% - 41.24%):

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=1...

[WI_DEM]

6. I was talking about Daley.

[WeDidIt]

7. Oh.

Daley could win outside Cook County.

[ieoeja]

11. So the regular campaign has already begun.

My response to "we should have a special election for Obama's seat" has always been that the campaign for the regular election would start before the special election ended.

Sure enough. Here we have that campaign getting started a month before the special election for Emmanuel's seat. And Emmauel's seat, in the same state, only represents 1/20th of the state. No way we were going to get a special statewide election done faster.

Hopefully the official start of the regular election will finally get this factor to sink into the brains of those still pushing for a special election.