GOP race to unseat U.S. Rep. Casten could take a turn
As Republican Evelyn Sanguinetti rolls out big new endorsements in her effort to challenge the incumbent Democratic congressman, there's talk Jeanne Ives may jump in the contest.
Greg Hinz
WTTW News/Dot Ward Inc.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, left, and former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti
If the GOP establishment has anything to say about it, former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti will be the party's nominee to take on freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten next year in the west suburban 6th District. But the establishment may not have the final word.
The Sanguinetti campaign today rolled out a new round of endorsements from party brass. The list is mostly focused on DuPage County, the core of the district.
Despite this, I'm still hearing chatter that former gubernatorial hopeful Jeanne Ives is planning to enter the race, perhaps as soon as this weekend. An Ives candidacy would amount to a surrogate rerun of her contest against former Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has endorsed Sanguinetti. Ives hasn't been returning phone calls.
Among new endorsements for Sanguinetti: U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon; former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk; former U.S. Rep Judy Biggert of Hinsdale; former Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood; and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, who also heads the county's Republican organization. Notably absent is the man Casten unseated: former U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, who likely is considered damaged goods at this point. But a Sanguinetti spokesman says some other big names, notably from Cook County Republicans, will be released later.
Look for immigration policy and Donald Trump to be huge issues next year if Sanguinetti indeed is the nominee. She and Casten already have clashed over his decision to support the opening of a Trump impeachment inquiry.
Asked about the president's tweets over the weekend, in which he said of four Democratic congresswomen, "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came," the spokesman for Sanguinetti, who is the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant and a Cuban refugee, said she has no comment.
4 p.m. update: Here's some news that isn't exactly great for Sanguinetti: Casten just reported raising $738,000 in the quarter ended June 30, leaving his campaign with $900,000 in the bank. Sanguinetti reported raising $104,000 in the quarter.