Illinois results

There were some interesting results from the two open U.S. House districts in the Prairie State last week.

In the suburban Chicago 10th District that liberal Republican Rep. John Edward Porter is relinquishing after 20 years, his former top aide, Kenilworth attorney Mark Kirk, won the GOP nomination with a plurality over ten opponents. Considered as liberal as Porter, Kirk was helped by a strong endorsement from his former boss and by the revelation that two wealthy primary foes had made past donations to Democrats.

With national and state Democrats making the 10th a top target for a pickup, Kirk faces a stiff fall race against State Rep. Lauren Gash.

The Republican nominee in the historically GOP district where conservative Republican Rep. Tom Ewing is retiring after ten years is State Sen. Tim Johnson, a moderate who was controversial among religious conservatives for his multiple trips to the altar. In another case where the rightward vote was split, Johnson overcame two far more conservative opponents: State Rep. Bill Brady, who had the rare pre-primary blessings of House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R.-Ill.), and insuranceman Sam Ewing, son of the retiring congressman.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Mar 31, 2000
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