Last week Illinois voters chose Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich to be the state's respective republican and democratic candidates for the gubernatorial election this November. While this selection comes as little surprise—several polls leading up to the Primary saw these two as the favored front-runners all along—the ultimate victor come November is still anyone's guess. The two candidates continue to duke-it-out ideologically; ramping up the confrontation that has been taking place in Springfield since the Blagojevich administration began in 2002, and trying to steer Illinois on the path that each sees fit.
The campaign sparring began soon after winners were called last Tuesday. Not long after the ballots were counted, State Senator John Cullerton called into question a Topinka legislative decision of some 20 years ago. During a Blagojevich campaign press conference, Cullerton pointed to a letter that Topinka wrote in 1985 that, while advocating the use of seatbelts, expressed that such a law would be difficult to enforce properly. The implication being that Topinka opposed a potentially life-saving law.
Currently Topinka continues to criticize what she considers the governor's reckless spending. She told the Associate Press last week, "The governor likes to play politics and use the state resources to do that. He's got a huge war chest, which I think is highly questionable about where that came from."
Another strategic move by the Blagojevich camp is in challenging Topinka on controversial issues that the Governor has long held dear. For instance, the Governor's AllKids program, that aims to cover the medical expenses of all Illinois children, touches an issue that appeals to many voters but, because of the enormous projected cost, is something Topinka cannot fully endorse.
The Governor's recent challenge to Topinka on the issue of assault weapons works in much the same way: directly challenging the Treasurer on issues for which he's taken a firm stand in both rhetoric and policy. However, for Topinka, a resolute stance on this matter could cause rifts in her own party. The Governor wrote an open letter to Topinka encouraging her, as the only republican statewide officer holder, to help convince fellow republican lawmakers to vote for a statewide assault weapons ban.
"As you know, we are only a few votes short of passing the assault weapons ban. The legislators who should be in a position to vote for the ban are Republican legislators from the Chicago suburbs whose constituents strongly support banning assault weapons," Governor Blagojevich wrote. "I know that the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Illinois State Rifle Association are powerful special interests, but as public servants, it is our responsibility to put the safety of the people ahead of the demands of groups like the NRA and the Illinois State Rifle Association."
For the most part, Topinka's adversaries in the Republican primary, have expressed their full support for the elected party candidate; the exception being Jim Oberweis. Always trailing Topinka in the polls, the more conservative Oberweis has suggested that Topinka's sincerity for reform (a sticking point throughout his campaign) is still in question.
"I would strongly prefer to see Judy over Rod Blagojevich," Oberweis told reporters last week, neither confirming nor denying his endorsement of his fellow Republican. "…but the level of excitement, the level of my commitment will depend on the level of her commitment to reform in politics in Illinois."
Many say that some of Oberweis' campaign strategies hurt his reputation. In particular, the much mocked brain child in which Topinka's primary opponents were to draw straws (with astounding odds in Oberweis' favor) scheming to consolidate support against the Treasure's lead, was seen as silly by some. While his campaign stunts may have soured him to some during the primary, Oberweis' continuing to cast aspersions on Topinka's character after the primary is over could also hurt confidence in the Republican Party— a reputation still haunted by the ongoing investigation of former Republican Governor George Ryan.
While Blagojevich won the democratic nomination by an astounding majority in the primary— the Governor has boasted that his 70/ 30 win over democratic challenger Eisendrath came without even campaigning against him— Rev. Meek's strong hint at a third party candidacy could lead to a diversion for many who would otherwise back the incumbent governor.
But this election may see other diversions that cross age-old party lines. Laura, a resident from Matteson, has a faithfully Democratic voting history. However, this long-standing party allegiance begins to fade with the upcoming vote. "I can't believe that I might vote Republican this year," she says. Laura represents many voters who consider Topinka's socially moderate view on many issues more palatable than that of most Republican candidates.
With a school teacher husband, Laura explains that Blagojevich's 2005 state budget decision calling for paying the bills by shorting a state employees' pension fund by $1.2 billion, hurt her image of the Governor. "Both my parents were teachers and that pension really helped them when they retired," she commented.
While many are looking for a change in Springfield, one cannot deny the Governor's solid prestige as an incredibly skilled campaigner and adroit debater; proficiencies that Topinka must match to adequately confront her opponent. Many unstable factors indeed make this race tough to predict; a better picture may come when the two candidates hash it out in a more formal setting. The Governor has called for 10 debates on the way to November, with the first starting in April. Topinka has yet to accept.
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