Illinois has it's share of "spoiler" possibilities. CD8 has incumbent Melissa Bean challenged by not only a Republican but a dissident Democrat.
Richard Whitney recently announced a run for the governor's seat as a Green.
Now in the same race we learn an independent is considering a run in the same governor's race.
Illinois has the power to pass Instant Runoff Voting which would end all these plurality victory possibilities. The "spoiler" problem will be there till IRV legislation is passed.
Illinois and the following states the Democrats have the power to pass the legislation. It doesn't require national action.
The states where the Democrats have both governor and legislature or veto-proof legislature are: Al, Ark, Ct, Ha, Il, La, Me, Ma, Md, Mont, NJ, NM, NC, RI, Vt, WV, Wa; and Iowa, Tenn are a couple of legislative seats away. Ca needs a Democratic governor or a few seats in each house.
So far Illinois Democrats have relied on crushing 3rd parties, and making it impossible to get on the ballot. Is that a good strategy?
Is it time for Illinois to open up its democracy?
Chicago Sun-Times
Meeks seeking GOP support in bid for gov
March 29, 2006
BY DAVE MCKINNEY, FRAN SPIELMAN AND TRACY SWARTZ Staff Reporters
State Sen. James Meeks asked a former Republican gubernatorial candidate to back his possible bid for governor Tuesday, while Mayor Daley defended Gov. Blagojevich's record on behalf of African Americans after an ultimatum from several black aldermen.
Flirting with a third-party run for governor, the South Side pastor approached conservative state Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) about supporting his potential campaign, but he got a thumbs-down from the third-place finisher in last week's GOP primary.
"I've already committed my support to Judy in writing, and I'm a man of my words," Brady said, referring to Republican gubernatorial nominee Judy Baar Topinka.
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Brady predicted his mainly Downstate backers would not embrace a Meeks candidacy, not because of racial considerations but because of distrust of Chicago politicians eager to steer state resources the city's way.
Brady also said he believes Meeks is trying to leverage legislation and funding commitments from the Blagojevich administration, even though Meeks seems convincing about challenging the incumbent governor.
'It's about playing the game'
"He sounds serious," Brady said. "But I think at the end of the day, it's about playing the game."
Undaunted, Meeks hinted that his political courtship of conservative Republicans may not stop with Brady and could extend to the GOP primary's runner-up, Aurora dairy owner and investor Jim Oberweis.
"I'd be glad to have a conversation with Mr. Oberweis. I'd be glad to have a conversation with everybody who believes in the right to life and the sanctity of marriage," Meeks said.
At City Hall, Mayor Daley tried to quell criticism directed at Blagojevich from the pro-Meeks City Council Black Caucus, saying the governor has done all he can during tight budget times to deliver for black voters whose support was pivotal to his 2002 election.
Black aldermen met earlier this week with Meeks, a Democrat elected to the Senate as an independent, and agreed to back a third-party campaign for governor by Meeks unless Blagojevich commits billions of dollars over the next four years to public schools, job training and other issues of concern to African Americans.
"Gov. Blagojevich has done a lot for this state. A lot of things have happened in four years across the board -- in the African-American community, the Hispanic community, the Asian community -- every community. He's worked very, very hard on this," the mayor said.
Gov's aides meet with senator
"I can disagree with him, which I have. But, I think he's done a very good job. He's the first Democrat elected in 25 years. You have to give him credit for it," Daley said. "Everybody wants more money, [but] he understands that education is the top priority in the entire state."
Top Blagojevich aides moved to drive home the governor's support for key black issues by privately meeting with Meeks and fellow members of the Legislative Black Caucus at the Statehouse to discuss legislation to boost black involvement in state public works projects and help former prisoners re-establish themselves after they are released.
After the two-hour meeting, Meeks said the governor's office seems committed to legislation on those issues before the General Assembly's expected spring adjournment next month but said he was not dissuaded from running for governor.
"My running for governor has absolutely nothing to do with those two pieces of legislation. Those are not the fundamental components of my wish list. The fundamental components of my wish list have to do with resources for the African-American community and expanding the governor's commitment to education and how it's going to be funded over the next four years," said Meeks, who is seeking a $6 billion school-funding commitment from the governor.