While the rest of the nation zigged in the Democratic direction, my district (IL-18) zagged and elected a Republican to an open seat. My guess is you'll be hearing a lot about him.
Aaron Schock, hailed by his predecessor Ray LaHood as the new "poster child" for the GOP, is set to become the youngest member of Congress at 27. His story is the stuff of legend, to paraphrase Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis. Schock ran at 19 to become a member of the District 150 School Board in Peoria and later became it's president. Granted, the president's spot is on a rotational basis, but that part gets conveniently skipped over when reciting his rise, as is the messy firing of a superintendent that Schock helped install and the fact that the District was still a huge mess when he left for the General Assembly.
As a State Representative, Schock earned a reputation for working hard for his constituents and getting things done in the Capitol. Where this reputation came from I don't know. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but up to this point I've yet to hear what any of these accomplishments specifically were, and I've looked. All of his supporters praise him the same non-specific way (after a while it brings to mind the phrase from The Manchurian Candidate - "Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.") and no one seems to question it.
Case in point. Here's a video from one of his campaigns. I challenge you to find one specific accomplishment mentioned:
As luck would have it (and for Aaron luck comes calling quite often), Ray LaHood announced his retirement from Congress last year and Schock seized upon the opportunity like a pit bull on a pork roast. Yes, the state GOP had just spend a bundle getting him re-elected to his state seat a few months previous, but sometimes ambition has to take priority. Not that Schock ever appears ambitious when facing the media. No, he fretted over the tough fight ahead in the general election while quietly setting up a Leadership PAC (called the Generation Y Leadership PAC) and using it to donate $80,000 to other GOP candidates. Some of this money, by the way, came from a fundraiser held by Schock with George W. Bush as the guest of honor.
Anyhow, he's now on the national stage and I think today's appearance on MSNBC will be the first of many. Move over Eric Cantor (who donated money to Schock's campaign, incidentally), you've got company!