Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
| Subscribe Now Customer Service Place an Ad Become a Carrier Contact Us About Us Mobile Edition E-Mail Updates Report Cancellation Submit Milestone
|
 |
 |
|
Weather  Calendar Obituaries Classifieds Jobs Autos Homes Rentals Coupons Ad Center Gift Finder |
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
|
Home News Sports
Free Time Life Money Nation/World Opinion Blogs/Columns Archives Site Map |
| NewsThursday, October 18, 2007 1:06 PM CDT |
 Comments (0) |  E-mail this page |  Print this page |  Enlarge type |  Reduce type |  Search archives |  RSS feeds |  Add to My Yahoo! |
LaHood plans to endorse possible successor
SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood said Wednesday he may endorse one of the Republicans vying to replace him before the primary in February. The seven-term Republican is retiring in 2008, and LaHood said he’s fielded calls from throughout the 18th Congressional District from people wanting to know who he’s supporting. So far, he hasn’t picked from the three Republicans: Heartland Partnership President Jim McConoughey, former Peoria City Council member John Morris or state Rep. Aaron Schock. “I’m going to see how the Republicans’ campaigns develop, how the fundraising develops,” LaHood said. The 18th District spans Central Illinois, including parts of Woodford and Tazewell counties, areas just north of Decatur and the Peoria region. Many times, incumbents won’t side with a potential successor until the party has picked a nominee in the primary. But LaHood said he might do just that in the next couple months, once he learns more about all three. “I think that will be pretty well established by December, or certainly January,” he said. Campaign finance records released this week show that LaHood gave $2,000 each to McConoughey and Morris to help their efforts. Even though Schock is already widely known as a candidate, LaHood said he’ll do the same for Schock once he officially announces. On the Democratic side, former Bradley University and NBA basketball coach Dick Versace has committed $100,000 of his own money to get his campaign going. Because he entered the race relatively late, Versace didn’t have to report this week how much campaign cash he had on hand. But his campaign manager, Alex Pearson, confirmed Versace had already committed the $100,000. Echoing comments he’s made before, LaHood criticized Versace on Wednesday, saying that local Democrats should be disappointed with the former basketball coach as their current top candidate. “They have no starters, so to speak,” LaHood said of local Democrats. “He’s not on their first team, there’s no question about it,” he added about Versace. Pearson credited LaHood for creative basketball-related puns, but dismissed his comments. “He’s playing politics as usual,” Pearson said. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
|
||||||
|
 |
|
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
|