Election Watch 2006
A Race for the Governor's Mansion
Illinois
Governor Rod Blagojevich, the first Democrat to be elected governor of Illinois in three decades, is being challenged by Republican state treasurer, Judy Baar Topinka.
Blagojevich has held elected office since 1992. He first served in the Illinois House of Representatives and then moved on to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. When redistricting threatened his seat following the 2000 Census, Blagojevich decided to run for Governor. It was also apparent that a very unpopular incumbent, Republican Governor George Ryan, was surrounded by scandal and would be an easy target in the upcoming election. Blagojevich went on to win in 2002 with 52 % of the vote.
Topinka has held elected office in both the Illinois state House and Senate. In 1994, Topinka sought to serve on a statewide basis running for State Treasurer. She won in a close race, and went on to earn two more terms from Illinois voters, becoming the first State Treasurer to win three consecutive terms. In 2002, vote totals show she collected more votes as Treasurer than Blagojevich did as Governor. Because of her ability to attract Independent and even Democrat voters, Topinka was the lone Republican who survived a Democratic election year.
The governor’s race has not gotten much attention since the state's March 21 primaries. Topinka was forced to spend heavily to win the Republican nomination and was left at a considerable financial disadvantage going into the general election. Blagojevich sought to take advantage of that, and began running television ads attacking Topinka almost immediately after the primary. The ads, most of which included the tag line "what is she thinking?" attempted to paint Topinka as a conservative extremist on issues such as guns, as well as connect her to corrupt former Governor George Ryan. Overwhelmed by this negative advertising, Topinka has been unable to translate voters’ doubts about Blagojevich into a lead in the race for governor.
Despite spending millions of dollars on his campaign, Blagojevich leads by only 8 to 12 points in most polls. His support also remains below 50 percent. Blagojevich enjoyed high approval ratings throughout the first several years in office until 2005 when news reports appeared about alleged cronyism in his administration and favors for campaign donors. Democrats contend that Blagojevich has compiled a strong record on which to run, and they dismiss the investigations as partisan politics.
However, federal prosecutors alleged Wednesday, October 11, 2006 that Antoin "Tony" Rezko, one of Blagojevich's closest advisers and fundraisers, used his influence to seek millions of dollars in kickbacks and campaign donations from firms seeking state business. Rezko's indictment comes less than a month before voters must decide whether to re-elect Blagojevich, who won four years ago on a platform of ethics reform in the aftermath of the scandal-tarred tenure of George Ryan. The governor is not accused of any wrongdoing and the indictment does not mention him by name. But the long-rumored charges have been hanging over Blagojevich's campaign for months.
The Illinois Credit Union League has thrown its support behind Topinka, who has supported the league position on credit union tax exempt status as well as many other issues during her service in the legislature as well as her time as State Treasurer. The Illinois League is encouraging all credit unions to become actively involved in her campaign. With three weeks until Election Day, Topinka is within striking distance to win.
Kate Abel
Michigan
The race for the Michigan Governor’s mansion is amongst the most competitive statewide elections in the country. First-term Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm is defending her seat against Republican nominee Dick DeVos, former Amway executive. On November 7th, the people of Michigan will head to the polls and elect the head of the “Wolverine State”.
It is no surprise that the Michigan Governor’s race is once again a contentious contest. Like many of its Midwest neighbors, Michigan is what political analysts call “purple”. In 2004 this swing state favored John Kerry over George Bush 51%-48%. In the state legislature, the GOP has a dual-majority – Senate: 22 R / 16 D; House: 58 R / 52 D. Arguably the dominant issue on the minds of voters is the economy. Historically, Michigan was a manufacturing giant best known as the heart of the American auto industry. In the second half of the 1990’s, the auto industry transitioned from an employer of low-skill workers to hi-tech workers, and Michigan emerged as an engineering and manufacturing center. Unfortunately, in recent years, Ford and General Motors have, and continue to be, plagued by economic woes that in turn are wreaking havoc on Michigan’s jobs and economy.
Governor Jennifer Granholm was elected in 2002 to succeed the term-limited Gov. John Engler (R). Granholm was born in British Columbia, Canada, and moved to California at the age of 4. At 18 she was naturalized as a U.S. citizen and, prior to the Governor’s office, Granholm served as Michigan Attorney General.
Republican Dick DeVos was born and raised in the Grand Rapids area. DeVos is best known as a former Amway president and the husband of former state Republican Chairman Betsy DeVos. This is DeVos’s first campaign for public office.
While both Granholm and DeVos are formidable candidates and have “economic improvement plans,” Governor Granholm is the credit union candidate of choice. During her first-term in office, Granholm supported and signed into law the 2003 Credit Union Reform Act and has spoken out on CU conversions. According to the Michigan Credit Union League, Michigan credit unions have raised over $100,000 for Granholm’s campaign. In addition to conducting get-out-the-vote activities, the Michigan League has statement stuffers available endorsing Granholm. With help from the credit union movement and the building national Democratic momentum, Jennifer Granholm will be re-elected on November 7th.
Allen Chew
