THE ILLINOIZE: Bombs flying in battle for Bennett seat...Harmon's preference?...Budzinski "frustrated" at Speaker drama...Former Rep. Rodney Davis calls it "circus"

January 5, 2022

Good morning, Illinois.

We’re just back from a week away where we still had to jump back into Substack from the pool in Orlando a couple of times on the constitutionality ruling of the cash bail law and the stay issued by the Supreme Court late on December 31.

But, since we missed the Tuesday newsletter this week, I thought we’d just move everything to Thursday.

The House and Senate began their lame duck sessions yesterday, sort of. The House was only in for 18 minutes. The Senate was in for about an hour and neither chamber debated any legislation. The House is back this morning at 11:30 A.M. The Senate gavels in around noon.

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Let’s get to it.

AMMONS CENTER OF POLITICAL BRAWL TO REPLACE BENNETT

The battle to replace the late-Sen. Scott Bennett is only getting more divisive, angry, and racially charged as local party leaders plan a vote by the weekend to fill the two-year appointment.

Bennett, a moderate Democrat from Champaign, died December 9 from complications from a previously undiagnosed brain tumor. His wife, Dr. Stacy Bennett, agreed to fill the seat to the end of the current General Assembly (which ends next Wednesday morning.)

That means party leaders need to fill the two-year unexpired term that begins January 11. Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) represents half of Bennett’s 52nd District, but has become a lightning rod of controversy surrounding the potential appointment.

Numerous local Democrats have said they fear Ammons is “too liberal” to win a district represented by Bennett, a moderate, which not only includes the progressive Champaign-Urbana area, but more conservative areas like Rantoul and Danville.

The fight has only intensified in recent days, as Ammons’ husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, made a lengthy, racially charged Facebook post about his wife’s effort to win the appointment.

“If we, meaning Black folks, in particular Black women, are positioned to be next in the line of succession, the goal posts move,” Ammons wrote. “That means, when we meet all the qualifications, some other reason is put forth as the reason why the qualified and experienced Black woman is not chosen.”

In response, Stacy Bennett laid out four names she believed Scott would have supported for the seat, and Ammons’ name was not on the list.

“Scott emphasized the importance of integrity and honesty in everything he did. He did not appreciate it when other elected officials stretched the truth or made false statements in order to stand in the spotlight. In fact, Scott was not someone who cared about being in the spotlight,” she wrote. “In our discussions about whom he thought would be a good replacement, four names consistently came up. Scott believed these people would bring integrity, and valuable experience and perspectives to the senate, while also listening to and representing the entire district.”

Bennett listed City of Champaign Township Supervisor Andy Quarnstrom, City of Champaign Township Assessor Paul Faraci, Champaign School Board Member Gianina Baker, and City of Champaign Community Relations Manager Mary Catherine Roberson as preferred appointments. Of the applicants, only Roberson did not submit an application.

Champaign County Democratic Chairman Mike Ingram, who indicated before Christmas he was not interested in the appointment, did submit an application and recused himself from the decision making process.

Candidates spoke at a virtual public forum last night, and numerous candidates touched, either directly or indirectly, on the politically charged nature of the appointment process.

“The appointee to the late Senator Bennett’s seat must be a proven leader. They must have a history of public service and results-based service with integrity,” Quarnstrom said. “Most importantly [the chosen candidate] should have the support of the Bennett family to continue Scott’s legacy in the Illinois Senate.”

Ammons, meanwhile, argued she is the only logical candidate for the seat.

“Filling this vacancy is critical to the Democratic process,” Ammons said. “This decision will communicate to the Democratic voters of the 104th whether or not the Democrats really understand the needs of the district.”

Before he recused himself, Ingram created an advisory committee to help with the appointment. The list includes Mike Frerichs, the State Treasurer and Bennett’s predecessor in the Senate. The advisory group is expected to meet this weekend with a final appoint coming by early next week.

HARMON DOESN’T WANT AMMONS

Multiple sources tell me Senate President Don Harmon’s camp has reached out to top Champaign County Democrats indicating he does not want Rep. Carol Ammons appointed to the late Scott Bennett’s Senate seat.

Champaign County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Ingram declined to comment. A spokesman for Harmon did not return our request for comment last night (to be fair, though, we sent it late).

We’re told Harmon’s camp did not indicate a preference for the appointment other than his opposition to Ammons.

“I think he’d prefer to stick to Stacy’s selections,” one source said.

BUDZINSKI “FRUSTRATED” BY GOP SPEAKER DEBACLE

When a new congress is seated, inauguration day is supposed to be a joy-filled occasion. Usually, there are more photos than meaningful votes and lots of family on hand for more festivities than business.

Not so much this year.

Rep.-elect Nikki Budzinski, who is still just “Representative Elect” as she hasn’t formally taken the oath of office yet, is a bystander as Republicans melt down on the floor with repeated failed attempts to nominate and elect a Speaker of the House.

The Democrat from Springfield won the gerrymandered 13th Congressional District that stretches from East St. Louis to Champaign-Urbana.

“I came here to get to work,” Budzinski said as she stepped off the House floor between fruitless votes Wednesday. “We have to get through this Speaker vote before I’m sworn in and before we can determine the committees that members are going to be on. Republicans won the House in November and I think it’s time for them to govern.”

Budzinski says the drama will only frustrate people about the state of our politics.

“People back home will just see this on TV as more political noise,” she said. “People are still very much struggling with their daily lives and when people are struggling with their own lives and they see this mess on television, it just reinforces that Washington is broken.”

Budzinski and all House Democrats have continued to cast their voters for New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. While some Democrats have indicated they may be willing to help GOP speaker hopeful Kevin McCarthy get to the needed 218 votes, Budzinski says that’s not going to happen.

“Some of this drama is around the fact that Republicans have a narrow majority, but I would point out that House Democrats [had] an even slimmer majority,” she said. “We’re just waiting for the House Republicans to get their act together.”

While Budzinski hasn’t taken the oath of office, her district staff that has already been put in place has opened a district office a block from the Old State Capitol in Springfield. Her staff was able to begin work at noon Tuesday and has attempted to hit the ground running with constituent service requests collected during outgoing Rep. Rodney Davis’ term in office.

But for now, everyone votes. And votes. And votes.

“From my perspective, it’s a growing frustration,” Budzinski said. “I don’t know when the end is in sight.”

Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group behind much of the opposition to McCarthy, is one of the GOP holdouts. Miller has voted against McCarthy on all six ballots so far, first for Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan and later for Florida Congressman Byron Donalds. (Who, interestingly, spoke at a GOP holiday luncheon in the suburbs in late November.) The other two Republicans, Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) and Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) have remained in McCarthy’s camp.

MEANWHILE…

I talked to former Congressman Rodney Davis yesterday. (Disclosure: I worked on his first race in 2012.) He was defeated by Miller in the 2022 primary after he was drawn out of his current district and into a vastly more rural district that ate up Miller’s Trumpy bonafides.

Davis was very close to both McCarthy and his number two, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, so he would have been on board with the wannabe Speaker.

“I hope this circus ends soon,” Davis said. “It’s embarrassing.”

But, he said, the House Republicans need to get behind the leadership the caucus selected back in November. And he says it shows the strength of McCarthy’s strength with most of his conference with a razor thin majority.

“You have to respect the votes of 92% of the GOP conference who voted for Kevin to be speaker, now multiple times,” he said.

I also reached out to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who also left congress this week. Kinzinger has been having a little fun at McCarthy’s expense this week on Twitter here and here and here. I didn’t hear back.

Though, maybe I’ve been big-timed as he was introduced as a CNN Political Commentator yesterday.