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Palatine Twp. Dems endorse Coolidge, skip Duckworth or Krishnamoorthi

Palatine Township Democrats moved not to recommend either Raja Krishnamoorthi or Tammy Duckworth for the 8th congressional district during Saturday's endorsement vote, though Krishnamoorthi technically beat Duckworth by one vote.

No endorsement was made, Democratic Committeeman Sue Walton explained, because candidates needed to win by 10 percent or more, a rule that relieved several members. Of the 21 people voting, 9 voted for Krishnamoorthi, a Hoffman Estates laboratory executive. Another 8 voted for Duckworth, a former Obama administration member also of Hoffman Estates. Four more members opted for no endorsement.

“Frankly, they're both good candidates,” Matt Flamm of Palatine, said of Duckworth and Krishnamoorthi.

Members of the organization did endorse 6th District Democratic candidate Leslie Coolidge, an accountant from Barrington Hills, over opponents Geoffrey Petzel, a business owner from Lake Zurich, and Maureen Yates, a retired businesswoman from Barrington. Coolidge received 13 votes, Petzel 4, and Yates 1. Three members voted for no endorsement.

The votes came after organization members heard separate five-minute pitches from the candidates about what they would do to represent suburban residents.

Speaking in the order in which they arrived, Coolidge gestured energetically as she explained that she decided to get into the race because of economic issues, but has seen other priorities come to the forefront — women's health and environmental protection, among them — in recent months.

Yates calmly paced the floor in the front of the room, outlining, with hands clasped, the urgent need for “money to cure the economy,” as well as the necessity of ending subsidies to big companies, and of improving the country's educational system.

Petzel spoke of the need for health care for all, noting he decided to run for Congress after suffering a massive heart attack last summer and waiting to go to the hospital because he'd let his health insurance lapse.

Duckworth noted that as a disabled Iraq War veteran she could speak with authority about how to cut defense spending.

Krishnamoorthi joked that he often is asked on the campaign trail what his name means — telling voters it is translated to “next Congressman of the 8th District” — before launching into his pitch about how his small business experience has put him on the “front lines of the economic crisis.”

A number of Democratic and Republican township organizations in the area choose not to endorse candidates in primary elections. Wheeling Township Democrats announced recently they would co-endorse Democrats John Tree of Long Grove and Ilya Sheyman of Waukegan over opponents Brad Schneider of Deerfield, and Vivek Bavda of Mundelein in the 10th Congressional District. Wheeling Township Democrats endorsed Duckworth over Krishnamoorthi in the 8th Congressional District, but noted both candidates were preferred over Republican Joe Walsh of McHenry.

Palatine Township Democrats wanted to take an endorsement vote this time around in order to excite and engage voters and potential volunteers, Flamm said.

“People really start to become interested about 30 days before an election,” he said.

The 8th District, roughly centered in Schaumburg, stretches from Addison to Elgin and includes parts of Cook, Kane and DuPage counties. The 6th District, which curves around the 8th in a “C” shape, reaches into DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kane and Cook counties.

  Eighth District Democratic primary candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi of Hoffman Estates JOE LEWNARD/jlewnard@dailyherald.com ¬
  6th District Democratic candidate Leslie Coolidge of Barrington Hills Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com ¬
  6th District Democratic candidate Maureen Yates of Barrington Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com ¬
  6th District Democratic candidate Geoffrey Petzel of Lake Zurich Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com ¬
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