Hastert's farewell means another race

SPRINGFIELD -- One thing is known for sure -- Denny Hastert is leaving Congress sometime before the end of the year and before his term is over.

Aside from that, specifics are fleeting.

Exactly when Hastert, the veteran Plano Republican, will leave hasn't been announced. But the date is key as it triggers a whirlwind replacement process likely to have voters' heads spinning.

State election officials said there must be both a special primary and special general election for the right to serve out the waning months of Hastert's term. At the same time, candidates are campaigning to be the next congressman from the district that stretches from western DuPage County almost to the Mississippi River.

"You might have two elections going on at the same time," said Dan White, executive director of the Illinois State Board of Elections.

And a special election may well occur on the same date as the state's regular primary -- Feb. 5. In theory, a candidate could win the special election to fill-in for Hastert but lose the regular primary for a full term, or vice versa.

If this Feb. 5 dual-election scenario plays out, it all but guarantees some candidates will be rejected twice for the same seat on the same day.

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But before any of this can occur, Hastert must officially notify Gov. Rod Blagojevich of the date he's stepping down. The Democratic governor has five days from the day Hastert leaves office to set the date for a special election and that election -- covering both the primary and general -- must occur within 115 days.

Attempts to reach Blagojevich's office regarding any such notice from Hastert were unsuccessful Thursday.

Just as in any election, a special election would require candidates gather nominating petitions to get on the ballot. Petitions they've already filed for the regular election in the 14th Congressional District cannot be used.

"They are two separate and distinct elections," White said.

The state handles such candidate filing procedures, but local election offices would pick up the costs of putting on special elections.

Hastert was re-elected a year ago to a two-year term that officially ends in early January 2009. He'd already said he would not seek another term and Thursday's announcement that he would leave early had been widely anticipated.

Illinois has had similar special congressional elections, albeit for different reasons. Voters went to the polls in December 1995 and elected Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr. to serve out the term of Mel Reynolds, after Reynolds resigned upon being convicted of having sex with a teenage girl.