Green Oaks attorney to seek 59th District seat
Green Oaks lawyer Dan Sugrue will again try to replace state Rep. Kathy Ryg, who he says is part of an entrenched Democratic party that has failed to right a corrupt system.
"You can't expect the same people who were there during the mess to be the ones to get you out of the mess," he said of the General Assembly before and after the indictment and impeachment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Sugrue, 45, also challenged the Vernon Hills Democrat last November for the 59th House seat and was defeated by Ryg, who snared 64 percent of the vote. She has held the post since 2002.
The 59th District covers east-central Lake County and northern Cook County from Park City south to Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Wheeling.
Sugrue is expected to officially announce his candidacy today at Lake County Republican headquarters in Libertyville.
He stresses continuing ineffectiveness in a Democrat-controlled Springfield. Sugrue said "very little" has changed since Pat Quinn assumed the governor's post and the Chicago machine rules Springfield.
"She's a nice lady (but) I think she's too nice to stand up to the Chicago machine down there," he said of Ryg. "She more closely represents the agenda of the Chicago machine than she represents the people of the 59th District."
Ryg has not formally announced her re-election and did not return several calls seeking comment.
She consistently has run on her record of bipartisan cooperation. In a note to supporters in June, she admitted to being "angry and disappointed" with the General Assembly during chaotic spring budget sessions.
Sugrue said he got into the race late for the 2008 campaign and expected the longer lead time in advance of the November 2010 election will improve his showing.
"Last year, we were focused on the presidential race. Next year we'll be focused on the state of Illinois," he said.
He criticized Ryg for voting for an income tax increase to help offset a budget deficit. The measure failed in a House vote in May and is inactive.
"That's taking the lazy way out of it," Sugrue said. "We've got to reform government and find ways to cut the budget."
He advocated reforms in pensions and Medicaid as possible money-savers.
Ryg noted in a recent update for constituents that reform proposals to curb those costs are in progress, but said revenues would be up to $5 billion short with no growth in state government or its programs and services.
In late July, she reported a short term agreement was made to borrow money for a required $4 billion pension payment and human services, child and senior services programs.
But without a new revenue source, 2,600 state employees will be laid off and other cuts made. She asked supporters to keep an open mind on how the state finds revenues to deal with "huge" challenges.
Sugrue said Illinois is losing jobs because of high taxes and regulations and incentives are needed to add jobs.