Cook County Democrats snub Stroger, back Quinn

The Cook County Democratic Central Committee endorsed Gov. Pat Quinn, but not fellow incumbent County Board President Todd Stroger in announcing its slate for the upcoming February primary in next year's elections at the Hotel Allegro in downtown Chicago Friday.

Both party Chairman Joseph Berrios and U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, who also had votes as committeemen, said they couldn't recall when the body had failed to endorse an incumbent running for re-election.

"Even the leaders of the Democratic Party recognize the need for change and that voters are not prepared to hang with the status quo," said Davis, who also sought the endorsement for County Board president.

"It's not surprising," said Chicago Alderman Toni Preckwinkle, who like Davis is a committee member running for Stroger's office. "It's quite clear that there's a high level of dissatisfaction and mistrust with the present leadership in county government.

"I think the folks in that room knew it was going to be extraordinarily difficult to move forward with that ticket with Todd Stroger at the head," she added.

Stroger defended his record of keeping the county government solvent, even at the cost of an unpopular 1 percentage-point sales-tax increase, more than doubling it to 1.75 percent.

"I'm in it to win it. I have a great record," said Stroger, also a committeeman. "I've been the president for three years, and I've done a very good job, worked really hard. The committeemen should be behind me."

Stroger pointed to how he was the leading vote-getter among the five candidates, but he did not come close to the 50 percent threshold necessary for endorsement. Davis found that damning.

"It says more about what the office holders felt about the incumbent than about the individuals who are challenging the incumbent," he said. "All of the challengers probably feel quite vindicated. Now they've got an equal chance to run and be victorious."

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Chairman Terry O'Brien and Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown are the other Democratic candidates for president in what is now considered an "open primary."

Stroger's failure to win the endorsement, from the very committeemen who had tapped him to replace his father three years ago, was cast in relief when Quinn got the Democratic nod. Although the incumbent, he backed into the governor's office when Rod Blagojevich was removed in January, and he has long had a prickly, combative relationship with party regulars.

In fact, there was a distinct role reversal when Quinn and challenger state Comptroller Dan Hynes addressed the committee in the morning session. While citing his lifetime ties to Democratic politics in Chicago's 19th Ward, Hynes had to push for no endorsement and an open primary against the incumbent, while Quinn, the perpetual outsider, found himself seeking official party backing.

Quinn defended that seemingly contradictory stance afterward, saying, "I'm very anxious to get as many endorsements as I can from people who believe in my leadership and the job I'm doing as governor."

In the end, he prevailed. The full body of 80 committeemen - 50 from Chicago wards and 30 from the suburbs - also backed incumbents Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White for re-election, and rubber-stamped Thursday's support for county office holders Clerk David Orr, Treasurer Maria Pappas and Sheriff Tom Dart.

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias got the endorsement for the U.S. Senate over Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson and lawyer Jacob Meister after making an aggressive presentation to the committee in the morning. Giannoulias made the case that he was the best political candidate in what figures to be a tough race for Roland Burris' seat formerly held by President Obama.

"Republicans are going to go after this seat with reckless abandon," Giannoulias said. "I strongly feel I am the only candidate who can keep this seat safely in the Democratic column."

Jackson focused on the issues of economic recovery, jobs and health before admitting, "the biggest issue is who is the best candidate," adding that as a woman she makes the best opponent against presumptive Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk.

Former Chicago investigator general David Hoffman did not seek the party's formal endorsement for the Senate seat, although he announced his candidacy in the Democratic primary Thursday.

The seven-person race for lieutenant governor also failed to produce an endorsed candidate. Committeemen did endorse Chicago state Rep. David Miller for state treasurer.

The Democratic and Republican primaries are set for Feb. 2 with the general election next November.