Open 10th Congressional District seat draws interest
Without an incumbent to defend the seat, candidates seeking their party's nomination for U.S. representative in the 10th Congressional District are plentiful.
Republican Mark Kirk is running for U.S. Senate rather than seek a sixth term, and five Republicans and three Democrats have emerged to take their shots in the Feb. 2 primary.
The diverse 10th District includes eastern Lake and northern Cook County. It includes the affluent North Shore, but also has a working class presence from Waukegan southwest to Arlington Heights.
Republican candidates include Elizabeth Coulson, 55, of Glenview. A physical therapist, Coulson has been a state representative in the 17th District since 1997.
Coulson lists job creation and the economy as the most pressing issues, although they overlap to an extent with proposed changes in health care.
Robert Dold, 40, an attorney and business owner from Kenilworth, has been an investigative counsel for the House government Reform and Oversight committee.
He says legislative leaders in Washington have not done enough to get the economy on track and has called for incentives for businesses to invest, create jobs and get people back to work is needed.
Arie Friedman, 43, a pediatrician from Highland Park, who was a helicopter pilot in the Navy, lists job creation through tax cuts as his top issue.
Harvard-trained economist Dick Green, 52, of Winnetka, says government spending needs to be reined in.
Paul Hamann, 51, an electrical engineer and commodities trader from Lake Forest, calls for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. military from Afghanistan and Iraq.
On the Democratic side, Julie Hamos, 60, of Wilmette, has served as 18th District state representative since 1998. As a member of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, Hamos said she wrote a 2002 program to match job seekers with employment in the health care industry
She says jobs and the economy are top priorities.
Highland Park attorney Elliot Richardson, 37, says Congress needs "citizen politicians" - candidates who are outside the political process. Rebuilding the economy by enacting health care reform, creating jobs and stabilizing the housing market are priorities.
Dan Seals, 38, a business consultant from Wilmette, had strong showings in losses to Kirk in the 2006 and 2008 general elections. He has an established network of volunteers and fundraising. Getting people back to work is his top priority.