GOP’s Moynihan announces bid in 56th District
Schaumburg resident Jim Moynihan will seek the Republican nomination for the 56th District state House seat currently held by Schaumburg Democrat Michelle Mussman.
Moynihan, 60, is a 25-year village resident and precinct captain for the Schaumburg Township Republican Organization. In 1982, he ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Illinois’ 11th District.
Though he considers that experience to have been a useful lesson, he sees all of life as a lesson for one’s next step.
“I feel in my heart there’s a need to do something different,” Moynihan said. “People feel disconnected from government. I have a deep-seated belief in the tenets of this country.”
His candidacy has been endorsed by Schaumburg Township Republican Committeeman Ryan Higgins — who was a candidate for the same office in 2010 — and former Illinois House Republican leader Tom Cross.
Higgins said there was a process by which a few potential candidates were vetted and those involved have now put their full support behind Moynihan.
“He knows what he’s getting into and he welcomes the challenge,” Higgins said. “I’m not expecting any other (Republican) candidates this time around.”
Moynihan said he’s aiming for a campaign that focuses on the issues and the candidates’ effectiveness rather than one involving personal attacks. While he said he has the thick skin necessary for politics, he doesn’t want family members saddened by a nasty race.
“I’m not the kind of person who’s going to go out and personally attack my opponents,” Moynihan said. “But it’s not good enough to be a nice person, you have to be an effective person.”
Mussman is in her second term in the Illinois House, having defeated Higgins in 2010 and Schaumburg Township Assessor John Lawson in 2012. She confirmed Monday will seek a third term next year, saying she can work more effectively for change with the experience she’s acquired.
“I’m certainly pushing for change and I think I have a better idea of the kind of change we need to enact,” Mussman said. “I’m walking (the district) just about every day to make sure I’m in touch with what the people need. We have a lot of irons in the fire, to say the least.”
The 56th District includes Schaumburg and portions of Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Roselle.