Oberweis: No plans for another run for Congress
It comes down to cash, Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis said Wednesday after U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's lopsided re-election to the seat the dairy executive craved.
Unofficial results showed the Springfield Democrat leading Oberweis by 10 percentage points with 53 percent of the vote in Tuesday's election.
"I'm reminded how important money is," the Sugar Grove lawmaker said. "I was outspent four to one." Oberweis loaned his campaign $1 million.
As for future political aspirations? Oberweis has run for the U.S. Senate three times, the U.S. House once and the governorship once, with victory eluding him.
"I'll be serving in Springfield two more years," he said. "I have no plans to run for anything (else) at this time." Republican Bruce Rauner's victory in the governor's race creates a climate change in Springfield, Oberweis said.
"I hope that it means the Democrats take into consideration Republican wishes and work to pass bipartisan legislation," he said.
Oberweis called Democratic Senate President John Cullerton a "likable guy" and hoped to see cooperation with Rauner.
As for the governor-elect getting along with tough-as-nails House Speaker Michael Madigan, it all hangs on a close election in Kankakee, he predicted.
Incumbent Democrat Katherine Cloonen is clinging to a minuscule lead over Republican challenger Glenn Nixon in the 79th House District. If she falls, Madigan would also likely lose the Democrats' supermajority of 71 seats.
"If Nixon wins, they no longer have a veto-proof majority, which would cause more compromise," Oberweis said.