SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois Democratic leaders gave the nomination for lieutenant governor Saturday to Sheila Simon, daughter of an Illinois political icon, following the wishes of Gov. Pat Quinn despite warnings of a potential backlash from Black
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois Democratic leaders gave the nomination for lieutenant governor Saturday to Sheila Simon, daughter of an Illinois political icon, following the wishes of Gov. Pat Quinn despite warnings of a potential backlash from Black voters. The committee passed over state Rep. Art Turner, a Black legislator from Chicago who finished second in the primary. Some of his supporters had warned that rejecting Turner for someone who didn’t even run in the primary could sour Black voters on Quinn. But Turner, while admitting he was somewhat hurt by the outcome, urged all his supporters to support the Democratic ticket. “We should still keep in mind the Democratic Party and what it stands for. What happened today should not discourage people from voting or participating in the process,” Turner said. Turner spokesperson Scott Zises said that while Turner is supporting the committee’s choice, “he thinks the committee made the wrong choice.” According to Zises, Gov. Quinn has not contacted Turner since the committee selected Simon so he was not sure if Turner would consider a cabinet post by Quinn should he offer it, as some insiders are saying Quinn may do to smooth things over with Black voters. Turner did not run for re-election to his state House seat, backing off so his son, Art Turner Jr., could take the spot, so after the November election Turner would be out of political office for the first time in 30 years. “He (Art) has been involved in politics for 30 years so he knows there are times when things will be up and down. This is certainly one of those down times,” Zises told the Defender. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-7th, a central committee member who backed Turner, said Quinn’s support of Simon should not be seen as taking Black voters for granted. He said anyone who knows Quinn understands that he “in no way would repudiate African-Americans.” Simon got 56.9 percent of the central committee’s vote. Turner got 30.3 percent, and two other candidates split the remainder. There are 38 committee members, though votes are weighted based on how many Democrats in each congressional district voted in the last primary. State Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, who also ran in the primary and was named a finalist by the Democratic State Central Committee, dropped out before the selection and threw his support behind Turner. Boland said Turner’s runner-up finish in the primary made him deserving of the nomination. “It’s almost an insult to the hundreds of thousands of people, who went out in that cold February day to vote in that primary, to all of a sudden just say, ‘Oh well, none of you who ran in that matter,’” he said. Turner was one of four current lawmakers left among the remaining 16 finalists, along with state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, state Sen. Iris Martinez, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Highwood, who had been widely believed to be the front-runner. State Rep. Charles Jefferson, D-Rockford, warned of the repercussions should Quinn not choose Turner as his running mate. “If in fact the governor does not do what’s right, then shame on the governor and there might be consequences,” he said. “We’re not here to threaten him today, we’re here to ask him to do the right thing.” Jefferson later backed off talk of “consequences” and reiterated his support for Turner as a candidate. State Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville, said he spoke on behalf of all downstate Democrats with his support of Turner. “(Downstate Democrats) feel that Art Turner is a man of the highest caliber, the greatest character, Holbrook said. “And if (Quinn) cannot see himself running with someone from downstate that advocates for our issues, we want to see Art Turner in there.” State Rep. Al Riley, D-Hazel Crest, said Turner was the candidate that best reflected Illinois. “If you just look at this group right here, which is just a small part of people who support him, I think you can see the depth and breadth of our diversity, of our ideas, and that’s what Art Turner brings to the ticket," he said. Quinn hopes the Simon name can still work political magic. Simon’s father was the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, the bowtie-wearing politician from southern Illinois who was popular even among voters who didn’t share his liberal views. “Anyone who has encountered any of the Simons knows that’s a family that does believe in the ethic of public service, integrity, friendliness,” Quinn said. “It’s an honor to be on the same ticket with Sheila Simon.” Simon, a law professor at Southern Illinois University and former city councilwoman in Carbondale, could help Quinn pick up votes downstate. Until she was added, the Democrats’ statewide ticket consisted entirely of Cook County residents. In contrast, both Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Brady and running mate Jason Plummer live downstate. She could also help among women, where polls suggest Quinn is weak, and plays to Quinn’s image as a reformer. Her father had a reputation for honesty, and she served on the governor’s Illinois Reform Commission, which studied ways of cleaning up state government after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested and removed from office. AP Defender Staff Writer Wendell Hutson contributed to this report.