Pantagraph: LaHood to test waters

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/011305/new_20050113026.shtml

"SPRINGFIELD -- U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood confirmed Wednesday he is considering a run for governor in 2006, but the six-term congressman from Peoria acknowledged he faces an uphill battle for visibility outside of Central Illinois.
"The truth is, outside of the 20 counties I represent, I'm probably not very well known," said LaHood. "I know I've got to get up to the suburban Cook County area. I've got to go to southern Illinois."

"I'm going to test the waters," he added. "By this summer I'm going to know if I can wage a race."

LaHood's entrance into the gubernatorial sweepstakes marks the unofficial start of the 2006 campaign season. Although other Republicans have expressed an interest in challenging Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, none has publicly announced election plans."

We have a couple of LaHood posts going, but this article has direct quotes from LaHood and gives some extra insight to what is going on in LaHood's mind. I'm agreeing more and more with Radical Activist. I really think LaHood could be dangerous to Balgo. LaHood brings up a good point in the article that Blair and Ryan showed that money don't win campaigns (However, both of them had things happen to them that money can repair, but still). It should be an interesting race to say the least.

Here's what struck my eye from it:

LaHood, 59, said he was compelled to run by the widespread dissatisfaction he hears about Blagojevich from Central Illinois voters.

"Nobody is paying attention to solving the problems -- the budget problems, school funding problems, the splintering of the state," said LaHood, whose 18th Congressional District runs from Peoria to Decatur.

In addition, he said Republicans are searching for new statewide leaders in the wake of former Gov. George Ryan's scandal-plagued tenure and the party's 2004 U.S. Senate race debacle.

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I think LaHood is politically astute and he has clearly identified an opening for him to move up. I'm guessing he might also feel out of place in an increasingly conservative House.

One mistake Republicans frequently make is picking a lot of statewide candidates from DuPage or other collar counties, instead of downstaters who can appeal to downstate moderates. I don't think they could come up with a better candidate unless Edgar ran again. LaHood represents a large group of swing voters in a moderate region of the state where Blagojevich is unpopular, and he isn't connected with the scandals in the state party.
I forgot that his district includes parts of Decatur. If LaHood were able to get a lot of the union voters in Peoria and Decatur then Rod is in a very weak position.
The Governor should be nervous.

his daughter was a ho at ISU I banged her too.