Giannoulias' path to Senate bid: Charisma, youth, a 'fresh take'
There's something familiar about the way Alexi Giannoulias delivers a message.
The lanky, 34-year-old state treasurer, locked in a close race for U.S. Senate, emits energy and calm at the same time as he stands at a podium, clad in a crisply tailored suit, an American flag pin on his lapel. He appears relaxed, his speech peppered with well-placed pauses.
“You may not always agree with me, but you'll always know where I stand,” the Chicago Democrat says, with an intonation and public speaking style that hints of the young politician's mentor, President Barack Obama.
The country's in a different place than it was two Novembers ago. And this charismatic young candidate nine years younger than Obama was as a U.S. Senator carries more personal baggage than did his predecessor, with questions about Giannoulias' role in his family's now-failed bank, which gave loans to members of organized crime, and about his role in the loss of millions in a college savings program run by the state office.
Still, the campaigns of the two men share a common thread with Giannoulias banking on his charisma and a “fresh take” on Washington politics over a more experienced, moderate Republican with military credentials, similar to the 2008 presidential race between Obama and John McCain.
“Experience matters; judgment also matters,” Giannoulias said. “We can talk about years experience, years being in office. I think at a certain point it's important to get some fresh initiative, some bold initiatives...”
His main opponent, Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, would argue that Giannoulias is in fact part of the corrupt, old-school system that dominates Illinois politics and has left the state in financial and ethical shambles.
During the past six months, Giannoulias has crisscrossed Illinois, pitching a 35-page “Plan for the Future,” with proposals on middle-class tax breaks, job creation, clean energy, an infrastructure fund and financial reform.
Along the way he's faced campaign challenges centered on his family's bank, where he worked for four years as a vice president and loan officer.
Giannoulias has been dogged by questions about the bank's loans to members of organized crime and to felon Antoin “Tony” Rezko, once a top aide to ousted Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich. And he's faced questions about whether he really worked as many hours at the bank as he reported in 2006 _ as he was campaigning full-time for treasurer _ to receive a sizable tax credit. Economic disclosure reports reveal his net worth to be between $7 million and $29 million.
Giannoulias has said he did not know the extent to which the bank loaned to members of organized crime, and said he did in fact work the hours he reported in order to get the tax credit.
Meanwhile, he has pushed a message that voters can trust him more than Kirk, who has credibility issues of his own an embellished military resume, questions about his teaching career and details about a near-drowning incident as a teen.
The youngest of son of Greek immigrants, Giannoulias grew up in a Chicago high rise.
His father, Alexis, first sold pickles and worked odd jobs, as his mother, Anna, sold sewing machines at Sears while they raised their three boys, Demetrius, George and Alexi.
Family finances started to improve as Alexis started a real estate company and then Broadway Bank in the late 1970s.
Alexi, like his brothers, attended the city's prestigious Latin School, where he was an honors student and standout basketball player, even before he grew to his current 6 feet, 2 inches.
“He was definitely not the fastest. Definitely not the biggest,” coach Rob Goshen said. “But he was aggressive. He really worked at his shots. In the trenches, you wanted the ball in his hand.”
Goshen said Giannoulias displayed leadership and maturity at a young age, remembering a time where Goshen's mother, who suffered from Alzheimers, wandered into the team huddle during a game.
“Alexi was the first to notice. He put his arm around her. Very mature. Kind of guided her back to where my dad was and my sister.”
After transferring from the University of Chicago to Boston University, where he received a bachelor's degree, Giannoulias spent a year in Greece playing professional basketball. He then enrolled in Tulane University's law school, concentrating in environmental law.
In 1998, he joined a well-connected group of pickup basketball players at the University of Chicago's rec center, including Obama and Arne Duncan, now U.S. Secretary of Education.
Obama became Giannoulias' political mentor, encouraging him to start a family and a career before delving into politics full-time.
Giannoulias didn't wait perhaps as long as Obama was suggesting. The 30-year-old, still a bachelor (he's since become engaged to Tara Flocco, vice president of the Chicago Cultural Mile Association), ran for state treasurer in 2006 after four years at Broadway Bank. The move was eventually supported by Obama, but opposed by powerful Democratic Party Chair and House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“Running against my party made it not a very fun campaign,” Giannoulias said. “At the same time, as an independent outsider, we were able to do what we needed to do.”
After defeating Knox County State's Attorney Paul Mangieri in the Democratic primary, he defeated Republican state Sen. Christine Radogno in the general election with 54 percent of the vote.
As treasurer, he claims to have ended pay to play in the office, cut its work force by 17 percent, and outperformed investment benchmarks.
Giannoulias says he considers his efforts to help save 600 jobs at Des Plaines-based Hartmarx clothing plant as perhaps his most important accomplishment in office.
Kirk called Giannoulias' handling of the Bright Start college savings program “reckless,” saying he misled families by encouraging them to invest in failing funds.
Giannoulias said he did the best he could as the 2008 market crashed and said the program now is one of the top five U.S. college saving programs.
As a Senate candidate, Giannoulias supports Obama, but says he'll stand apart from the party line, pointing to areas where he “fundamentally disagrees with leading Democrats.”
On social issues, he says he supports full marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Obama supports civil unions, but not gay marriage.
Giannoulias also says lawmakers should have done more to create jobs in the recession.
“Almost to the exclusion of everything else, there needed to be a focus on job creating programs immediately.”
Still, he admits he would have voted for the bank bailout and health care reform, at the same time noting both needed significant reforms.
On Tuesday, Giannoulias says he hopes voters will choose the candidate with the fresh perspective, the one he says understands the American dream on a personal level.
“Being an outsider doesn't mean who endorses you and who thinks you'll be a better senator. I think it's where you stand on certain positions and how you've conducted yourself in public office. And again that's up for the people to determine whether someone's independent or not. Just because the president thinks I'm going to be a good senator, doesn't mean that I'm an insider.”