Party switch leaves trail of hurt feelings
On the 27th of June this year, a check from a Hinsdale physician with a history of supporting Republicans arrived in the campaign account of state Rep. Paul Froehlich.
That was a busy day for Froehlich, as he officially announced to the world that he was in fact a Democrat after years of running Republican organizations and twice getting elected to the Illinois House under the GOP banner.
And it is that rare political transition that makes the current Democratic primary race in this suburban district one of the most interesting to watch in all of Illinois.
Smarting from what they call political betrayal, the entire Illinois House Republican organization is gunning for Froehlich.
"We believe it's a seat that'd be best served by a Republican, and we feel that will be the outcome," said David Dring, spokesman for House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego.
Schaumburg Township Library District Board President Anita Forte-Scott is likely to be the only candidate for the GOP nomination.
But that potential contest will have to wait for November. At the moment, Froehlich's task is winning over Democrats and convincing his past supporters to make the same switch he did.
Challenging Froehlich for Democratic votes in the 56th Illinois House District is Schaumburg lawyer John Moynihan. The district covers most of Schaumburg but also parts of Roselle, Bloomingdale, Elk Grove Village, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Hoffman Estates.
Froehlich said he felt driven out of the Republican Party by President. Bush and already was frequently voting with the Democrats, who control the state House.
He was further swayed to jump ship when former Hoffman Estates Trustee Fred Crespo ran for the Illinois House as a Democrat in 2006, won, and began having success in Springfield.
"I think the Republicans are going to be the minority for some time to come," Froehlich said. "I can do more as a member of the majority party."
Moynihan strongly disagrees that the decision to be a Democrat can be so quick and casual and questions Froehlich's motivation.
"I believe there's a substantive difference between a Republican and a Democrat. I don't want to just be with the winners; I have Democratic principles," Moynihan said.
At the same time, Moynihan criticizes the current Democratic leadership in Springfield, accusing it of mishandling the state's finances and pushing massive debts off to the future.
"If that doesn't change, we're truly being despicable to the next generation," Moynihan said.
The convoluted politics of this match-up yields several interesting scenarios. On the GOP side, those who backed Froehlich as a Republican must decide if they want to register as Democrats to continue doing so. Similarly, angry Republicans who want to vote against him now would also have to officially change party affiliation to do so in the primary.
In Illinois, to vote in a primary one must choose which party to support and can only select from among that party's candidates.
That means Republicans wanting to continue backing Froehlich or vote him out wouldn't get to vote for Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson or any of the other GOP presidential hopefuls on the Illinois primary ballot. Instead, they'd have to choose from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Democrats in every ballot contest.
Obama's presence, however, is viewed as a likely benefit for many Illinois Democrats as political observers believe the Chicago Democrat's campaign could greatly boost Democratic turnout throughout the state.
But Democrats face their own quandary in regards to Froehlich's presence. Do they buy into the campaign of a local Republican leader turned Democrat?
Democratic officials have been quick to embrace Froehlich, once their partisan enemy. A spokesman for Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan, also the Illinois House speaker, said Madigan is backing Froehlich.
"Froehlich has done a good job," Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said. "I don't think he's given people any reason to fire him from his position."
Dr. Lanny Wilson is the Hinsdale physician whose check arrived at Froehlich's campaign account the day he switched parties. Wilson doesn't live in the district, so he can't vote for Froehlich, but he said he'll continue donating to and working for Froehlich regardless of party affiliation.
"I'll be out there ... trying to get votes for him as a Democrat," Wilson said. "Personally, I'm a registered Republican, but that doesn't make a difference."
But area Republican officials are in a less forgiving mood.
"He was in charge of the Schaumburg Republican organization. All of a sudden … he just one day became a Democrat?" said state Sen. John Millner, a Carol Stream Republican who'd offered financial support to Froehlich's past campaigns.
Millner said many past supporters feel betrayed.
"The whole thing with Paul, I will work with him if he wins," said Millner. "But when it comes to the actual campaign, I'm not going to raise money for him anymore, I'm not gong to send him money. It is what it is."