Q&A with U.S Rep. Mark Kirk
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk is facing the battle of his career this fall.
Democrat Dan Seals is making a second run at the Highland Park Republican after garnering 47 percent of the vote in 2006. The race promises to draw national attention and cost millions of dollars.
Now wrapping up his fourth term in the U.S. House, Kirk is using the Republican National Convention to keep his race on the minds of party brass.
The following is an edited transcript of a recent Daily Herald interview with Kirk.
Why do Democratic challengers to suburban Republican congressmen appear to have a good shot at winning this year?
We are in the eighth year of a Republican president, and so whoever is the party in power generally has a disadvantage because the president has had to make a number of controversial decisions in office. It was very easy for me to come in on the tail of President Clinton's administration. It is part of the pendulum of American politics. Also, the Democratic party of Illinois has two stars, Barack Obama and Mayor Daley. The average swing voter, it has been shown, really pays attention to local TV news and they are the dominate figures on local TV news.
But a lot of the TV coverage of Daley is not positive and suburbanites traditionally have looked at Daley in a negative light.
He is more popular in the suburbs than he is in the city. He can be a face of the Democratic Party, and he is very popular in the 'burbs. If we ever see a change in city hall - if we ever go back to where the mayor and city council are fighting, then it will probably change.
Who do you see leading the Republican party of Illinois over the next few years?
It will not be difficult to put forward a candidate. We are in the middle of a Shakespearean meltdown of the Democratic party. I think voters are ready for anybody but the people who participated in the meltdown. I don't want to name any names. But there are some people out there who have built up a good reputation.
Are you interested at all in running for a statewide office in Illinois?
(He laughs hard.) I'm totally and completely focused on the 10th Congressional District.
Will it be hard for Republicans to regain a foothold in Illinois?
It may be affected in the future by who is in the White House. If you have a Republican president in the White House, it will be tough times ahead because that president will have to make tough choices and you will have people disagreeing with that.