In a stunning decision, the Chicago Tribune has endorsed challenger Tim Wolfe against long Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Schakowsky has for many years remained an untouchable candidate, and even maintained the Tribune’s support against Joel Pollak an outstanding challenger prior to his joining Breitbart News in the 2010 race for Illinois 9th congressional seat.
The district has since been redrawn more favorably to the Republicans, an effort to bolster more solid blue districts elsewhere in the state by the Democratically controlled legislature. With the Tribune’s endorsement of Wolfe, this years race is a new ballgame, and will certainly provide more than a glimmer of hope for conservatives on the north side of Chicago and North Shore suburbs to finally replace the radical Schakowksy.
From the Trib:
We have in the past gone hot and cold on Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky of the 9th District. She’s always up for a good debate and it’s a pleasure to spar with her. But she’s also one of the most partisan, liberal members of the House.
When the Democrats finished drawing the new congressional maps, Republican Tim Wolfe awoke to find himself living in the 9th. The district is considered safely blue. Wolfe lives in Arlington Heights, a pocket of red voters who were tossed into the 9th by mapmakers to protect the Democratic tilt of other districts.
Wolfe decided he had to run against Schakowsky. “You know what Jan is going to offer,” he says. “More government, more taxes, more debt, more government intrusion. … She stands for the exact opposite of what I stand for in most cases.”
Schakowsky has a strong record of constituent service. We would like to hear her acknowledge that a solution to Washington paralysis is going to require fierce partisans to accept that the other side has something valid to contribute. Washington could use a strong dose of what Wolfe has to offer: in a word, fiscal restraint. Wolfe is endorsed.