Foster, Krisnamoorthi Snap Up Endorsements

From the Daily Herald

In the effort to get out front early, two Democratic Congressional hopefuls Monday announced a full roster of endorsements.

Bill Foster, the Batavia scientist who lost a bid for a second term in the 14th District to Randy Hultgren in November, has announced he plans to run for the new 11th District, an open congressional seat. Foster says he's backed by former U.S. Sen. Adalai Stevenson III, former comptroller and reformer Dawn Clark Netsch, former Democratic Congressman Phil Hare, Kane County Democratic Chair Matt Guethle, and Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, among others. Foster will be running in the same district where Burr Ridge Democrat John Atkinson resides. Before the congressional lines were announced and approved by the General Assembly last month, the Atkinson, a Willis Group executive Executive and aggressive fundraiser, had been fundraising to challenge 3rd District Congressman Dan Lipinski, a Western Springs Democrat whose father is a close friend of House Speaker and chief cartographer Michael Madigan.

And Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Hoffman Estates Democrat who narrowly lost a primary bid for state comptroller last year, plans to make a bid for the 8th Congressional District - another open congressional seat that has also drawn interest from Hoffman Estates Democrat and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth. Krishnamoorthi announced he has the endorsement of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, State Representative Rep. Jack Franks, DuPage Democratic Party Executive Director Amy Rohrer, Executive Director for the DuPage Democratic PartyAmy Rohrer, Mike Alvarez, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner Mike Alvarez , and Larry Rogers, Jr., the Cook County Board of Review commissioner Larry Rogers Jr.

Snapping up these supporters could help both Foster and Krishnamoorthi - as well as the Democratic party - avoid a primary bloodbath. Atkinson Ends Bid, Endorses ex-Rep. Foster By Shira Toeplitz June 16, 2011 Midnight Illinois Democrats avoided a major political headache Tuesday when wealthy businessman John Atkinson (D) announced he was suspending his House campaign.

Although Atkinson originally set out to challenge Rep. Dan Lipinski(D), his home was moved into the 11th district under new Congressional lines. He was therefore expected to run against former Rep. Bill Foster (D) in 2012. But Atkinson said in a statement that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Foster in the district on the southwest side of Chicago.

“While I do not agree with him 100% of the time, I think it’s more important for me to support a candidate like Bill Foster than to run against him just because I want to serve,” Atkinson said.

Foster lost re-election last November to now-Rep. Randy Hultgren(R), who will likely run for re-election in the redrawn 14th district that includes many of the Chicago exurbs west and north of the city.

Although Rep. Judy Biggert (R) has not said in which district she will run in 2012, party insiders say she will most likely run in the 11th district.

-Kerry Lester

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