Bob Dold Gears up For 10th District Race

In the latest (but not last?) of our profiles on GOP 10th Congressional District candidates, we offer some info on businessman Robert "Bob" Dold, a lifelong 10th District resident and family man. I finally caught up with Dold for coffee this morning and got to hear some interesting bits about his past, and more about why he's running in this fairly crowded race.

40-year-old Dold grew up in Winnetka, and attended New Trier High School (like Mark Kirk). He went to Denison University in Ohio (not Iowa as I originally posted) and then worked in the Bush I White House mostly for VP Dan Quayle as an advance man, which means he was involved with setting up logistics for official (and also campaign) events. He also holds a JD from Indiana University and an MBA from Kellogg Business School at Northwestern.

Dold now lives in Kenilworth with his wife and three kids. We bonded a bit sharing stories of our experiences as Cub Scout den/pack leaders (Dold is an Eagle Scout), which is a great way to connect with and guide kids on their journey to adulthood.

Dold has spent the last six years working for the family business, Rose Pest Solutions, which is the oldest pest control company in the U.S. - in existence since before 1860. Dold will rely on his business experience to bolster his credentials for IL-10, and understands that the economy, jobs and spending issues will most likely continue to dominate the nation's attention, even after the debate over health care subsides once Congress takes action (of some kind, but it's clear that Obama can't afford to let this debate rage). According to Dold's press info,

As a small business owner and operator Bob knows the demands that have been placed on the backs of small businesses around our country by the ever-growing demands of Washington. Small and mid-size businesses have been the foundation of America’s job growth and economic prosperity. Bob firmly believes that the voice of small business needs additional representation in Washington. He personally knows the incremental demands that have been put on the small business owners as they try to maintain jobs while dealing with the downturn of the economy and the rising costs of health care. It is this concern and his concern for the future direction of our economy, which has driven Bob’s desire to seek to represent the 10th Congressional District.

Despite Dold's extensive education and Washington experience, he seemed like a pretty humble guy, and said that as a candidate, and then an elected official, "one must always keep in mind that you're working for the people of the District... many people lose sight of that fact in Washington today."

We talked quite a bit about how the race was shaping up, and it's clear that Dold must first differentiate himself from the other two male candidates, businessman Dick Green and attorney Bill Cadigan, each of whom tout some combination of pro-business platform and smarts. Then the issue will be, why that candidate and not State Rep. Beth Coulson, whom many people see as the current front-runner, as she is the only elected official currently in the race.

As Dold put it, the simple question the voters of the 10th District will have to ask themselves is, who best represents the values and principles of the people of the 10th? As someone who was born and raised here, Dold thinks he's that candidate, but it's "not a glorious thing for me" to run. For Dold, it's about serving the people, he says.

To get the chance to serve, though, he needs to get that message out, and encourage his supporters to the polls in chilly February. It's a tall order, but Dold thinks he's up to the challenge.