I will bet that few folks saw this coming -- fresh off a fairly impressive win against incumbent State Representative Kent Gaffney (who, as you all know, was appointed to fill in after the untimely death of well-respected State Rep. Mark Beaubien last year), David McSweeney now has a new problem -- Team America has confirmed from multiple sources that Mark Beaubien's widow, Dee Beaubien, will mount an independent campaign against McSweeney.
While Dee Beaubien's intent to run is more or less official (TA hears that Ms. Beaubien has been making calls to people in McHenry County), what's not yet official is that Terry Cosgrove and his Personal PAC is behind the move. We will see if this gets confirmed.
I called State Rep. Ed Sullivan, Jr. to see where HRO will be on this, since HRO was squarely behind Gaffney (a former HRO staffer) in the primary campaign. Sullivan is now HRO Chairman. Sullivan told me in no uncertain terms that HRO is 100% behind McSweeney, and that HRO and House GOP Leader Tom Cross will be supporting McSweeney all the way.
If its true that Personal PAC is behind the Beaubein candidacy, I would expect no less, given the enmity between Cosgrove's group and HRO (just look at some of the mailers Personal PAC has sent out against GOP candidates like State Senator Dan Duffy in the past to see why).
This has yet to hit the press, but it will any minute.... Stay tuned for more...
Adding... I wasn't aware of this before, but apparently Dee Beaubien is (was?) on Personal PAC's Board of Directors. This is becoming a bit more clear, now, perhaps... Of course, Mark Beaubien himself took plenty of contributions from Personal PAC over the years.
UPDATED 4/6/12 5:35am: The Daily Herald got hold of Dee Beaubien after we broke this news last night, and she was quite cagey with Mike Riopell, telling him that she was merely "considering" a run. I guess we'll see. Cal Skinner also put up a post last night, with a helpful map if the 52nd District, in case you don't know what the new boundaries are.
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4 comments:
Boy that is too bad. Say what you will about Mark Beaubien's stance on social issues, he believed in the Republican party. Her challenging McSweeney does nothing but take resources away form the party. For what, one issue, Abortion.
Two issues.
This is marvelous news! The Beaubiens are all that is RIGHT (not political view) with politics.
If she signed a partisan nominating petition or drew a partisan ballot in the recently passed primary election, I think she is legally disqualified from running as an independent candidate for any office in this election cycle. Just sayin.
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