The choice for 14th District voters Tuesday is not going to be easy. On the one hand the appointed representative, Kelly Cassidy, has years of government experience, working inside. She’s decided to take that experience and put it to work in the cultural wars, putting provocative legislation forward in response to the right-wing.
On the other hand Paula Basta has had a long record of service to seniors, most recently as a director of the North Side Levy Senior Center.
Paula Basta. Credit: PaulaBasta.com
The race has gained attention not just for the refusal of Basta to step aside for Cassidy. Cassidy was appointed to the fill the term by Democratic Ward Bosses after Harry Osterman resigned the seat to accept his election to Chicago City Council, but for the infighting in the lesbian community.
Cassidy received a key endorsement early in the campaign from Equality Illinois PAC. The LGBT group counted Basta on its board of directors.
The group acknowledged Basta, but said it would support sitting LGBT candidates in preference to challenging candidates.
Both candidates acknowledge the split in the community, but downplay any lasting effects. And interviews with the candidates indicate there is more respect between the two, than disdain.
“I think Kelly and I are running great campaigns,” Basta told The Welles Park Bulldog.
Cassidy noted she thought the key difference between the candidates was her effectiveness.
Cassidy has become a master at using bills to put forward a provocative progressive agenda. Despite doubts about the viability, Cassidy got the other LGBT statehouse reps to back her in pushing for gay marriage this year. She gained the attention of the National Rifle Association, proposing a tax on the retail sale of ammunition, earmarking the proceeds for trauma centers.
And, Cassidy countered the push for an Illinois trans vaginal ultrasound requirement for anyone requesting abortion with an amendment requiring men to view a video on the potential side effects of erectile dysfunction medications. The video would include a medically realistic description of treatment for priapism and other side effects.
Kelly Cassidy, candidate for 14th District State House. Credit: Illinois General Assembly
Priapism is better known as the ‘four-hour’ erection featured in ads for Cialis. The cure for priapism is very unpleasant.
She dismisses NRA concerns about the loss of second amendment rights due to her tax proposal and dismisses criticisms leveled by such sites as Capitol Fax which have said her numerous bills are “red meat for her constituents.”
Since the moment I arrived in Chicago I’ve been in the thick of things,” Cassidy told The Bulldog. “This is who I am forever.”
Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax says “I’ve teased Cassidy about her slew of bill sponsorships in person, and she insists that she fully supports the policies. That’s undoubtedly true. She’s not pushing bills she opposes. But she is focusing on some of the highest profile legislation in the House right now, so there’s really no way to deny that this isn’t also political. She’s simply working the tried and true program for anyone in a tough race, and doing it better than many.”
Basta in turn has quietly pointed to Cassidy’s background as a deputy campaign manager and legislative aide for Senate President John Cullerton. Basta’s ethics pledge is being considered a direct challenge to the Illinois Senate President and House Speaker Michael Madigan by some observers, including A-Ville Daily, an Andersonville News site that has come out swinging for Basta.
Basta started the year with $63,697 in campaign contributions and has gathered another $9,500 in reported contributions, only one contribution for $2,000 coming from outside Chicago. That contribution was from “Bridget Basta” of Garfield Heights, Ohio.
Basta is originally from Cleveland and this is undoubtedly a family contribution.
Cassidy started the year with $40,467 in the bank. Since then she has gathered $102,980 in reported contributions. But of those only a handful are from neighbors:
- Leo Smith (husband to Ill. Sen. Heather Steans) $1,000
- Fred Eychaner (owner of News Web) $2,000
- Richard Dennis $5,000
The support of the machine for Cassidy has been a continuing issue in the campaign. Cassidy’s appointment was clouded first by the decision of Harry Osterman to run for both Illinois Statehouse and Chicago City Council in overlapping election periods.
Osterman ran unopposed for the statehouse in November 2010, gathering 21,432 votes. Then in the February 2011 election, a month after being sworn in as the statehouse rep, he defeated four opponents to take the 48th Ward seat in City Council.
In that election Osterman received 81.36 percent of the vote, banking 10,465 votes. None of his opposition broke 1,000 or gathered more than six percent of the vote.
Due to the composition of the 14th District, the selection of a person to fill Osterman’s term was thrown to the Democratic bosses of the wards composing the district. Four wards could vote, but only one vote was important. Because of state rules the votes were weighted with 48th Ward boss Carol Ronen having more than 50 percent of the weight.
Ronen’s support for Cassidy has led to reinvigorating the debate over how Ronen received a large pension bump prior to retiring when convicted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich named her to serve for six weeks as senior advisor.
“When it came down to it, the Ronen connection to Cassidy, and the entire machine support for Cassidy made me support Basta,” Avy Meyers, the host of North Town News Magazine told The Bulldog. There aren’t two independents running, Meyers said. There is Basta and a machine candidate.
Basta said Meyers support has been critical in raising awareness of her candidacy among Jewish voters in the district.
Go to the Paula Basta for State Representative site
Go to the Citizens for Kelly Cassidy site
Bill sponsorships by Kelly Cassidy in the General Assembly
(since 1/1/12)
(since 1/1/12)
Related posts:
- Kelly Cassidy on GayTV (Vid)
- Cassidy endorsement fumble
- Basta Won’t Get Along With Madigan
- Kelly Cassidy appointed to Osterman seat
The campaign contribution numbers seem off — both candidates have raised a lot more money by now. Also, it seems a little unfair to say almost all of Basta’s contributions come from “Chicago” while you say Cassidy only has a “handful” from “neighbors” — you’re comparing two different things. A lot of Basta’s Chicago contributions are not from “neighbors” in the 14th district, like her $75,000 contribution from someone who lives elsewhere in Chicago.
Both candidates have many contributions from Chicago residents who don’t live in the district– and they both have many contributions from people who actually live in the district. Without seeing the smaller, non-itemized contributions, it’s impossible to know who has more donors actually living in the 14th district. A lot of people who live here (like me) could only afford to give a small amount.