Terry Everett- Alabama 2- R+13
Ray LaHood- Illinois 18- R+5
Dennis Hastert- Illinois 14- R+5
Chip Pickering- Mississippi 3- R+14
Deborah Pryce- Ohio 15- R+1
Jerry Weller- Illinois 11- R+1
Rick Renzi- Arizona 1- R+2
Duncan Hunter- California 52- R+9
Jim Ramstad- Minnesota 3- R+1
Ralph Regula- Ohio 16- R+3
David Hobson- Ohio 7- R+7
Heather Wilson- New Mexico 1- D+2
Ray LaHood- Illinois 18- R+5
Dennis Hastert- Illinois 14- R+5
Chip Pickering- Mississippi 3- R+14
Deborah Pryce- Ohio 15- R+0.3
Jerry Weller- Illinois 11- R+.05
Rick Renzi- Arizona 1- R+2
Duncan Hunter- California 52- R+9
Jim Ramstad- Minnesota 3- R+1
The longest Republican House Speaker in history; Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) became the second Republican congressman from the Land of Lincoln, after Ray LaHood, to announce he will not run for reelection next year.
Hastert is expected to make the announcement on Thursday. He was widely expected to retire after this term after he decided to not to run for Minority Leader after his party's defeat at the polls last November.
Hastert's district, which covers a wide swath of Northern Illinois from the outer Chicago suburbs of Elgin and Aurora all the way to the outskirts of Moline leans Republican, but not out of reach for a strong Democrat. Like LaHood's similarly Republican district, Democrats are expected to make a strong run for his district, especially with the possibility of a Illinoisan Democrat on top of the ticket.
So far only Republican Jim Oberweis, a strong anti-illegal immigrant advocate, has filed to run for the seat. Oberweis twice ran for the US Senate in Illinois in 2002 and 2004, but lost both times in the primary. He also made an unsuccessful run for Governor in 2006.
Other possible candidates may include Republicans State Senator Chris Lauzen and Kane County Recorder Sandy Wegman as well as Democrats State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, scientist Bill Foster, and lawyer Jothan Stein. 2006 nominee John Laesch, who held Hastert to 60% of the vote, the lowest since his initial election in 1986 (when he won 52%), is also interested in taking another run at the district.
The two open Illinois seats, as well as the seats of freshman Republican Pete Roskam in the sixth district, Mark Kirk in the Democratic-leaning tenth district and Jerry Weller in the nationally competitive eleventh district may mean Illinois could drown in a Democratic wave next year...no wonder Illinois Democrats are enthusiastically endorsing Obama.
After serving 14 years in Congress, Ray LaHood, the popular Illinois Republican whom during the GOP majority presided over more debates than anyone else, is retiring.
LaHood is known for his civility and lack of partisan candor. He very often criticised his own party. LaHood is also a moderate.
He was elected in the Republican landslide of 1994, and took the open seat of former House Minority Leader Bob Michel who very likely would have been Speaker of the House had he held on a little longer. His district includes Peoria and most of Springfield in Central Illinois. LaHood was considered a Gubernatorial candidate against Rod Blagojevich last year, but decided against it.
Is his distict in play? Probably not. President Bush won this district comfortably in 2004 and Republican candidate for Governor Judy Baar Topinka won it last year. Still, if Melissa Bean can win the 8th district, a Democrat can win this one.
Interesting fact...LaHood's district is more Republican than the 14th district, represented by former Speaker Dennis Hastert
