Rep. Art Turner's Statement on Not Being Selected as the Democratic Lt Gov Candidate

Dear Friends,

Today’s vote of the Democratic State Central Committee was a disappointment to you and to me both. It hurts to lose a race that we all feel should have been won. But I hope that you take many positive and valuable lessons from this experience, as I know that I have learned a great many things over this long campaign.

I learned that I am blessed with an incredible group of active, engaged and committed supporters that far surpasses any other. I am filled with great pride and am honored to have served you all for the past 30 years.

I learned that integrity and honesty are truly invaluable. The lessons and values that my parents taught me, and that I have tried to pass on to my children, are irreplaceable.

I also learned that before we take our message across the state again, we have a great deal of work to do closer to home. To those who’ve worked on my campaign and voted for me, I encourage you to not lose faith in the political process. On the contrary, we need every one of us to be even more engaged in public and civic dialogues so that we can be the masters of our own fate.

My fervent hope is that you join me to redouble our efforts with voter registration and the census. There will be more elections. There will be future races. There will be many more opportunities where we need to be counted, to be strong, to be even more committed to the ideas and values that we cherish.

The power to change the lives of millions is ultimately in the legislative and political arena. Life is not about what happens to you, but how you react to it. Don't be discouraged. Be proud of your engagement in the democratic process, and of your commitment to the American principles we hold dear.

Yours truly,

Art Turner

GOP Lt Gov Candidate Jason Plummer's Statement on Shelia Simon's Selection as Dem Lt Gov Candidate

I welcome Sheila Simon's entry to this race. I am confident we will have a thoughtful campaign that is going to offer the voters two vastly different approaches for Illinois. Like Pat Quinn, Sheila Simon wants to raise taxes on families across the state. While I was humbled to be nominated by citizens from across Illinois, Governor Quinn chose to ignore the voice of the voters and hand-pick Sheila for this post. This is a perfect example of the arrogance of our current leadership. Bill Brady and I are committed to a clean break for Illinois, standing against job-killing tax increases and the monkey business that occurs in Springfield. I disagree with Sheila's philosophy, but I do respect her and her sincerity. I am sure Sheila Simon is a true believer and look forward to a campaign with her on the issues.

Shelia Simon is Gov Quinn's Pick for Lt Governor

In Chicago this afternoon, Gov Quinn said he wants Shelia Simon to be his running mate. Simon is a law professor at SIU Carbondale, and more famously, the daughter of the late US Senator Paul Simon -- who served as Lt Governor under Gov Richard Ogilvie. That was when we could have a Lt Governor from a different party that the Governor.

Simon's selection gives Gov Quinn a downstater, which will help in that both Sen. Brady and his running mate -- Jason Plummer -- are downstate residents. Simon is also thought to help Quinn with the independent womens' vote, as some think Sen Brady's Pro-Life position on abortion will put off a portion of the women's vote. Maybe. But Gov Quinn may have also caused a number of those in the black community to tune out, as the governor did not select Rep. Art Turner, who had the second most votes in the February primary. In fact, a number of black lawmakers this week, said Quinn would suffer in the Fall election if he failed to select Turner.

As with so many decisions in life -- there are few that come without any downsides.

But Gov Quinn in Shelia Simon has a running mate that is going to be in agreement with him on the majority of issues. Quinn was also a huge fan of Sen. Paul Simon. At Lt. Governor, Quinn would tell and retell how he was the Ombudsman for Illinois citizens -- and note that he only knew "Ombudsman" because it was a term used by Paul Simon when he was Lt Governor.

While Rep. Art Turner is a classy fellow, and very well qualified to serve on a statewide level, it is hard to believe the Central Cmte of the Democratic Party of Illiois would now pick someone besides Shelia Simon to be on the ticket. Rep Turner however at this time, remains in the race and continues to say he hopes he will be picked by his fellow Democrats to serve with Gov Quinn.