Tom Weisner is potential Democratic contender to replace Dennis Hastert in Congress



Whether Hastert will step down before he is due to leave office has been the subject of intense speculation ever since the GOP lost control of Congress in last month's election. Recent experience in Illinois has shown that Democrats can win in heavily Republican districts, given the right circumstances. Chapa LaVia and Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner are potential Democratic contenders. Tom Weisner, elected mayor of Aurora, IL in 2005, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Solomon Islands.

Tom Weisner is potential Democratic contender to replace Dennis Hastert in Congress

GOP players begin positioning to succeed Hastert

December 11, 2006
BY NATHANIEL ZIMMER Staff Writer

"There are not a lot of opportunities to run for Congress."

So said Tom Cross, the Republican state House minority leader from Oswego. He was speaking, naturally, about the situation that could be forming around the congressional seat U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has occupied for two decades.

Whether Hastert will step down before he is due to leave office has been the subject of intense speculation ever since the GOP lost control of Congress in last month's election.

Historically, few House speakers have rejoined the rank and file, and many observers are ignoring his office's statements to the contrary and predicting Hastert will decide soon that it is finally time to permanently trade in his Washington, D.C., digs for his spread near Plano.

But even with Hastert's intentions still unclear, the maneuvering among his potential replacements has begun.

[Excerpt]

Recent experience in Illinois has shown that Democrats can win in heavily Republican districts, given the right circumstances.

After her upset victory over a weakened Phil Crane in 2004, U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean spent two years burnishing her moderate credentials, then turned around and beat wealthy conservative David McSweeney this year in a district that is just as Republican as Hastert's.

None of that is likely to matter much if Democratic Party leaders such as U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, take a pass on the 14th District race, as they did this year.

An underfunded John Laesch collected only 40 percent of the vote against Hastert in November, although that was the best showing of any Hastert opponent since his first run for office. Laesch wouldn't rule out running again, but said Democrats need to field their best candidate, whoever that may be.

Like others, he said Chapa LaVia and Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner are potential Democratic contenders.

"I think Chapa LaVia's pretty serious about it," he said.

Laesch said there is no guarantee Democratic leaders will open up the money spigot and get involved.

"I still think that's up in the air," he said, noting that the 14th District is "still very heavily Republican."

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: December, 2006; RPCV Tom Weisner (Solomon Islands); Figures; Peace Corps Solomon Islands; Directory of Solomon Islands RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Solomon Islands RPCVs; City Government; Illinois

When this story was posted in December 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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All Volunteers Safe in Fiji All Volunteers in Fiji are safe and accounted for. The Peace Corps is monitoring the situation very closely. Volunteers are on standfast but there are no plans for evacuation at this time. Peace Corps is working closely with the US embassy and with host country partners to monitor the situation. Peace Corps is confident that volunteers are not in harm's way. The military seized control of Fiji on December 5 after weeks of threats. Subscribe to our news feed to read the latest breaking news.

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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