6th CDs late Cong. Henry Hyde w/ fr. Cong. Peter Roskam | Daily Herald photo
WHEATON – The late Henry Hyde's district slipped away from former Congressman Peter Roskam and is now in the oily hands of the U.S. Congress Democrat majority, represented by freshman Sean Casten.
Casten's 5-point win over Roskam was a part of the Democrats' anti-Trump Blue Wave that hit in 2018, leaving the DuPage County-centered 6th CD up for grabs in 2020.
The only Republican that has stepped forward to win back the 6th CD into Republican hands thus far has been former Lt Gov Evelyn Sanguinetti. While whispers about former State Rep. Jeanne Ives joining the primary have been consistent for weeks, the Ives camp has been relatively quiet.
What are the chances of Republicans winning back the 6th CD and the US House majority in 2020?
DuPage County was for decades the antithesis of Cook County – where DuPage County political leaders were Republican, Cook County's was Democrat. Where DuPage County economy thrived and grew, Cook County's struggled and shrank – despite its overpowering political power.
But DuPage County was base for longtime Illinois Senate President Pate Philips and Illinois Minority Leader Lee Daniels, who actually won the majority from Democrat Speaker Mike Madigan for the 1995-1996 session. With the help and activity among DuPage County Republicans, Republican governors Jim Thompson, Jim Edgar, George Ryan and Bruce Rauner were elected over the years.
With the DuPage County Republicans' longtime political power, Casten's win in 2018 was stunning for those outside the district. The angry undercurrent of Democrats that once lived in upper class Chicago neighborhoods rose to the top of political discussions, and with the help of prominent Leftist local media, the tide turned in the 6th.
Frustrated Tea Party activists were unhappy with Roskam, who some reported bullied them into cooperating with him after they attempted primaries against Roskam, who was focused on House leadership roles. The DuPage County Republican ranks had grown contented with their county power, and couldn't imagine any Democrats winning in their districts.
Sean Casten is one of the most liberal in the US House, obedient and compliant with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 98.8% of the time, a recent statement from Sanguinetti's camp reports. Pelosi, whose people points to Illinois' 6th and 14th CDs as bellweather districts in 2020, is fundraising for Casten. The word is these two races could be the most expensive in 2020.
So, Sanguinetti has taken the reins in the 6th, and is charging forward with the help of former Rauner campaign folks and outside consultants. She's begun publicly criticizing Casten, saying he's a part of the "extremist" wing of the Democrat Party after suggesting to DuPage County voters he'd be more centrist.
“Casten is no centrist," Sanguinetti's camp argues.
"Sent to Washington to represent the people of his district, he would rather bow to his party leaders and extremists in his party by voting the way Pelosi tells him. said Clay Godfrey, Sanguinetti campaign spokesman.
“Nancy Pelosi doesn’t represent the values of the 6th district and Casten does her bidding without question. Evelyn Sanguinetti fought Mike Madigan’s my-way-or-the-highway agenda in Springfield and will fight Pelosi’s in Washington, DC.”
The question is whether Sanguinetti can win the confidence of a 6th CD voter base that was less than enthusiastic with Sanguinetti's boss, Bruce Rauner.
