Moving to solidify his voter base in the black community, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roland Burris will collect a slew of endorsements Thursday from leading African-American politicians.
The list of those scheduled to show up at a South Side restaurant includes U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, Cook County Commissioner Danny Davis, former Chicago Mayor Eugene Sawyer, a dozen Chicago aldermen and state legislators such as State Sen. Rickey Hendon, a member of the Democratic State Central Committee.
There is little question how important a large minority voter turnout is for Burris, the state’s attorney general who is trying to become the first black to be nominated by a major party in Illinois for governor.
“I think it’s critical,” Davis said. “Everybody’s got to have a base.”
“The African-American community in a Democratic primary constitutes quite a significant base, and I think if that is galvanized and a healthy vote comes out, then it bodes well for Roland Burris,” Davis said.
Depending on turnout, the African-American vote in a Democratic primary can be one-fifth to one-quarter of the total vote. Election returns over the last decade in Chicago and Illinois indicate that Burris could expect to get 80 percent or more of the black vote.
Those in the Burris camp also know he must draw a substantial number of white voters, so they are careful to portray him as a candidate with broad appeal.
Don Rashid, Burris’ press spokesman, said blacks “represent his natural constituency, his base constituency.” But he quickly added: “He feels Illinois is his natural constituency. He has prided himself as a candidate who represents all people.”
Old friends: U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez on Wednesday endorsed Marty Oberman, his former Chicago City Council ally, for Illinois attorney general.
“Let’s remember that Marty led the fight for ethics reform in the City Council,” said Gutierrez, who promised to help rally Hispanic voters to Oberman. “I was really happy to be there with him during those 11 months and pass the most substantive ethics reform in the history of Chicago.”
Gutierrez and Oberman were part of the City Council bloc that supported Mayor Harold Washington. Other members of that bloc, including U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush have endorsed Oberman’s Democratic primary opponent, Al Hofeld.
Pick me: The two major Democratic challengers to U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski have written off the troubled incumbent’s chance for renomination and said they were the best alternative.
“I want to replace Dan Rostenkowski in order to reform Congress,” former Ald. Dick Simpson said.
“I think the people in the district have decided that it’s time for someone new to have a chance,” said State Sen. John Cullerton.
Simpson added: “I’m really the only candidate really running for change in a very substantial way. I think John has been a state legislator and wants to have the sort of backroom relationships that Rostenkowski has.”
Cullerton responded: “I think that when the two of us are compared, I have a record for the last 15 years, I’ve been in the General Assembly. . . I’ll do very well.”
The two made their remarks in taping “The Reporters,” scheduled to air at 9 a.m. Sunday on WMAQ-AM (670).
More support: Six weeks of intense campaigning and a jump in published polls have garnered State Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch a number of endorsements for her Democratic gubernatorial candidacy.
Netsch’s campaign announced Wednesday that she had gained the support of nearly 20 elected officials from Chicago, suburban Cook County and Downstate.
Among the new supporters were Aldermen Michael Wojcik (35th), James Laski (23rd) and Charles Bernardini (43rd); State Reps. Carol Ronen (D-Chicago), Laurel Prussing (D-Champaign-Urbana), and Mike Rotello (D-Rockford); State Sen. Miguel Del Valle (D-Chicago); and Madison County Clerk Evelyn Bowles.
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Health care: Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Richard Phelan has called on the state to ensure access to health care for all Illinois citizens, but has vague outlines for a plan and said as governor he would appoint a task force to make recommendations.
“You don’t come up with a plan in government unless you talk with the people,” Phelan said. “You have to get the community involved.”
Phelan said he will charge the task force with some general goals: universal access to health-care services, streamlined delivery of Medicaid payments to those who serve the poor, and a heavy emphasis on primary care and prevention.
Phelan’s plan is not dramatically different from those released over the weekend by Netsch and Burris.