Roland Burris may have finished dead last Tuesday in the Democratic primary for governor, but at least he’s used to it.
A genial man with an aversion to French fries, Burris, a former attorney general and state comptroller, has lost six times in 10 attempts since 1976.
“I’m done, and it’s very easy to say that,” Burris said early Wednesday, an hour after conceding defeat in his third straight try for governor. “I’m at peace with myself.”
Tuesday’s primary, in fact, produced two kinds of losers. There are those like Burris, along with John Schmidt, Al Carr, Ted Lechowicz, Cal Sutker, Corinne Wood and John Cox, whose political ambitions are now on life support.
And there’s the other category of political runner-up, whose ranks include James Oberweis, Patrick O’Malley, Paul Vallas and Bob Coleman. Members of this select group actually stand to gain in some way from the media exposure and months of campaigning.
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Voters around the state now know the face of the man behind Oberweis Dairy’s mouth-watering peanut butter swirl ice cream. Vallas has morphed into a potent symbol of political independence. And Bob Coleman is now officially funny.
And every one of the losers–regardless of party– had to take heart Tuesday night when perennial candidate Pat Quinn landed the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. As Quinn’s seemingly endless attempts to regain public office illustrate, political salvation is only a primary away.
But in the fatigue-filled hours after the election, losing candidates were too busy counting their blessings and trying to figure out what went wrong to look too far ahead.
That’s except for Vallas, who despite declaring that he will not run again, was considering a Downstate bus tour to thank voters for their support.
“There were a lot of cross-overs, which showed the possibility for the Democratic Party in this election,” Vallas said.
Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Oberweis, who told reporters that his candidacy had actually hurt his boutique dairy business, said he was thankful “to still have a great wife and five great kids and six grandkids.”
“Things are OK,” Oberweis said the day after a campaign in which he spent $1 million of his own money to place second to state Rep. Jim Durkin. “We’ll go back to making some great ice cream and picking some good stocks.”
Coleman, whose ads featuring uncooperative infants established him as the Jay Leno of Illinois politics, said he was disappointed with the outcome. But the River Forest attorney added “now is the day we all come together and work toward November.”
Coleman, who lost the Republican nomination for attorney general to Joe Birkett, held out the possibility that he might run again.
“I’ve got the fire in my belly,” Coleman said. “I’ve enjoyed it. But what? I have no idea and I have nothing in mind right now.”
Cook County Commissioner Al Carr found his career in ashes Tuesday. Along with board colleagues Sutker and Lechowicz, Carr was booted from office in a startling display of voter disgruntlement.
Carr, who has been on the County Board since 1988, found himself the political target of both editorial writers and Cicero Town President Betty Loren-Maltese, who backed Tony Peraica.
“Betty did it for him,” Carr said. “The difference is Cicero.”
Carr cautioned that Peraica, now with Loren-Maltese’s support, would not be the champion for reform that some seek at the county.
“I’m no cupcake, but you’ve got a real burnt cookie at this point,” Carr said.
Burris, 64, said he was relishing the thought of leaving the rigorous campaign trail.
“It’s unbelievable what you go through, what you put your family through,” he said. “I’m just not going to do that. I’m just going to go on with my life and enjoy what little life I have left.”
Past Burris campaigns were underfunded and disorganized. Although this year’s campaign was better organized and better endowed than ever, he was unable to generate a massive turnout of black voters or get much support beyond that core constituency.
Burris said he would focus the rest of his life on reforming the state’s criminal-justice system, which he said is fraught with serious problems.
“I’ve really made my mind up that the rest of my days will be spent in that direction,” he said.