While fellow Democrats Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes were hurling
insults about the state budget at each other several days ago, I picked up the
phone and called Illinois Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne of Belleville.
Were the rumors true? I asked. Was he really thinking about running for governor
in the Democratic primary?
Over the previous several days, quite a few people had said they’d spoken with Clayborne and all claimed that he sounded like a candidate to
them.
But Clayborne would only say that he was still just talking to people, mulling
it over and considering his options. No decision yet.
Clayborne has floated his name for statewide office on more than one occasion.
Four years ago, for instance, he indicated that he might run for lieutenant
governor. We’ll see if he pulls the trigger this time. But it’s an interesting proposition.
On paper, Clayborne would be a fascinating candidate, especially if he is the
only African-American in the contest.
Sen. Clayborne is not the sort of Democrat that Chicago media types are
accustomed to seeing. He’s a Downstate attorney with a pretty solid pro-business voting record who is
also regularly endorsed by organized labor.
He’s pro-gun, but he’s also pro-choice. He ran and lost for Senate President last year, and the
campaign exposed some rifts with his fellow black senators, partly over his
strong rating from the National Rifle Association.
Gun owner rights are not usually very popular with Democratic primary voters,
and particularly with Chicago’s African-Americans. Pro-gun southern white Glenn Poshard was able to win the
Democratic nomination in 1998, although that issue was used against him in the
fall by Republican George Ryan. Just about every likely Republican nominee
strongly favors the NRA’s view of things, so that issue might not hurt Clayborne as much as it did
Poshard if he manages to win the primary.
Clayborne’s record on guns will set up an interesting choice for Chicago-area black voters
and this black candidate. African-American talk radio hosts did, however, warm
to Clayborne during his race for the Senate presidency last year. He’s known to be a solid friend of utility companies, which will also test his
popularity with black voters.
During last year’s presidential primary, exit polling showed African-Americans were about a
quarter of the primary vote — and 93 percent voted for Barack Obama. If Clayborne runs against two white,
Chicago-based candidates who split that vote, his gun stance and geography
might help him pick up some Downstate white voters — although his skin color may give some of those folks an interesting choice as
well.
Clayborne’s fundraising during the Senate president’s race wasn’t bad. He raised about $580,000, compared to the ultimate victor John Cullerton’s million dollars or so. Clayborne raised $113,000 during the first six months
of this year, but had over $650,000 in the bank.
Clayborne will have some trouble explaining why he tried to move a bill this
year which would have called for a referendum to consolidate a school his son
attends with another school. Clayborne introduced the legislation after his son
was reportedly expelled for what appeared to be a minor infraction (allegedly
waving around part of a broken pair of scissors).
Questions about whether he used his office for personal revenge with that bill
would go directly to his gubernatorial temperament. After all, we don’t need another governor who puts revenge at the top of his “to do” list. Clayborne has denied any revenge motive, saying that if he really wanted
payback he would’ve pushed through the consolidation without a referendum.
Unlike Comptroller Hynes, Clayborne supported a tax increase to balance the
state budget. The legislation Clayborne backed included an expansion of the
state sales tax to an array of services, plus an income tax hike. Quinn
initially supported that bill, then said he was for a different tax hike plan.
Hynes has repeatedly slammed Gov. Quinn for proposing a tax hike during an
economic meltdown, and that’s part of what the two men were whacking each other for when I called Clayborne.
Hynes can differentiate himself against both Quinn and Clayborne on this issue,
but supporting big cuts to government programs and services hasn’t exactly been a popular issue in statewide Democratic primaries.
This could be a lot of fun.
Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and
thecapitolfaxblog.com.
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2009.
