THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
Seven Democrats
are vying for their party’s nomination for U.S. Senate.
GERY CHICO
www.gerychicoforsenate.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Attorney. Former board of trustees president, Chicago public
schools. Former chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley.
Education: Bachelor’s in political science, University of Illinois at
Chicago. Law degree, Loyola University.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist: Chico has reached out to teachers
and parents, touting his role as an education reformer. Leans to the left of
most opponents; supports gay marriage.
BLAIR HULL
www.blairhull.com
Age: 61
Occupation: Businessman, investor.
Education: Bachelor’s in mathematics, University of California at Santa
Barbara. M.B.A., Santa Clara University.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist: Hull, a multi-millionaire math whiz
and life-long supporter of progressive causes, says he’ll spend $40 million
of his own money to win.
DAN HYNES
www.danhynes.com
Age: 35
Occupation: Illinois State Comptroller.
Education: Bachelor’s in economics, University of Notre Dame. Law degree,
Loyola University.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist: Hynes is one of the most popular
Democrats in Illinois with strong establishment support. He’s campaigning on
the familiar Democratic issues: health care, education, jobs.
BARACK OBAMA
www.obamaforillinois.com
Age: 42
Occupation: State Senator, 13th District. University of Chicago constitutional
law professor.
Education: Bachelor’s in political science, Columbia University. Law
degree, Harvard.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist: Obama, the first African-American
president of the Harvard Law Review, wants the Democrats to win the values
debate in America and is campaigning on his experience as a progressive legislator.
MARIA PAPPAS
www.mariapappas.com
Age: 54
Occupation: Cook County Treasurer. Former psychologist and attorney
Residency: Chicago.
Education: 1982, Ms. Pappas earned her law degree from the Kent School
of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and began dual practices
in psychological and legal counseling.
The gist: Pappas is a favorite
among Chicago-area Democratic voters (called the “Democratic version of Republican
state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka” by the Daily Herald).
NANCY SKINNER
www.skinnerthewinner.com
Age: 38
Occupation: Former nationally syndicated AM radio personality.
Education: Bachelor’s in finance, University of Michigan.
Residence: Chicago
The gist: Her presence as a progressive pundit
has fired up some debates, slightly overshadowing her other accomplishments
as an environmental activist and community organizer.
JOYCE WASHINGTON
www.washingtonforussenate.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Health care executive
Education: Bachelor’s in nursing, University of Evansville. M.P.A., Indiana
State University.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist: Washington ran unsuccessfully for
Lieutenant Governor in 2002, garnering about 362,000 votes. While running on
a full slate of issues, her bread and butter is health care reform, pushing
for universal coverage.
THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
Republican voters
will choose among eight candidates vying for the party’s nomination for U.S.
Senate on March 16.
JOHN BORLING
www.borlingforsenate.com
Age: 63
Occupation: Chairman, Performance Consulting Group; Major General, U.S.
Air Force, retired.
Education: Air Force Academy
Residency: Rockford
The gist: A moderate Republican, Borling spent
six-and-a-half years as a POW in Hanoi during Vietnam. One of his proposals
includes mandatory military service for adult males.
ANDY MCKENNA JR.
www.mckennaforsenate.com
Age: 46
Occupation: President, Schwarz Paper Co.
Education: Bachelor’s in business admininistration, University of Notre
Dame. Master’s in management, Northwestern.
Residency: Glenview.
The gist: Popular among Chicago-area business
leaders, McKenna, a pro-life conservative is stressing job creation, ethics
and tax cuts. He announced interest in running before fellow Republican Peter
Fitzgerald announced he wasn’t going to seek a second term.
CHIRINJEEV KATHURIA
www.kathuriaforsenate.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Tech-based entrepreneur and consultant.
Education: M.D. from Brown University. M.B.A from Stanford.
Residency: Chicago
The gist: From his Web site: “I am a conservative
and a Republican. Our campaign platform is pretty much in step with that of
the Republican Party agenda.” He stresses his ability to reach across demographic
lines.
JIM OBERWEIS
www.oberweisforsenate.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Heads family’s dairy business, founder of Oberweis Securities.
Education: B.A. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. M.B.A.
from University of Chicago.
Residency: Aurora
The gist: Oberweis ran for U.S. Senate primary
as a relative moderate in 2002 but is campaigning as a conservative in 2004,
especially on immigration, on which he leans to the right of George W. Bush.
STEVEN RAUSCHENBERGER
www.steve2004.com
Age: 46
Occupation: State Senator, 22nd District. Assistant Minority Leader.
Education: Bachelor’s in business administration, College of William
and Mary.
Residency: Elgin
The gist: Rauschenberger was a member of the “Fab
5,” a group of conservative Republican state legislators that once included
Peter Fitzgerald and that tried to clean up their party. He’s widely regarded
as an expert on budget issues.
JACK RYAN
www.jackryan2004.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Former Southside Chicago high school teacher. Former partner
at Goldman Sachs.
Education: Bachelor’s from Dartmouth. M.B.A. and law degrees from Harvard.
Residency: Chicago.
The gist. Ryan’s views mostly side with the
Bush Administration, though his campaign has stressed looking out for the poor
and working for the good of others.
JONATHAN WRIGHT
www.wright2004.com
Age: 37
Occupation: Assistant State’s Attorney, Logan County, Illinois.
Education: B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Economics, Monmouth
College. Law degree, Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Residency: Lincoln.
The gist: Campaigning as the conservative Christian
candidate whose views align closely with the Bush Administration. Only downstate
candidate in both parties.
NORM HILL
www.normhill2004.com
Age: 74
Occupation: Retired Army veteran and insurance executive
Education: Graduated from the 25th Infantry Academy in Hawaii
Residency: Graylake
The gist: Says he supports President George Bush “100 percent.”
This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2004.
