!

Please help me welcome back one of Blue America’s oldest and best friends. John, thanks for coming by today? Can you catch us up on the latest in the vote count?

Corruption in IL-14?
Perish the thought

Welcome John – and thanks for hosting, Howie!

IF the CW about absentee voters (better educated) is correct, I look forward to reading of your victory, John.

And I am shocked, shocked to hear of electoral irregularities in Illinois.

What were the rules in this race? In other words, is a runoff required if no candidate gets a majority?

Welcome, John.

If anyone wants to talk about horserace stuff, you can do it on the previous thread.

Howie,
Is this primary vote the same for both sides of the primary? By this I mean, weren’t there actually 2 primaries in one – one for the seat until November and another for November?

No; there were two different votes. The one I’m talking about here is for the general election primary that would be for the full term starting in January for 2 years. The other one was to choose a Democrat to copete for teh rest of Hastert’s term.

Howie,

Thanks for posting this.

Jennifer and I grabbed dinner after the polls closed. We decided that whatever happened – our lives would be different today. Well, that’s not true. We are still here fighting for this seat that does not have a clear nominee yet.

I want to be clear that I have not conceeded this election. There is too much at stake and we are still working with incomplete information. Provisional ballots and absentee ballots have not all been counted.

I want to let FDL readers know that we would not be here if it was not for you. I announced my intentions to run via live VLOG with Howie and several Chicago bloggers almost two years ago. Thanks for being part of the important change in our country and this race.

I can stick around for a bit, but I am sure that you understnad how busy things are around our campaign office.

Respectfully,
John Laesch

Welcome back, John. You are one of my very favorite Blue America candidates. What can we do?

I think that’s what I meant and didn’t express myself well. What were the results for the primary to complete the term?

Hi jon,

Veteran of many a recount here. So let me ask some gritty questions. How many absentee ballots are out there totoal?

How do the absentees tend to break in yur district? Snowbirds? Students? Elderly homebound?

ANd how many of those demographics are YOUR votes?

Also, were there any irregularities at the polls? Any voter suppression, stuff like that?

What kind of voting machines do you guys use? is there a paper trail to recount?

This is correct. To be clear on the special election (the one to fill Hastert’s term), I want to let you know that we did concede that race last night when Foster had a larger margin of victory.

John

I’m confused by your question – is Illinois exempt from the one congresscritter per district?

We are gathering that information right now.

It is snowing heavily and at least two County Clerk offices are closed due to snow.

As soon as we have enough information, we will be releasing it in an official press statement and I will send something to Howie.

John

Welcome John! we’re rooting for you – don’t back down (but we support you *because* we know you don’t!)

There were actually two primaries for this seat – one to fill the remainder of the term since Hastert resigned mid-term and another for the complete term beginning in November.

might I suggest a recount ???

and perhaps a fund where we could donate to help pay the freight for the recount ???

instant runoff could have saved us a lot of time here

So glad you came here John!! I’ve been wondering through the night and into today what’s going on with your race. It is the one I cared about through yesterday.

On a thread last night it seemed that if you need $$ to help finance a recount, many of us are willing to chip in.

Stay in there. We need you!

Got it – thanks dakine.

I am SICK of the Blue Dogs in congress wrecking the votes for Supreme Court nominees and other critical votes…

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

While I can’t imagine John backing down to anything, I hope that everyone remembers we have to vote again on March 9th. With the automatic recount required by Illinos law, wouldn’t the Special General be pushed back into – say May?

Hear, hear! Count me in.

There were two elections on Feb. 5th.

One was a special election primary to fill the rest of Dennis Hastert’s term – he retired in Nov. 07′. (we conceded this race)

The other was the regular primary (part of Super Tuesday) for the November General Election. (Currently, there is a 350 vote margin in this race).

Jim Oberweis will be the Repubican nominee for both races.

Johh

You can still donate to John’s campaign through his Blue America page

What are the chances of a run off vote?

Any contributions will be put to good use.

Please follow the events on-line at john08.com or on Howie’s blog, Downwithtyranny.com. I stay in close contact with Howie and I hope to keep forwarding information as it unfolds.

John

I’ve just chipped in $25 to John via Blue America … I’m sure there will be a lot of expenses as they work on this.

Any firepups willing to match me?

Thanks for all of your support Siun!

jdl

I’ll see you and raise you another 10. Anyone else?

This election is just a mess. I heard two election judges who were really upset talking with each last night. For two hours 1 judge gave each voter 2 general election ballots he did. The other did the same thing for an hour before he caught the mistake. These guys were both sincere and honest – and Republican. I’m hearing about a number of precincts where the judges told people that you must be a Republican to vote in the Special Election – because it was to fill a Republican seat!

Well…Blue Dogs in the House can’t do anything to screw up votes on judges. That is for the Senate Blue Dogs to screw up.

Going over there now. Should have the first paycheck from the new job by the time the bill gets here. *g*

And Schumer is working on that. He just recruited that hideous Lunsford character to run against McConnell in November. Fortunately we have Andrew Horne in that race. It was another VET PAC candidate; you know him at all, John?

what can 2mil buy you in america?
365 votes.
this is part and parcel as to why we (the vanishing middle) urgently need clean elections in this country.
we need you and more like you.
positive mojo coming your way to you and the missus.

Having a Congressman for the 1st time in 20 years is what I get with John. I’m retired, on fixed income, disabled Vet. I have 3′ of snow on my sidewalk right now.

Today I planned on driving through the blizzard to drop off a check to John for $1,000. It’s my future. I need him that bad.

Yay RevDeb!

Hope we can get some more folks to chip in … John’s been an awesome and very real Blue America candidate and it feels great to support him!

Good point … Foster’s millions against people power … I vote for People Power!

I just put in $100. Contributed to John before, and he deserves more support

So the counts posted show the margin of victory at about 1/2%. That’s worthy of a recount in my opinion, statistically it is a noise level difference.

Also I wonder which campaign is likely to benefit most from the remaining absentee ballots? depending on how many are left a 1/2% loss could change to a 2% or more win.

I was an election judge in IL 13, I was keeping watch on the republican judges, and thankfully, they weren’t trying to play any games. That is one way we can help, just becoming an election judge to stop the dis and mis information.

Out of curiosity why was the first race to temporarily fill the seat conceded?

John’s campaign is the only one to get absentee votes in my county. Armed Forces and provisional – there weren’t any.

Friends,

I have to get back to work – making calls.

It is always hard to put into words how much all of your continued the friendships that we have built on FDL and across the netroots.

I have learned that most of you are committed to the same progressive agenda that I am – we have lots of work ahead of us and I am here for that fight!

Take care,
John

My staff is asking me to correct the 365 and 351 number. The correct margin is 323 votes.

John

Good luck John, just made a $25 contribution (and put $5 in the tip jar).

so what type of ballots are we talking about here

scantron cards, punch cards, electronic (I hope not)

I like to know the news a few days early

Keep up the good work John! we’re pulling for you!

At that point Foster was several thousand votes ahead. When a candidate conceeds it means nothing. The voters have the final say.

Can you contact our office?

I think you have mine and Jen’s e-mail?

John

Does anyone know if a recount is mandated in IL for a race with less than 1% separating the two camps?

Just wondering what the narrative is on that. Those of us in other parts of the country haven’t been following all of the details.

More and better Democrats.
Fewer Blue Dogs.
No Republicans.

I’m sick of that “more Democrats” part. If they can’t be “better Democrats,” the hell with them

I think we’ve done enough to help Rahm and Steny and Nancy get corner offices and nice parking spots

That’s why I said “And other crucial votes”….

Blue dogs screw things up in the Senate AND the House, imho.

Wow, great job John!

Howie, recount automatically triggered by Illinois law at 1% paid for by the State.

how bout:
more working democrats
rationing blue dogs
and no repubs.

Here Here!

I’m totally with you on that.

Believe me, as someone who contributed to Jerry McNerney,
I feel quite burned.

John and Jen and the entire John Laesch campaign — thank you so much for your efforts. Please continue this fight, as your campaign means so much to so many of us all across America.

Best wishes, and a wee addition to the campaign fund from our house.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the update. Hang in there John! And thanks to LHP for helping them out..)

I did a little YouTube clip for what I hoped would be John’s smashing victory against Rahmism.

Howie – watch the magic! John won this thing. He IS going to be my next Congressman.

Now can someone please explain to me how one primary got different results than the other primary? Were voters not given the correct ballots? I don’t understand why a voter would, for instance, vote for John’s opponent in the special election primary and for John in the general election primary. Might there be some shenanigans afoot here?

There’s no electoral result anywhere I’d like more.

That’s part of the problem, Teddy. In some of John’s counties there were no ballots for the second vote. He told me early yesterday morning that there was a big problem.

I’d put at least a chunk of it down to simple voter and campaign confusion. “You’re telling me I have to vote for you TWICE? This ain’t Chicago!”

forgive if it is already asked/answered.
is this a plurality win or a run off if no one gets 50%?

Teddy – not shennigans – it’s confusion on part of the voters and the judges. With the closeness of the vote, I’m beginning to think a re-do will be ordered. When all the votes are re-counted we still won’t know who really won.

then why concede anything? If there were irregularities they should all be investigated. Why give Foster and Rahm an inch if they don’t deserve it?

Wow. That’s fantastic! You rock.

Better 08!

Well, the machine designed a clusterfuck and a clusterfuck is what they got. It’s inconceivable that both ballots weren’t provided in Laesch-leaning counties. Pure, stinky, old-school political chicanery at its best.

Yes, it sounds like the concession in the special primary should be withdrawn. Looseheadprop will know best about this.

At the time it looked like John had lost the Special Primary. He was down by several thousand. His concession is meaningless – the voters decide & the County Clerks certify the votes. That’s when the winner is announced. Candidates can’t make that decision.

this is how stupid the election process has gotten…in other news:

20 voters on the city’s North Side were convinced by a precinct worker that a stylus for marking electronic touch screens was actually a pen with “invisible ink” to be used for marking paper ballots.

i mean…WTF!!!
count em all!

Howie, thanks for bringing this to the blogosphere. You always seem to be a leader on the political newsfront.

Janes upstairs, discussing Hispanic turnout.

And I got the zed.

Didn’t Darcy Burner inspire the phrase? Did she ever make up for the silly statement from one of her “advisers” about the Liberal blogs? If not, an alteration or new slogan would be nice for that reason as well.

WTF?

Let me say first, that I understand no one likes to lose races, especially when you get outspent by an opponent. I know, because I was outspent 10-1 in my race, but, you know what? I lost. Just because you get out spent doesn’t mean you don’t tough it up, work harder for the party and get more dems elected. That’s what I’m doing now. Helping other dems get elected.

Here’s the cold hard reality. On March 8th, there will be a special election in the 14th between Jim Oberweis and Bill Foster. Period. Bill won that race and there will be no recount…John conceeded.

We now have a choice. Do we want Jim Oberweis, a wingnut’s wingnut to waltz into this seat and be the incumbent in the Fall election because we are fighting about god knows what, or do we want a Dem sitting in that seat? I’m about winning and the more dems we have the better it will be for the progressive cause. Period.

Now if John wants a recount in the general, he’ll have to pay for it… and let’s say he wins (which is impossible, because there are no uncounted ballots out there, they are counted at precinct on election night…and there are no automatic, state funded recounts in Illinois for primaries)…then what? He’ll either be running against an incumbent Bill Foster (why not just primary him anyway) or an incumbent Jim Oberweis…which is a nightmare.

I want to win this one. It will send a message that there are no safe seats for the Republicans anywhere. However, we can’t do it without supporting the winner. I’ve told people on other threads that I would support the winner of this race and do what I could to win the seat. I’m asking for all of us to do the same…to concentrate on winning this one.

I know Howie and Jane are going to flame me on this one, but I’m looking toward the greater good.

It was very confusing. In my district I was given the normal primary ballot which I voted on & when I asked where I vote for the Il 14 special election there was alot of confusion between the judges. This was around 10:00AM in my district which is 08. One official told me that my primary vote counted for the special. I said ok and left. I caled my wife and told her what happened and went about my day. My wife went there around noon and it seemed they finally had their act together with a separate table set up for the special with both an optical scan machine and a Diebold touch screen set up. This was not this way around 10:00AM. My wife looked for my name in the voting record book for the special and sure enough there it was. I was fortunate enough to have the time to go back and cast my ballot in the special later in the day but I wonder how many didn’t.

All this information has been transmitted to the Laesch campaign prior to me typing it here, so they are aware of it.

I want to win this one too, but not with your candidate who is being rammed down our throats by Emmanuel & Hoyer. He will turn out to be another blue dog dem that we don’t need in Congress.

rammed down our throats by Emmanuel & Hoyer.

That is just flat out wrong. Rahm and Hoyer have had nothing to do with this race. Period. No more than Dam Maffei’s race or Jon Powers’ race or Eric Massa’s race…or Darcy Burner’s race or Charlie Brown’s race….

I’m disagreeing respectfully here, but I’ve heard this over and over and it’s just flat out wrong. I know that for a fact.

I know I’m late to this one but they’ve been stealing elections in Aurora for years. The computers “go down” for several hours and when they come up, the numbers have completely flipped. I saw that in 1990.