After a long and dramatic few months, Illinois Democrats finally found a running mate for Governor Pat Quinn--and are hoping that Sheila Simon will help drum up the support Quinn needs to win the election in November.
On Friday, Quinn announced that Simon was his choice for lieutenant governor, and seemed elated by the Democratic Party State Central Committee's selection on Saturday.
"Sheila Simon is someone who I think is a very special person for our state, committed to reform, a person who understands what it is to live from paycheck to paycheck, to be a strong advocate for working men and women all over our state," Quinn told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Saturday's announcement was a long time coming for state Democrats.
On Feb. 2, Scott Lee Cohen won Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, but in the days following his win, a number of scandalous allegations surfaced, including steroid abuse and domestic violence.
Cohen dropped out of the race, and the post has been up for grabs ever since--with more than 70 people applying for the job.
Perhaps most vocal in his desire for the spot has been Rep. Art Turner, who lost to Cohen in the primary, coming in second place. NBC Chicago reports:
"Several committee members and many black legislators, however, wanted Turner to get the job and warned Quinn that he could alienate black voters by rejecting the veteran black lawmaker for someone who didn't even run in the primary."
Turner made his case to the committee today, saying that he'd lead a fight against youth and gang violence. But in the end, the committee overwhelmingly sided with Simon.
Simon, the daughter of beloved US senator and one-time lieutenant governor Paul Simon, argued that she would provide balance to the ticket. A Carbondale resident, she hopes to counter the downstate-heavy Republican ticket -- Bill Brady and his lieutenant governor nominee, Jason Plummer, both hail from the southern part of the state.