Quinn picks Simon as running mate

The daughter of the late U.S. Senator and one-time presidential candidate Paul Simon is making a run for Lieutenant Governor.

She’s not garrulous or shy, not a Washington insider or a political novice. But she’s savvy, real and ready to run. She’s Sheila Simon, a university law school professor and former Carbondale City Council member whose political career was rumored to have terminated after a lost bid for Carbondale mayor three years ago. But the downstate Democrat’s political career jump-started when Governor Pat Quinn selected her over Representative Art Turner of Chicago and State Senator Dave Koehler as his running mate for the November 2nd elections.

The nodus of the Democratic race will be how to oust the mordacious influence of Tea Party Republicans angry over high taxes and big government as well as the influence of voters upset over health care who have immured Democrats with threats to end their political careers come November. With the 2010 election still in its infancy, the race for the state’s top seats may hold a few surprises along the way.

An “Excellent Choice”

When Senator Dave Koehler heard of Pat Quinn’s decision to endorse Simon for running mate, he took the governor’s decision in stride. “When he made his selection, he gave me a call, and I withdrew my application. I support his decision. I believe the governor should have his choice.”

Having often thrown into question the necessity of the job, Koehler says he believes the Lieutenant Governor’s role should be expanded if the position is to remain intact. “Right now, the Lieutenant Governor is only involved in rear issues. The Lieutenant Governor needs to be welcomed by the administration as a team member. We should dictate whether the role is a vital role in state government. If it is—great! If not, then we need to look at other options.”

Despite personal misgivings about the necessity of the position, the state senator calls Simon “an excellent choice” and believes she “will be good to have on the ticket.” Koehler says his primary reason for applying was because the Lieutenant Governor is the point person for the state in Illinois River issues. According to Koehler: “Peoria is, of course, known as the River City. I feel an obligation to improve the Riverfront for the good of residents and businesses here.”

Getting Acquainted

A Metro East native, Simon, 49, says she was a little “surprised” and “thrilled” when the governor asked her to run. “I had been following the newspapers, and there were reports of others who had been favored. I had a chance to talk with the governor and let him get to know me, and I think that definitely helped.”

Simon and the governor met at the Executive Mansion for an hour—a talk that Simon said was “a good, honest session” that allowed the two to become acquainted. Simon’s plans, she says, never included being Lieutenant Governor. Even so, she believes a lot of politics means “being available for opportunities when they come along.” “I’ve always liked being involved in public service, and this was a good opportunity for me to do that.”

Simon was selected to fill the vacancy after controversial revelations surrounding candidate Scott Lee Cohen’s personal life caused him to leave the ticket, spearheading a slew of more than 250 online applications for the job. The field was sliced down to a handful of finalists, among them Turner and Koehler. Central committee members buttressed Simon with 56.9 percent of the vote. Turner finished second with 30.3 percent. Two other candidates split the remaining percentage. Koehler and former Peoria resident and comptroller candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi were among 17 finalists for the position. The committee is made up of 38 members. The number of congressional Democrats who voted in the last primary determines the manner in which votes are weighted.

Known for her “straight-talk” and for going casual at political events, Simon possesses the somewhat bucolic nature and strong work ethic of the down-to-earth wife and mother voters across party lines will embrace. Even as a youngster, she worked hard on the campaign trail. Her mother, Jeanne, gave up a seat in the Wilmette-based legislature to raise a family. She attended Southern Illinois University and met her husband at a political picnic for Adlai Stevenson. In 2003, she won a seat on the Carbondale City Council but lost a high-profile mayoral race by five hundred votes four years later. Simon was also an early supporter of Barack Obama’s 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate and during his historic 2008 presidential campaign.

But Simon’s interests encompass more than just politics. She plays the banjo and bassoon and sings as a member of Loose Gravel, an all-female blues-and-boogie-style band in Carbondale that showcases an eclectic mix of funk, folk, rock and country music. The politician/folk singer appears comfortable in her own shoes. “I think of myself as someone very personable. I don’t try to put on airs or make a big impression. I’m just me and that’s what voters like.”

The Right-Hand Woman

Simon and the governor maintain a cordial relationship. She adulates Quinn’s attitude of public service and rectitude. The governor has a “servant’s heart” and never abdicates his responsibility to his constituents. “He always places others’ interests before his own,” according to Simon.

Citing the income tax surcharge the governor placed on education that raised the tax from three to four percent, Simon claims: “He’s not in politics for personal wealth. He does the right thing even when it’s not the popular thing.”

By no means a career politician, Simon’s character, integrity and friendliness coalesced to win her a place on the Democratic ticket. Her fervid belief in the ethics of public service—not to mention her downstate roots—made her a likely choice to run on a ticket central to Chicago voters. The Democrats’ statewide ticket consisted entirely of Cook County residents before she was added to the list. Quinn also hopes Simon will be able to woo women voters, an area where Quinn was expected to lack strength.

The governor is both “pleased” and “proud” to run beside Simon and says those who know the Simons “know that they are a family who believes in the ethics of public service and integrity.” Quinn calls it “an honor” to share the ticket with her. “She’s a very accomplished person.”

Simon and Quinn will face off against State Senator Bill Brady of Bloomington and Jason Plummer of Edwardsville on the Republican ticket. The Governor believes Simon gives her party a wide lead over the 27-year-old Plummer, who is making his first bid for public office as the son of a wealthy developer.

“Simon has more experience in her little finger” than Plummer has in public service, according to Quinn. Simon holds a law degree from Georgetown University and a political science degree from Wittenburg University.

Plummer issued a statement criticizing Simon’s support of higher taxes and accused Quinn of party arrogance and ignoring voters by selecting Simon. Democrats have become torpid toward the real needs of constituents statewide, according to Plummer.

The state GOP released a statement following Simon’s nomination cautioning voters against duplicity and noting the “infighting” among Democrats over political banalities. Said the Republican statement: “Illinois Democrats are in disarray. As they handpicked their candidate for Lieutenant Governor we saw a divided Democrat party that is focused more on its political endgame than on the priorities of the people of Illinois.”

If elected, Simon claims she is looking forward to the opportunity to serve the governor and the people of her district. “I’m looking forward to being an extra set of eyes and ears and an extra voice for him across the state. I think I can bring a lot to the campaign as well as the job. I was a prosecutor for four years and a law professor for the past ten years, and I have a firm handle on the importance of law. I served on the Illinois Reform Commission and traveled around the state to hear people’s views. That’s something I’m very proud of.”

On the Issues

Sharing many of the same standpoints on hot-button topics, both Quinn and Simon flout egregious spending, standing in full support of raising income taxes to help deflate the state’s $13 billion deficit. According to Simon, she and Quinn “work well together, and we share a lot of the same goals. We both have a tight focus on education and decreasing domestic violence. We believe raising income taxes will help get the state budget in order.”

“A responsible budget is one way to demonstrate that elected leaders can focus on the long-term public good instead of short-term acquisition of power. The Democratic Party has the opportunity to show that kind of leadership and restore public confidence in government,” according to Simon.

In former years, Simon has fought for the passage of major reforms to enhance government transparency, reform the contract procurement process and enact limits on campaign contributions—the first limits in Illinois history. As a working mother of two daughters, Sheila champions a woman’s right to choose and works to ensure that government works for the benefit of communities throughout the state.

Simon’s experience in public office and years as a lawyer and former prosecutor have equipped her with the courage to meet tough issues head on while giving her enough savvy to know when to parry a loaded question—particularly questions playing up the idea Simon is running on the coattails of her late father’s reputation. She claims a good name “will help get your foot in the door but I want voters to get to know me on a personal level and get to know what I believe in and why. I want this race to be about the people of this state and what will best help them in the future—not about a famous name.”

Running for an office once held by her father and most recently held by Quinn, Simon launched her campaign with a fly-around to six rallies around the state that began in Chicago and ended in Carbondale. Simon said she was “looking forward to meeting people across the state” and garnering “lots of introduction” for herself and for the issues she and Quinn advocate. Simon’s talking points included labeling Bill Brady as “extreme” and outside of the “mainstream” while denigrating allegations that voters in southern and central Illinois may find her views too liberal. Simon claims that residents in the southern and central areas understand that “government can serve the people” and that they are looking forward to an “open dialogue.”

For more information, log onto www.quinnforillinois.com.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.