Dempsey moves up, but who will take his place?
The race to fill the safe Republican Senate seat vacated by Chuck Gross will likely feature state Rep. Tom Dempsey versus whomever the Dems can talk into taking the L. (Note: Today’s P-D piece mentions that state Rep. Carl Bearden may allow his name to be considered by the district’s committeepeople as well.)
The more pressing issue for Republicans is finding a suitable candidate to fill Dempsey’s House seat. Dempsey was expected to cruise to re-election by a wide margin in November, but then St. Charles City Councilman Joe Koester went all Ted Knight (RIP) and made it too close for comfort.
With the new campaign finance laws going into effect after the first of the year, look for both parties to experiment with new fundraising and spending schemes throughout the Senate and House races.
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