Republicans looking for 36th District challenger

The Springfield State Journal-Register's Bernard Schoenburg writes about state Republican's looking to field a challenger to Senator Mike Jacobs.

Seeking foe for Jacobs

The three GOP candidates for U.S. House from the 17th Congressional District have been approached by Illinois Senate Republican leaders to consider switching gears and running against state Sen. MIKE JACOBS, D-East Moline.

Jacobs was named to the seat to replace his father, former Sen. DENNY JACOBS, in February.

The elder Jacobs, considered the father of riverboat gambling in the state, is now a lobbyist.

"He’s in an appointed position," said PATTY SCHUH, spokeswoman for Senate GOP Leader FRANK WATSON of Greenville. "And we do not have a shortage of candidates willing to take on Democrats across the state because no one likes the direction this state is going."

BRIAN GILLILAND of Aledo said he has spoken with Watson and Sen. TODD SIEBEN of Geneseo, an assistant minority leader, about a possible run for the Jacobs seat.

"I told them I’d do whatever the party wants me to do," Gilliland said.

JIM MOWEN of Rock Island said Sieben called him, but he’s not interested in running for the state Senate seat. He said he’s "absolutely motivated" to run for Congress, and he thinks Mike Jacobs is "100 times less beatable" than incumbent U.S. Rep. LANE EVANS, D-Rock Island.

ANDREA ZINGA of Coal Valley, who took on Evans in the 2004 general election and thinks she is building momentum for 2006 because voters know her from that race, said she, too, was asked about the Jacobs race.

"For the last dozen years, my passion has been for this district and this race," Zinga said, and she thinks Evans is politically vulnerable. Still, she said, she wants to be involved in public service, and "I would never say never."

Sen. Jacobs said he would look forward to the opportunity to compare and contrast ideas with a GOP challenger.

"I’m a middle-of-the-road person," Jacobs said. "I think they’re wasting their time and effort."

Of three congressional districts that include parts of Springfield, the 17th has the fewest constituents in the city. The Sangamon County GOP’s screening committee heard from Zinga, Mowen and Gilliland this week, but has not yet made a recommendation in the race.

So... Mowen thinks Evans is easier to knock off, Andrea is game for anything, and Gilligan is willing to do whatever the Skipper tells him to do. We'll have to see if Sen. Mike gets his chance to compare and contrast.

Rich Miller asks if this is trouble for Jacobs with commenters offering their views.