GOP forgets to mention they endorse Mowen in 17th, Brunsvold's new gig

The State Journal-Register's Bernie Schoenburg reports on the Republican side of the race against Lane Evans, and some career news on Joel Brunsvold.

The event he refers to is the 102nd annual Lincoln Day Luncheon of the Sangamon County Republican Party.

All three candidates seeking the GOP nomination for the 17th Congressional District U.S. House seat attended the Sangamon County event this week. The 17th cuts through a small part of Springfield, and even the candidates know that whoever wins in the March 21 primary will have to sell the notion that incumbent U.S. Rep. LANE EVANS, D-Rock Island, can be defeated.

Libri was apologetic after the event when asked about that race, calling it a "glaring error" that he forgot to mention that the party’s executive committee in recent days had decided on an endorsement, picking JIM MOWEN of Rock Island over ANDREA ZINGA of Coal Valley and BRIAN GILLILAND of Aledo.

"I guess they thought he had the best chance of winning," Libri said of Mowen, adding that the vote was not unanimous.

"I’m an Andrea Zinga fan, I’ve got to tell you," Libri said. "But I go with who my party goes with."

Gilliland got no votes, he said.

Mowen has also been endorsed by a group that could be helpful to him if the conservative base of the GOP gets to the polls in the primary - the Illinois Federation for Right to Life.

Mowen said he is "strongly pro-life" but would allow abortions to save the life of the mother.

"I would like to see a world with no abortions," Mowen said. He called the issue of allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest "incredibly difficult … especially for a man to lay down the law on," but he said the focus needs to remain on the "innocent human life …that is every bit as important as the trauma that the woman is going through."

Zinga said she is also pro-life, but would allow abortion to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest reported within 72 hours.

"Being a woman, perhaps I believe that there are times, if a woman is the innocent victim, then her life is also important," Zinga said.

"Jim’s more of a hard-line, right-wing pro-lifer," said Gilliland, who also said he prefers adoption and is pro-life but would allow abortions in some circumstances involving saving the life of the mother, rape or incest.

Brunsvold to lobby

Former Department of Natural Resources Director JOEL BRUNSVOLD, who was a longtime state representative from the Quad Cities when he took that job three years ago, has registered as a lobbyist for the Illinois State Conference of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Brunsvold, 63, retired from his $113,200 job as director at the end of the year, saying in part, "I’ve got two little granddaughters, and I need to spend more time with them."

He joins several other former lawmakers who are registered lobbyists, a practice that remains legal despite some calls for a waiting period between jobs.