2018 General Election Lost 52 — 45
Everyone is in his corner
The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Brendan Kelly https://brendan4southernil.com/, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney, has raised a lot of money for his campaign to win the Democratic nomination for Illinois’ twelfth Congressional District. He is among the eleven candidates the DCCC has identified for its Red to Blue list. He has Washington donors — Steny Hoyer, for one. He has local donors. A bunch of local attorneys have lined up for him. He has local powerhouses like nearby Democratic Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. He may even have the local press with him. The News-Democrat story is written by journalist Joseph Bustos.
If Democrats can win back Illinois 12, they will be on the way to winning back the country. The District was represented by Democrats until 2014. Obama carried the district in 2008 and 2012. Trump carried it in 2016. Some pundits have turned the district over to Republicans. Ballotpedia calls it solidly Republican. Inside Elections says it is likely Republican. The New York Times, however, calls it a white working class district that is a legitimate Democratic target.
Can Brendan Kelly hit the target? He’s a Notre Dame graduate. His law degree is from St. Louis University. His posters are done in Kelly green as is his son’s shirt in the family website picture. The website touches every base. Brendan Kellyis described as the grandson of a cop and an electrician who worked on Air Force planes, the nephew of a firefighter, brother and brother in law of Navy officers, and husband of a nurse. While in the navy himself, he points out, he served around the world, including in Israel. That statement about serving in Israel is just below the picture of him reading to preschool age African American children sitting at his feet.
OK, OK. What has Brendon Kelly done? If elected, what will he do, what will he support?
As County State’s Attorney, Brendan Kelly sued banks for fraudulent and secretive mortgage recording. He was the first State’s Attorney in Illinois to sue big pharmaceutical companies for deceiving patients about the dangers of prescription opioids. He created a children’s justice division to prosecute crimes against children.
As a candidate, Brendan Kelly says:
The wealthiest are doing great. The poor stay poor. And the middle class is getting crushed by a system that is continually rigged to favor those with power and influence.
Our standing in the world has been diminished because for the last 20 years leaders of both parties have lost focus on our national security mission at home and abroad.
And as a law enforcement official [he] has seen the destruction caused by the flood of heroin, fentanyl and meth into Southern Illinois. He believes it’s time to make it easier for addicts to get treatment and ramp up our efforts to stop opioids from entering the United States.
We need to recognize these dangerous drugs are the greatest border problem we face, and we need to give our local, state and federal law enforcement officials the resources necessary to investigate and prosecute those who are profiting from the heroin epidemic.
What are Brendon Kelly’s views about health care? about women’s issues? about race? He hasn’t told us. Like his supporter, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (who reluctantly describes herself as a pro-choice Catholic) he is doing his best to stay away from controversial issues. He won’t succeed. We will learn his views over the course of the campaign. I probably won’t agree with everything he has to say. I probably will agree with most of what he has to say. You, too.
Give Brendon Kelly https://brendan4southernil.com/ some support. We need him in Congress. We have an opportunity to gain a majority in the House of Representatives. Brendan Kelly’s victory would be a crucial part of that. Monthly donations are particularly valuable. Even small ones. Help him out and help us all.
