New Law Allows Illinois Gubernatorial Candidates To Hand Pick Running Mates

By Dennis Byrne, July 13, 2010 at 12:54 pm
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Tribune photo by Antonio Perez / May 3, 2010
Scott Lee Cohen, forced off the ballot as Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor announces his independent candidacy for governor, trying to leaping back into the political fray. Under a new law, Quinn could have picked his own running mate.

Thank the Lord. I can’t figure out why the 1971 Constitutional Convention set it up so that the governor and lt. governor candidates are picked independently in the primaries. It has developed into some very weird political scenarios, including Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn being saddled with a pawn broker with a questionable background as his running mate.

Filed under: Illinois politics

Tags: elections, governor, Illinois, lieutenant governor, politics

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  • jack said July 14, 2010 at 12:00 am

    What I still don't understand is Dawn Clark Netsch still going around saying what a great job her and the rest did in the Constitutional Convention of 1970.

    The only explanation given for this provision by her was that there was a time when the Gov. and Lt. Gov. were of different parties, so she took care of that problem.

    But, if Dawn and company did such a great job, why does it appear that every provision of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 has been perverted by some politician or another, especially in the General Assembly, not to mention 2 Governors Crook?

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