Lake County Gazette

Casey Urlacher, a Republican candidate for the State Senate in the 26th District, recently has come under fire in a mailer that alleges he has close links to the Democratic Party, including to prolific Democratic Party campaign donors.

Urlacher, the mayor of Mettawa, is running against businessman Dan McConchie and Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin in the Republican primary to replace outgoing State Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington).

Duffy, who has represented the district since 2009, has endorsed McConchie to succeed him.

Urlacher is perhaps best known as the younger brother of Brian Urlacher, a former player for the Chicago Bears.

The mailer, funded by Liberty Principles PAC, reveals campaign finance records showing that Urlacher has received significant campaign contributions from backers of former Democratic Governors Rod Blagojevich, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence for soliciting bribes, and Pat Quinn.

In particular, the mailer said Novak Construction and trial lawyer Robert Clifford have both heavily funded Democratic campaigns for a combined total of more than $500,000 and are now supporting Urlacher’s State Senate bid.

“Now Novak and Clifford are backing Casey Urlacher,” the mailer said. “Why? Because they know he’ll return the favor, just as he did when he backed Chicago Democrat Alexi Giannoulias for statewide office over State Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno.”

Urlacher’s ties to the Democratic Party go even further than sharing campaign donors. Urlacher's victorious 2013 campaign for Mettawa mayor was managed by Scott Cisek, former executive director of the Cook County Democratic Party. In addition, Urlacher was appointed by Quinn in 2013 to the Illinois Civil Service Commission, which carries a salary of $25,320 per year.

“Don’t let this enemy inside our Republican perimeter in the suburbs,” the Liberty Principles PAC’s mailer said.