The Illinois Democratic Party would be better off if Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood) did not run for governor in 2018, the co-host of a Chicago-area radio show said recently.
"I think with Drury, this is a vanity play," Liberty Justice Center President Pat Hughes said on "Illinois Rising." "I don't think there's a lane for him. I think the money is going to be crowded out. He can't run to the left because he's in this sort of centrist district."
However, a Drury run does open possibilities for the GOP, Hughes suggested.
Rep. Scott Drury (D-Highwood)
"He's running for governor," Hughes said. "His district becomes a viable pick-up opportunity for Republicans –- an open seat. So I think Drury is doing his party no favors."
Hughes, a Hinsdale attorney and real estate developer, is also co-founder of the Illinois Opportunity Project. He co-hosts "Illinois Rising" with fellow Illinois Opportunity Project co-founder Dan Proft, a principal of Local Government Information Services, which owns this publication.
Drury earned notoriety earlier this year when he became the only Democrat in the House to not vote for House Speaker Michael Madigan's (D-Chicago) 17th term as speaker. Drury voted "present," though he also acknowledged that he feared retribution. Hughes said while that might play with voters, it won't with Democrats, especially with Chicago businessman and gubernatorial hopeful Chris Kennedy.
"It doesn't have any primary appeal," Hughes said about Drury bucking Madigan. "And even if it did, he's running behind Kennedy in the Kennedy lane. Kennedy already has that – in my view, amongst the other three –- the more-reformer, the more-outsider lane."
Drury's run also isn't sincere, Hughes contended.
"This is a vanity play," he said. "This is, 'I want my name in the newspapers. I'm tired of being a state rep.' I don't think he has any chance of winning. There's no way he's going to be able to bring the resources together to do that."
One Democrat who could is billionaire J.B. Pritzker, who scored the Illinois AFL-CIO endorsement on June 6.
"Pritzker is formidable both in size and capacity, in terms of his money," Hughes said. "The AFL-CIO endorsement is a big one."
That money could take him far "and buy himself close to politicians like Hillary Clinton and Rod Blagojevich and Lisa Madigan – the beat goes on," Hughes said.
Hughes said one Democrat upset possibility is Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), who announced a gubernatorial bid in March.
"I think there is a lane for Biss because he can take the Bernie Sanders lane and run to the left as sort of a North Shore crazy socialist liberal," Hughes said.
What can't happen – but would be amazing – is if Kennedy, Pritzker and Biss could be combined into one candidate, Hughes said.
"Those guys could be, like, in one of those superhero movies," Hughes said. "Go into one of those chambers like Captain America and come out like one super candidate. They'd come out and look like Christopher Reeve."
Hughes also predicted that the running mate of whichever Democrat goes up against incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner will be a Hispanic or African-American woman.
Alerts Sign-up