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Logan County Assistant States Attorney Jonathan Wright last week announced he is actively exploring candidacy in the Republican U.S. Senate race, though he intends to delay his official decision until Labor Day.
Millionaire John Cox of Northbrook, Andy McKenna Jr. of Glenview, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria of Chicago and entrepreneur Jack Ryan of Wilmette have already announced their candidacies and have subsequently hit the campaign trail. Ryan was the first to officially enter the race, though his campaign began in early June.
Wright said, while he believes himself to be the best candidate for the job on the Republican side, he is unsure whether or not he'll be able to raise the capital necessary to run a successful campaign. Several of his opponents have pledged to throw in millions of dollars of their own money.
Ryan vowed to spend $5 million in the primary race, much of it his own money, and Cox also said a portion of the funds would come from his own bank account.
In early July, Gen. John Borling of Chicago and James Oberweis, chairman of Oberweis Dairy, of Aurora also announced their intentions to consider bids for the U.S. Senate seat.
Oberweis also said he intends to spend about $4 million on the primary run, while Borling refrained from comment. McKenna has also raised nearly $500,000 for his campaign so far.
"Fund-raising abilities are really what I'm focusing on right now," Wright said. "Labor Day is a self-imposed deadline in terms of raising funds and commitments. At this junction, we will sit down and see if I am a viable candidate financially."
Wright, 36, who in 2001 completed the term of John Turner in the Illinois legislature but did not run for re-election in 2002, is one of the few candidates with experience in the Illinois legislature.
Though Cox ran for congressional and Senate seats in 2000 and 2002, respectively, he has not been placed in office. He came in third in the primaries in his recent 2002 bid, which places him closer than declared candidates so far.
"At this junction, working off those that have already declared, I would have the most experience in terms of legislative background and grasp of the issues," Wright said. "Being from downstate, I bring a broader perspective of agricultural and domestic issues and bring a different perspective than the other candidates in terms of where I come from and background."
Wright said he does not feel delaying entry until September, giving some candidates a three-month head start on campaigning, will hurt his chances in the GOP race. Borling also said he intends to make a decision around Labor Day.
"Labor Day is a critical time," Wright said. "To wait too much past Labor Day puts us at a disadvantage.
"I don't subscribe to the notion of television commercials. I don't believe people to follow them in terms of who they vote for. We're setting up a grassroots network. It's the most effective way to campaign. Without it, you can spend a lot of money and still not win a race."
With the primary elections slated for March, Wright said he expects to see a number of potential candidates enter the race on both the Republican and Democrat sides, which he feels is healthy and beneficial.
"The one thing I'm expecting is to expect the unexpected - this is going to be a wide-open, hard-fought primary," Wright said. "The Republican Party is really struggling to discover itself and which direction the party will go in the next 10 to 15 years."
