Posted by Monique Garcia at 11:45 a.m.; last updated at 4:09 p.m.
Gov. Pat Quinn today said he has encouraged Iraq military veteran Tammy Duckworth to pursue the vacant Democratic lieutenant governor nomination.
“I think she’s a very formidable human being, who’s an all-American hero and I think we should honor her heroism. She lost her limbs in Iraq on behalf of our Democracy, so she is somebody I will always honor no matter what,” Quinn told reporters.
“I certainly said to her in the course of visiting with her, I said that I thought if she was interested, if she wanted to bring her name forward, she should let us know promptly," he said.
But the governor said Duckworth told him she has other considerations to weigh, including her job with the Obama administration in Washington. She serves as the assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs for the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Quinn is searching for new running mate after Chicago pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen dropped out after winning this month’s lieutenant governor primary. Cohen was pressured by Democrats to get out after revelations that he has been accused of abusing women, injecting illegal steroids and failing to pay $54,000 in child support even as he spent more than $2 million of his own money campaigning.
Duckworth, who unsuccessfully ran for a west suburban congressional seat in 2006, could not be immediately reached. Duckworth lost both of her legs in combat in Iraq during a helicopter crash.
The governor, who has kept out of the public eye since the Cohen debacle, praised Duckworth at a West Side event honoring black history month. Quinn said he has other candidates in mind if Duckworth says no, but declined to offer specifics.
Two other politicians who lost to Cohen for the Democratic lieutenant governor nomination were in the room and voiced their interest in the running mate slot. State Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, said he could help Quinn bring in African-American voters. State Rep. Art Turner, D-Chicago, a longtime Hendon rival, pointed out that he finished second to Cohen.
Asked about Turner’s second-place argument, Quinn replied: “Well that isn’t exactly the way that it works in the law of Illinois. Something happened after the primary so under the law of our state the elected members of the Democratic Party have to meet and hear various candidates who are interested. I invite everybody to come forward.”
The Democratic State Central Committee is expected to meet after the election results are certified March 5 to start the replacement process. Illinois Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan, who’s also the House speaker, has said he will work with Quinn and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton on finding a candidate to replace Cohen.
Quinn also said he doesn’t agree with attempts to eliminate the lieutenant governor office. Madigan filed legislation to ask voters this November whether the office should be eliminated in January 2015.
“I told Mike Madigan I don’t think that’s a good way to go,” Quinn said. “I think we should have a lieutenant governor who is capable, who in the case of an emergency can assume the office of governor and do a good job for the people. I think it’s also important to have a lieutenant governor who’s a strong voice for veterans and for service members, for their families, that’s what I have done over the last six years when I was lieutenant governor.”
Quinn also didn’t provide many details about what might be in the budget plan he’ll release next month.
“Well I’m going to have a budget address on the 10th of March, and you’ll hear plenty about that, tax reform. I think that’s really what we need in our state, we have a system that has a burden that’s way to high on ordinary people and I want to try to reduce that burden.”