UPDATE 3:20 p.m. by Monique Garcia: Quinn says Simon should be his running mate, but there are no guarantees.
Gov. Pat Quinn today said he wants Sheila Simon, the daughter of the late Sen. Paul Simon, to be his running mate for the November general election.
At an afternoon news conference in Chicago, Quinn said Simon fit his requirement that a lieutenant governor candidate "should be a strong advocate of everyday, ordinary people." He said Simon, who did not appear at the news conference, has an "exemplary record of public service on her own" as a Carbondale City Council member, teacher and former prosecutor.
"It’s important to have a strong voice for downstate Illinois, and that’s what Sheila Simon will be," Quinn said.
Quinn was asked about the bid of state Rep. Art Turner, a Chicago Democrat who finished second in the primary and is calling on the party’s ruling State Central Committee to pick him tomorrow.
The governor did not suggest Turner drop out of the running, but said he and Simon would continue to make their case in advance of the meeting.
"I hope the members listen to what I said," Quinn said, saying Simon is "the best to fill this vacancy."
"There are no guarantees in life, especially if you are in a democracy," Quinn said.
Posted by Ray Long and Rick Pearson at 11:59 a.m.
State Rep. Art Turner of Chicago is still working today to persuade Democratic colleagues that he should be the party’s candidate for lieutenant governor, even though Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to announce this afternoon that he wants his running mate to be Sheila Simon, the daughter of the late Sen. Paul Simon.
"The race is not over," Turner said this morning.
Sources told the Tribune last night that Quinn has decided on Simon — he is expected to make that announcement official at 2 p.m. today. Quinn has said he hopes party leaders will endorse his choice when they gather in Springfield Saturday to vote on the replacement to Chicago pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen, who won the Feb. 2 primary but withdrew after news stories about his arrest record and financial problems.
Turner, a veteran state lawmaker from Chicago’s West Side who is African-American, finished second to Cohen in the primary and is making a case that he should be the choice to run with Quinn in the November general election. He has gathered support from both black and white Democrats, but some of his supporters are warning that snubbing him for the No. 2 spot could offend the black community and depress the vote of a core Democratic constituency.
Turner pressed his case on the floor of the Illinois House this morning before the chamber was scheduled to adjourn for spring break. He joined House Speaker Michael Madigan, the state Democratic Party chairman, on the speaker’s podium, where the two smiled, shook hands and chatted.
Madigan endorsed Turner in the Feb. 2 primary race but has signaled he’d give strong consideration to Quinn’s choice.
Turner worked his way from colleague to colleague in the House, at one point huddling Reps. Constance Howard of Chicago and Karen Yarbrough of Maywood. As he stood at the front of the chamber and leaned slightly forward onto Howard’s front-row, Turner placed his right hand on the shoulders of Yarbrough as they chatted with Howard.
"This is a 500-mile race. This is lap 499," Turner said. "The air’s swelled in the tires, and the gas tank is full, and we’re still running."
Both Howard and Yarbrough are members of the 38-person Democratic State Central Committee, made up of a male and female representative from each of the state’s 19 Congressional districts. At the meeting Saturday, members will cast votes that are weighted to reflect the turnout in their congressional districts in the primary election.
Quinn told the Tribune on Thursday night that he would make his pick known Friday, and he spoke favorably of Simon.
"I know Sheila," Quinn said. "I’ve worked with Sheila. She has a servant’s heart, and that’s exactly what Illinois needs in a lieutenant governor."
Simon, 49, said Thursday night that she had not talked to the governor about his decision but said she was "excited" to hear that sources had confirmed she was his preferred candidate.
"If it is offered, I will accept," Simon said.
Simon already was on a list of 16 potential candidates put together by Democratic Party leaders after public hearings.
"I think there may be a shorter list than the Sweet 16, and I think I’m probably on that," Simon said.
When Quinn and Simon talked before he made his decision, they "focused a lot on whether we would be compatible, and I said, ‘Yes, I support his proposal for a tax increase,’" she said.
Quinn has long trumpeted Paul Simon as a pillar of ethical government to the point that he often uses a bow tie that Simon gave him as a prop. With Sheila Simon, Quinn would have a female running mate to help him with female voters, with whom he has struggled, as well as among downstate voters where his primary challenger, Comptroller Dan Hynes, had the most success.
"The No. 1 goal is to get the governor elected and get the Democratic ticket elected," Simon said. "I think I’m pretty well suited to help out in that department.
"I am someone who fits the bill geographically, broadens the ticket a little bit. I think women’s votes are a primary concern in the campaign, and I think I can help there. … I have some name recognition that will help get me in the door a few places."
Quinn had earlier encouraged state Sen. Susan Garrett of Lake Forest to apply for the nomination. But in recent days, she has asked that Quinn make significant budget cuts and take other steps to assure voters of his ability to handle the state’s fiscal problems before pushing for a 33 percent increase in the state’s income tax, moving the personal rate from 3 percent to 4 percent.