Posted by Monique Garcia at 12:04 p.m.
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Sheila Simon greeted commuters today at a Chicago train station, a campaign tradition that in this case comes nearly two months after the primary election.
Gov. Pat Quinn greeted people alongside Simon, his personal choice for running mate after primary winner Scott Lee Cohen dropped out following damaging revelations about his personal life. Democratic Party officials ratified Simon as the party’s nominee on Saturday.
Simon, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, acknowledged she has her “foot in the door” because of her family’s political legacy in Illinois but said she still needs “lots of introduction” before voters head to the polls in November.
Part of that introduction includes today’s six-city tour, which started in Chicago and is scheduled to end this evening in Carbondale, where Simon is a law teacher at Southern Illinois University.
“I am looking forward to meeting people across the state to focus on all of our families and what we want to do in terms of making this government serve the people of Illinois better,” Simon said, adding she sees her role as supporting Quinn’s agenda.
Joined by her husband and two daughters, Simon noted that one of her strengths is that she is a mother and will be able to connect with women voters.
She has already adopted one of Quinn’s regular talking points, referring to Republican governor candidate Bill Brady as “extreme" and outside of the "mainstream." At the same time, she brushed aside the idea that her views may be too liberal for many voters in southern and central Illinois.
“I don’t believe that government is the enemy, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Simon said. “I come from a tradition of understanding that government can serve the people, and I think that folks in southern and central Illinois understand that and are looking forward to an open dialog.”
If elected, Simon said she plans to continue to live in Carbondale rather than move to Springfield. She noted her father lived in downstate Troy while he served as lieutenant governor.