Today, the Cook Political Report moved the race for Illinois-06 to a Toss-Up in its ratings of the 2018 elections. In their assessment of the race, the Cook Political Report notes that Rep. Peter Roskam has been a Republican “party loyalist” who represents a district that is moving away from him and his record of voting in lockstep with Washington Republicans and Speaker Paul Ryan.
The grassroots energy is building to sweep Roskam from office, and yesterday more than 100 constituents protested Roskam for writing and passing a tax plan that is going to hike taxes on the middle class in order to give breaks to big corporations. Roskam’s deeply unpopular tax scam was also the subject of a press conference earlier this week that drew all eight of the Democrats vying to take out Roskam in 2018.
“The people of the sixth district have been are moving away from establishment Republicans like Rep. Peter Roskam who has continued to cast votes against the best interests of his constituents,” said DCCC spokesperson Jacob Peters. “Rep. Roskam voted for the disastrous Republican healthcare bill and wrote the Republican tax scam that will raise taxes on middle class families and homeowners in the Chicago suburbs, and it’s increasingly clear that Rep. Roskam has overstayed his welcome in Washington.”
—
House: Ratings Changes in Seven Districts as GOP Majority in Peril
By David Wasserman
November 17, 2017
IL-06: Peter Roskam (R) – Chicago west suburbs: Wheaton, Palatine
Toss Up. Roskam has been a party loyalist since 2006, narrowly losing a bid for GOP whip in 2014 and casting conservative votes. But his suburban Chicago district has moved away from the GOP so fast that Democrats are now wishing they hadn’t protected him in their 2012 gerrymander. In 2016, Clinton won this seat 50 percent to 43 percent. Only eight House Republicans represent a seat Trump lost by more. Defeating Roskam will be Chicago Democrats’ top priority.
The large Democratic field is led by financial adviser and former North Barrington Village Trustee Kelly Mazeski, who had $343,000 on hand at the end of September. Clean energy businessman Sean Casten, former congressional aide Carole Cheney and 2016 nominee Amanda Howland are running too. Fortunately for Democrats, Illinois’s March 20 primary should give the nominee more time to consolidate support and raise money to compete in a very expensive market.