The race in Illinois' 14th Congressional District is a do-over between Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren and Democratic challenger Dennis Anderson. In 2012, Anderson got 41% of the vote, a margin that surprised NIU political scientist Matt Streb. "This is a district that Democrats essentially packed with Republicans," Streb says, noting Anderson has another uphill battle against Hultgren.
"Packing" is a tactic Democratic map-makers used to put a large number of Republicans in one district, thereby strengthening the Democratic population in adjacent districts.
The Republican Party's dominance in IL-14 may explain the disparity in fundraising between the candidates. Streb cites recent figures showing Hultgren raised about $1.1 million, compared to the $40,000 raised by Anderson. "It's very difficult," Streb says, "to run a campaign on $40,000."
Streb compares this amount with that raised by the challenger in a neighboring district, the 11th: "Darlene Senger, the Republican candidate, is being criticized for her fundraising, and she raised $600,000."
So what are the important issues in the 14th? Streb says Anderson has focused on job creation. "He also is trying to portray Hultgren as an extremist," says Streb. "Hultgren, if you'll remember, was the only one who voted not to reopen the government after the shutdown."
But Hultgren's overall loyalty to the GOP makes him a good fit for the district, according to the most recent party unity scores. "That is the percentage of time you vote with your party on a particular issue," Streb says. "Randy Hultgren has supported the Republican Party's position 95% of the time."
On Tuesday, Streb analyzes the race in the 16th Congressional District. Listen during Morning Edition at 6:34 and 8:34, then come back here for more information. Here's the schedule for the remaining interviews:
Wednesday, Oct. 29: 17th Congressional District;
Thursday, Oct. 30: 11th & 8th Congressional Districts;
Friday, Oct. 31: Governor's race.
Previously, we examined the Illinois U.S. Senate race. Matt Streb chairs the political science department at Northern Illinois University. #WNIJ2014Election
