Illinois Democrat Lieutenant Governor Whites Only Need Apply

By Charles S. Mombo

Illinois State Representative Arthur L. Turner

The slot for Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois became available after Pat Quinn, the former lieutenant governor succeeded Governor Rod Blagojevich who was impeachment and removal from office.

It should be noted that while the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois are technically "running mates," in the sense that they will be listed together on the general election ballot in the same way that people vote for president and vice president, the governor does not pick the lieutenant governor. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Illinois are nominated in separate primaries, but they run together as one ticket in the general election.

On February 2, 2010, the Democratic primary election for the position of lieutenant governor was held with Scott Lee Cohen, a white candidate winning by 209,402 votes follow by Illinois State Senator Arthur L. Turner, African American, with 178,288 votes in a field of six candidates.

Immediate after the results was announced, Scott Lee Cohen, a businessman who won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Illinois in the primary came under fire for allegations of domestic violence, involving a 2005 arrest for allegedly holding a knife to a then-girlfriend's throat.

Cohan was forced to withdraw as a candidate of the Democratic Party for the office of Lieutenant Governor – which he eventually ended up doing. Personally, I do not think he should have withdrawn, but that's for another story.

In most civilized society, the runner-up which was Arthur L. Turner with 178,288 votes in a field of six candidates should have replaced Cohan. Instead the Illinois Democratic machine, decided to put a 38-member Democratic State Central Committee together to vote on Cohen's replacement. Some Democrats have discussed nominating a white candidate from downstate rather than Turner, who is African-American, in a bid to balance the statewide ticket.

In a complete disrespect and an apparent blatant racist move, the Illinois Democratic Party is taking what they term “online applications for the lieutenant governor spot”. Thus far, more than 220 people have submitted their names, including Sheila Simon, the daughter of late former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was recently heard on a local radio station as saying , “Like anything else, there's only one winner for the lieutenant governor's position, and that's Turner, Art Turner, he won second," he also told reporters after a recent City Council meeting. "If you run for public office and the person drops out before the election or even after the election, the person who was second moves automatically up. If you forfeit a game, you win the game."