And in the 5th District...

Hopefully 538 will get all over this race since they live in the district (or blocks away), but I'm interested in it since well. A former professor of mine is running for the Congressional seat—Charlie Wheelan (full disclosure: not only did I have Charlie as a professor, I've volunteered at the campaign a bit).

The race is for Rahm's (and Blago's... and Rosty's...) old seat. It is wide open at the moment—thanks to Blago forcing every elected Illinois politician to keep their mouth shut due to the political climate. Thus the Cook County Dems haven't gotten behind anyone... so everyone and their brother is running at the moment.

But back to Dr. Wheelan... Charlie is a policy guy, which I like, and has an econ background. In a time like this that might come in handy. Bellow is a nice video of Charlie on the campaign trail.

Who else is running? Illinois state representatives Sara Feigenholtz and John Fritchey, Chicago Alderman Patrick O'Connor and Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley are the main Democrats in the race. But all, despite what they say, have some sort of connection—at some level—to the Chicago Machine. The same Machine which gave us Blago, Jessie Jackson, Jr., and over course Mayor "Olympics or Bust, even if it means crime goes up and the schools fail" Richie W. Daley.