Your being surrounded....
Not by a long shot. My ward, wards to my south along the lakefront and Evanston just two blocks to my north are among the bluest areas in the State. Guns and abortion? Misinformation about common sense gun regulation and religion.
“I was campaigning on jobs, education, broadband internet, infrastructure, all kinds of things that would help this area. But because I wouldn’t say anything about guns and abortion, oh, they was deathly against me,” Spencer said. “That’s all they’re concerned about is guns and abortion.”
Like Spenser I have nothing to say to those people. I don't CARE if they feel misunderstood or left behind.
Neither guns nor abortion will impact their lives as positively as much as what Spenser campaigned on and Biden has brought to fruition.
Spencer is the Democratic County chairman in Clay County, about 240 miles south of Chicago. That’s the political home turf of state Sen. Darren Bailey, one of four declared GOP candidates aiming to unseat Pritzker next year.
Spencer lives next door to Bailey’s legislative office in Louisville, the county seat, and looks out at the county courthouse where Bailey originally litigated against Pritzker, challenging the governor’s authority to issue and then extend his stay-at-home orders early in the pandemic. Bailey’s lawsuit is pending in Sangamon County Circuit Court, where it was consolidated with other legal challenges to Pritzker’s pandemic orders.
Spencer, who has been involved in Democratic politics since the early 1990s, said his party affiliation has not been a helpful calling card for him in his community.
“Sometimes, you might get hit,” Spencer said in a tone where it didn’t sound like he was joking. “I just try not to say too much to anybody anymore. It’s hard living here.”
And, he said, his party affiliation has been hard on his wallet.
“I had a real good construction business going, but I seen a year ago that those days were over because I’m a Democrat. So I went to work at Walmart,” he said. “I couldn’t buy a job now if I wanted one in the line of construction, because nobody wants a Democrat on their property.”
Since 1972, Clay County has drifted back and forth between Democratic and Republican candidates for governor, voting for Walker in 1972, Democratic nominee Neil Hartigan in 1990 and Poshard in 1998. Since then, it’s been a solidly red county.
“Now, if Glenn was to run for dog catcher against a cat, the cat would get 90% of the vote,” said Spencer, who called Poshard a friend.
Last year, Spencer ran for Bailey’s open House seat but lost to Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich. Spencer drew only 18 percent of the vote.
“I was campaigning on jobs, education, broadband internet, infrastructure, all kinds of things that would help this area. But because I wouldn’t say anything about guns and abortion, oh, they was deathly against me,” Spencer said. “That’s all they’re concerned about is guns and abortion.”
Another issue of concern to the electorate in his area are vaccine mandates.
“One of the ladies that I work with up at …Walmart, I talked to her last week and I asked her, ‘Hey, did you ever get your coronavirus shot yet?’ ‘Oh, no. I won’t get that for nothing. They can’t make me take that vaccine,’ ” he said, quoting her. “Well, I found out this morning, she’s on a ventilator.”
When asked if he knows anyone who has succumbed to the illness, Spencer said, “Oh yeah, I know a lot of people that’s died from COVID.”
