Like Foley in Florida, this unfortunate series of events can make for an opportunity for another Dem pickup in the House. In the Illnois 19th District,
Dan Stover is the man who can replace Shimkus in Congress.
Here is the
Illinois 19th District currently held by Rep. Shimkus(R-IL).
Stover's FEC filings show modest support for this Dem. He has challenged Shimkus directly on the incumbents' stance on minimum wage (summary here) but beyond that i do not find a lot of press on this race.
I'm trying to locate a recent poll for this race, but I will hazard a bet that some fresh green in the candidates campaign would make a significant difference.
I just kicked him $50. How about you?
-GFO