My congressman has convinced me to switch my vote.
Illinois' primary election is Tuesday. I've written previously about a number of candidate choices. This diary is about Cook County Board president, and how one's mind can change this late (just a few days before the election). Early on, after watching a debate in early January, hearing positive accounts from people I know that work under her in the circuit court, and hearing that she had the endorsement of Danny Davis, I had chosen to support Dorothy Brown for county board president. There is another candidate in the race who I've been open to but not convinced to switch my vote to her. Her name is Toni Preckwinkle and she is an alderwoman on the south side of Chicago. I've also heard great things about her--her independent record and strong ethics. She also has the endorsement of Jan Schakowsky whom I also like.
Then, this morning I got a phone call from my congressman, Jesse Jackson Jr. He has endorsed Preckwinkle. Because I feel that he has represented me well with his votes over the last year and I trust his judgment, I have decided to switch my vote to Toni Preckwinkle.
This is just a personal account of mine, but I think it could be extrapulated to "lessons learned" for upcoming elections. These lessons are the following: There can be two positive candidates in a race. Endorsements and first and second-hand accounts matter to many people just as much as looking at a candidate's record and positions. One's own representative can change minds if he/she has done a good job representing his/her district.