Illinois's 10th congressional district election, 2006
Encyclopedia
is located in the northern suburbs of Chicago in Cook and Lake counties, along Lake Michigan
. Although reliably Republican in past elections, particularly before the latest redistricting, it voted for John Kerry
in 2004, which made re-election in 2006 a challenge for Republican
incumbent Mark Kirk
. In his most difficult race since 2000, he prevailed by a 53% to 47% margin.
Democratic hopes for winning here rose after Melissa Bean
's win in the neighboring 8th District, which is more Republican. The Democratic candidate was GE
Commercial Finance Director of Marketing Dan Seals
. Seals raised $1,918,167 to Kirk's $3,168,367.
, he currently lives in Wilmette, Illinois
(one half-block outside of the actual 10th district itself) with his wife Mia (maiden name: Miyako Hasegawa) and their three young daughters. Seals taught high school English
in Japan
before earning a Master's in Public Policy
at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Seals was a Presidential Management Fellow during the Clinton Administration and worked on trade issues
to increase overseas markets for U.S. goods. He also spent time on Capitol Hill
, serving as a fellow in the office of Connecticut
Senator Joe Lieberman
, where his primary focus was on economic development and policy. Seals earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago
. He formerly was on leave from his position as Director of Marketing at GE Commercial Finance
while he campaigned full time. He is now self-employed as a consultant.
Seals ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility, pragmatic energy independence solutions, universal access to health care for the 46 million uninsured Americans, and a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
In March 2006, Seals won the Democratic Primary with 70% of the vote.
, and Georgetown University
where he earned his JD. Moreover, Kirk previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank
, and Baker & McKenzie
.
Kirk is the head of the Moderate Republican caucus. He was also Assistant Majority Whip until the Republican Party lost control of the House of Representatives in the November 2006 election. He claims to be fiscally conservative, but pro-choice and pro-environment.
Kirk was endorsed in the 2006 election by all major local newspapers including The Daily Herald
, the Chicago Tribune
, the Chicago Sun-Times
, and the Lake County News Sun. He was also endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Planned Parenthood
.
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. Although reliably Republican in past elections, particularly before the latest redistricting, it voted for John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 2004, which made re-election in 2006 a challenge for Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk
Mark Steven Kirk is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district....
. In his most difficult race since 2000, he prevailed by a 53% to 47% margin.
Democratic hopes for winning here rose after Melissa Bean
Melissa Bean
Melissa Luburich Bean is a former U.S. Representative for the who served from 2005 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
's win in the neighboring 8th District, which is more Republican. The Democratic candidate was GE
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Commercial Finance Director of Marketing Dan Seals
Dan Seals (Illinois politician)
Daniel Joseph Seals is an American business consultant and a Democratic politician from Illinois. Seals was the Democratic nominee in three campaigns to become U.S. Representative for . The first two times he was defeated by the incumbent Mark Kirk...
. Seals raised $1,918,167 to Kirk's $3,168,367.
Dan Seals
Daniel "Dan" Seals is a native of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he currently lives in Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
(one half-block outside of the actual 10th district itself) with his wife Mia (maiden name: Miyako Hasegawa) and their three young daughters. Seals taught high school English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
before earning a Master's in Public Policy
Master of Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Seals was a Presidential Management Fellow during the Clinton Administration and worked on trade issues
United States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, bi-partisan, quasi-judicial, federal agency of the United States that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches. Further, the agency determines the impact of imports on U.S...
to increase overseas markets for U.S. goods. He also spent time on Capitol Hill
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, serving as a fellow in the office of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Senator Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
, where his primary focus was on economic development and policy. Seals earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He formerly was on leave from his position as Director of Marketing at GE Commercial Finance
GE Commercial Finance
GE Commercial Finance is a unit of GE Capital, . Headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, it plays a role in over 35 countries and had assets of over US$335 billion at year end 2007....
while he campaigned full time. He is now self-employed as a consultant.
Seals ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility, pragmatic energy independence solutions, universal access to health care for the 46 million uninsured Americans, and a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
In March 2006, Seals won the Democratic Primary with 70% of the vote.
Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk is a graduate of Cornell, The London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
where he earned his JD. Moreover, Kirk previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, and Baker & McKenzie
Baker & McKenzie
Baker & McKenzie is an international law firm, founded in Chicago in 1949 by Russell Baker and John McKenzie. It is home to more than 3,800 lawyers spread over 70 offices in 42 different countries....
.
Kirk is the head of the Moderate Republican caucus. He was also Assistant Majority Whip until the Republican Party lost control of the House of Representatives in the November 2006 election. He claims to be fiscally conservative, but pro-choice and pro-environment.
Kirk was endorsed in the 2006 election by all major local newspapers including The Daily Herald
Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois newspaper)
The Daily Herald is a daily newspaper based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The newspaper is distributed in the northern, northwestern and western suburbs of Chicago...
, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, and the Lake County News Sun. He was also endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
.