North Cook News

A campaign ad put out by a political action committee against one of the relative few incumbent state House Democrats running opposed this election season seems, at first glance, to show the state's House speaker in drag with Trump hair.

The image in the ad appears to be the face of state House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) superimposed onto the shoulders and head of Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, complete with pearl earrings. The image is topped with what probably is the tussled hair of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Above that, it says, "Blank Check Carol Sente created this monster" and beside it, "Chicago Democrat boss House Speaker Mike Madigan combines the worst qualities of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump."

Under that is the statement, "Blank Check Carol Sente supports Speaker Madigan's personal enrichment at your expense and his lack of transparency about it because she benefits to the tune of $1,438,834 in campaign cash from Madigan."

Below that is a handful of supporting quotes, followed by "On November 8th, Vote NO on Mike Madigan by Voting NO on Blank Check Carol Sente."

"Blank Check Carol Sente" is the favored sobriquet applied by Liberty Principles PAC, a group that supports free market-oriented policies and candidates, to state Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills).

Sente is running for re-election and, unlike many other state incumbents this election season, she faces a Republican challenger, Dawn Abernathy of Mundelein.

The ad is similar to another online ad that displays an oversize blank check projected behind an image of Sente and urges Illinois voters to “bounce blank check Carol.” In that ad, the oversize check is written to the order of Illinois State Workers and Sente's written name appears on the signature line.

Neither ad mentions Abernathy, but both are aimed at Abernathy's incumbent opponent for the District 59 state House seat.

Abernathy, a Mundelein village trustee, is a homemaker with a master's degree in education who was appointed to the Lake County Housing Authority in August 2015.

Sente has represented District 59 since she was appointed to the seat in 2009 following the resignation of her predecessor, Kathleen Ryg. The following year, Sente was elected to the seat, defeating Republican challenger Dan Sugrue.

The final weeks of that campaign were marked by ads that attacked Sente's Republican opponent based on his pro-life views.

Sente's current term ends Jan. 10, 2017.

Two-thirds of Illinois' state representatives are running unopposed, meaning 76 state representatives have all but already won their seats, while 42 seats, including Sente's District 59, each are being sought by a Republican and a Democrat. Despite that, a record number of voters, 3.3 million, turned out for the state's primary elections in March, 400,000 more than 2008.

District 59 is made up of portions of Buffalo Grove, Gurnee, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Wheeling.

Liberty Principles PAC was founded by Proft in October 2012. Proft is a principal of Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which owns North Cook News.