North Cook News

Republicans plan to actively vie for the House District 57 seat given up recently in a surprise announcement by veteran legislator Elaine Nekritz.

After 14 years, the 59-year-old Northbrook Democrat widely known as a moderate told her party she will not be seeking re-election in 2018. It is unclear when Nekritz plans to leave office, though steps in anticipation of her departure are underway.

“The person we ideally envision stepping in will be a fiscal conservative,” Wheeling Township GOP Committeewoman Ruth O’Connell told the North Cook News. “Getting a balanced budget is the most important thing we can do as a state right now, and getting someone who can deal with that will be extremely important. We’ll take time to see what’s possible and talk to all the other committee people who have a say in this, but I’ve already got a couple people in mind.”

Elaine Nekritz

Whether Jonathan Greenberg, the man who proved to be a formidable rival of Nekritz's in 2014, figures in the mix remains to be seen.

Greenberg said he was as surprised as anyone to see Nekritz walk away, but he added that he has no plans to run at this point.

“It’s too soon to say,” he told the North Cook News. “I’m a ‘never say never’ guy, but it would take a lot for me to get to that point.”

Regardless, Greenberg said the post needs someone who shares his views and vision.

“The person has to be a social moderate and someone who understands the issues,” he said. “The biggest issue facing the state is the reform of the pension system that’s bankrupting us. Until we do something about that, people and jobs will continue to leave the state in droves. Everything else has to be secondary to that.”

Nekritz has been a key figure in Democratic efforts to rework public pension laws, including a plan that at one point was overturned by the court system. The assistant House majority leader is also considered one of House Speaker Michael Madigan’s (D-Chicago) most powerful suburban allies.

Greenberg said that loyalty probably won't work this time.

“Dems would be wise to stay away from someone who is all about doing whatever Madigan wants,” he said. “For them to put forth a candidate like that would tell you they don’t have an original thought.”

The budget standoff between Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic controlled Legislature has left Illinois with more than $15 billion in unpaid bills.

“We need someone dedicated to changing that,” O’Connell added.