Could retiring County Commissioner Forrest Claypool be in the running to take Scott Lee Cohen’s abdicated seat as the Democrats’ lieutenant governor candidate?
Both Capitol Fax and Crain’s have reported the rumor that the White House is courting Claypool for the spot, and so far Claypool isn’t answering his phone to comment. (I left a message, and will report back if I hear anything)
How likely is Claypool to run for guv lite? Claypool was once Gov. Pat Quinn’s right-hand man when Quinn was state treasurer. He's pals with President Barack Obama's trusted adviser David Axelrod, with whom he helped found AKPD Message and Media. But he is a North Side Chicagoan, and much of the discussion in past weeks has been on how to balance the Dems’ ticket with a downstate candidate.
In comments he made to the Current, Claypool said he was looking forward to getting his business, Rise Health, off the ground.
He said the early primary interfered with his business efforts, and factored into his decision to step away from politics. But, he said he wouldn’t rule out politics forever.
“My objective was not to leave civic or political life entirely. It was basically to put in motion this experiment to demonstrate this model of health care delivery, which I think has the potential to solve the health care crisis,” he said in January.
Windy Citizen 