Weighed down by a Republican voting history and skipped votes in local elections since 1997, first-time Democratic State Senate candidate Jim Madigan's challenge to incumbent Sen. Heather Steans for the party's nomination in the overwhelmingly progressive north Chicago lakefront district becomes a heavier lift.
A civil rights attorney and gay rights activist, Madigan, 35, is an Ohio native who arrived at the University of Chicago law school in 1997 and registered to vote in Chicago on January 23, 1997, according to Chicago Board of Elections records.
Madigan cast his first Chicago vote in the Republican presidential primary battle between George W. Bush, John McCain, Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer and Steve Forbes in Illinois on March 21, 2000.
Since that Republican primary, Madigan, the former executive director of Equality Illinois, a gay rights political group, has cast primary ballots only in the Democratic primary. Since Illinois has no formal partisan registration, primary voting habits determine party affiliation.
While Madigan has also voted in every general election since 2000 -- he claims to have voted for Al Gore -- Madigan has, however, skipped every mayoral and aldermanic election in the City of Chicago since he registered in 1997.
In response to questions from your Huffington Post blogger, Madigan said in a statement:
"I pulled a Republican ballot in the Spring 2000 primary because the field had virulent anti-gay candidates: Bush, Keyes and Bauer. ... Bush was leading in the polls, and that scared me because he was the biggest threat to gay rights and womens' rights. I thought Forbes and McCain were more easily beatable, and neither seemed to be the types to blast gay people."
Madigan neglected to mention exactly for whom he voted in the 2000 Republican presidential primary, but implies Forbes or McCain. Regarding municipal elections, Madigan ignored the question altogether.
The impact of Madigan's voting history in his upcoming election against Steans divides local analysts.
"Jim Madigan will not fly in this district," said Executive Vice President of the Cook County Democratic Party and Illinois House Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang.
"With his voting record, he has shown little, if any interest in local government, politics, or even voting. Additionally, his GOP background will not serve him well in a community that is overwhelmingly Democratic and progressive.
"Senator Steans has been a terrific advocate for the district and will not be taken out by a candidate who cannot even take the time to vote in important elections."
However, Thom Serafin, head of the communication consulting firm Serafin and Associates since 1987 and a local Fox TV News political analyst, has a different take.
"It doesn't matter when he voted or for whom -- the good news is he voted," said Serafin. "We have had too many candidates too handcuffed by party politics and he needs to make that case. Progressives should appreciate that kind of independence."
But Madigan ignored city elections. And Serafin deftly acknowledges that lack of local voting history presents more of a challenge.
"As far as municipal elections, they are tough," Serafin said. "But he'll need to make the case that his interest now presents a new awakening."
Professor Paul Green, director of the Institute for Politics at Roosevelt University and a Crain's Chicago Business political columnist, sums up the impact of Madigan's voting history more succinctly.
"Jim Madigan has little chance," Green said.
For her part, Steans offered the following observation:
"7th District primary voters can decide for themselves if Jim Madigan's decision to pull a Republican ballot to vote for George Bush or John McCain is relevant to the representation they will receive from him in Springfield."
Steans is right.
The ultimate "experts" on the impact of Madigan's voting history will be the Democratic voters along Chicago's north lakefront.
And they can be an unforgiving bunch.