Via the Chicago Sun-Times, Details surface of Scott Lee Cohen’s 2024 domestic violence arrest:
Scott Lee Cohen — a pawnbroker who shocked state Democratic leaders Tuesday night by winning the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor — was arrested about four-and-a-half years ago and accused of holding a knife to a former live-in girlfriend’s neck, newly obtained court records show.
The misdemeanor charge against Cohen was dropped weeks later when the woman — who had just been found guilty of prostitution — failed to show up to testify, according to those records.
Emphasis mine.
How this wasn’t found out before the primary is stunning. It certainly won’t do much for the state’s already tarnished (to be kind) political reputation.
Bold prediction: assuming he doesn’t quit the race, the GOP will win the seat. However, based on the details in the story, I don’t see how he can remain a candidate.
h/t: The Political Wire.
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February 4th, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Maybe. Maybe not. Never underestimate the ability of the Illinois Republican Party to shoot itself in the foot.
Less than 500 votes separate Bill Brady, the current leader in the Republican primary race for the governor’s slot on the ticket, from Kirk Dillard, the guy in second place. Unless a miracle occurs the Republicans won’t know who the candidate is for months to come.
All they can hope is that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
February 4th, 2024 at 3:20 pm
This isn’t the first time the Illinois Dems have had a controversial Lt. Governor’s race.
In 1986, George Sangmeister ran for Lt. Governor and was upset by a Lyndon Larouche nutcase.
Adlai Stevenson III was the gubernatorial candidate. Interestingly, in the 1982 race Stevenson had just narrowly lost to James Thompson after a recount (in which dysfuncitional punch-card ballots and chads were being debated in the IL Supreme Court).
Many thought Stevenson was robbed of the ‘82 election and Thompson was never overly popular. So Stevenson tagged Sangmeister to be the Lt. Gov. candidate since he was from downstate IL and not part of the Chicago “machine.”
Stevenson won the primary, but Sangmeister didn’t even campaign, giving the Larouche candidate the election.
What was interesting, though was that Stevenson stepped down from the Democratic ticket and he and Sangmeister ran on an independent ticket, ultimately losing to Thompson.
February 4th, 2024 at 5:04 pm
they should replace him with john kerry’s former running mate.
February 5th, 2024 at 8:10 am
[...] I noted a report that stated that the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor for the state of Illinois, Scott Lee Cohen [...]