No go

Prospective candidates often hesitated before committing to run for office. Some may have worried about being able to raise enough money to finance a viable campaign, or they didn’t want to be away from their kids for a long time, or things were really good at work and they didn’t want to disrupt that, or they just didn’t think they had the stamina for a grueling campaign.

Even when they didn’t explain their reasons, savvy organizers could usually figure those out.

But when experienced politicos hesitated without giving specific reasons, it wasn’t always clear why.

Prior to the 1984 Democratic primary, Deborah Senn was slow to commit to a race for State Representative in a 48th/49th/50th ward district. She was the logical choice for Independents, having run in the previous election. She enjoyed high name recognition, could call on a loyal following of supporters, and possessed a good understanding of what it would take to make the race.

Still, she hesitated.

She eventually opted out, and it was later learned that she had been considering a very attractive job opportunity in another state. She didn’t take it but she later relocated to Washington state where she was elected three times as state Insurance Commissioner and made an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat.

Next, Sandy Stein was approached. He was an articulate and knowledgeable attorney who had grown up in the 50th ward and was active in community affairs in the 48th. He was thought to be politically ambitious and he appeared to have good fund-raising contacts.

He hesitated, too.

When he opted out, he revealed that he had recently made an offer on a home in Highland Park.

Political organizers needed to know right away when good candidates were not ready to make the race so there would be enought time for them to recruit somebody else.