Evans Retires

Democratic chances for regaining the House just experienced a setback, when Illinois congressman Lane Evans announced his retirement. (Evans had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease for several years, and he's been quite ill for the past month.)

Evans was a good example of why the Dems were able for so long to retain a House majority. He first won election in 1982, in an upset, helped by the fact that a conservative primary challenger had defeated the moderate GOP incumbent, Tom Railsback. His district retained a GOP tilt at least until the 2002 redistricting, yet Evans compiled a strongly liberal record in the House. He kept his seat by outcampaigning his opponents and by repackaging his agenda as"progressive" or"populist"--a skill too few Dems seem to possess in the current climate. Evans also gave an early endorsement to Barack Obama's 2004 bid for the Senate--long before Obama was the primary frontrunner. Evans was, in fact, the first prominent white Dem officeholder to endorse Obama.

Under Illinois rules, the local Dem leaders will name Evans' replacement, but the party will be hard pressed to keep the seat.