A tight race between 14th District State incumbent Kelly Cassidy and former Equality Illinois President Paula Basta has set off a controversy over an endorsement from Equality Illinois' Political Action Committee (PAC).
Cassidy and Basta, both out lesbians and longtime community activists, are engaged in what many believe will be a close battle for the 14th District seat.
The A-Ville Daily, an Andersonville news and culture blog, published a post Oct. 19 reporting that Cassidy was claiming and endorsement from PAC that she did not receive.
The reality is far more complicated.
According to A-Ville Daily blogger Richard Czuba, the Cassidy campaign listed the PAC endorsement on its website and literature. Czuba published a piece of Cassidy literature which contained the endorsement. However, he said Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov told him in an email that PAC had not yet released its official endorsements for the race.
Czuba brought the issue to the attention of Windy City Times.
Jeremy Gottschalk, president of the Equality Illinois board, told Windy City Times that it is true that PAC has yet to release its endorsements. However, he said, the policy of PAC is to always endorse pro-gay incumbents, regardless of the opposition.
"[Cassidy] is the pro-gay incumbent," he said. "We support her. She's going to get our endorsement."
Cassidy has held her seat since May of this year, when she was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Ald. Harry Osterman.
According to Gottschalk, Cassidy was correct in assuming that she would get the endorsement, despite the fact that it had not been officially announced.
Cassidy said that she had given little thought to the questions surrounding the endorsement.
"I am dealing with the real issues that face people in this district," she said. "This is a continued distraction that ultimately means nothing… they have been supporting me since my first event."
PAC awarded Cassidy with a $1,000 donation in July when her campaign kicked off, a contribution visible on the State Board of Elections website.
The endorsement may put some at the organization's PAC in an uncomfortable position, however. Basta is a former president of Equality Illinois' board, which she sat on for seven years.
"This is not about Paula at all," Gottschalk said, adding that the endorsement was based on PAC rules and not feelings about Basta's candidacy.
Incumbent support is not unusual practice among political action committees, many of which have similar rules about endorsing friendly incumbents.
Gottschalk said the policy is in place to ensure that pro-gay legislators are not thrown under the bus at the end of their terms. Theoretically, he said, a straight incumbent could be endorsed over an LGBT contender.
Basta released a statement to Windy City Times on her feelings about the endorsement.
"Due to my long history of service to EQIL, I would be honored to accept their endorsement," Basta wrote. "However, I will honor their process regardless of their decision. My partner Terri and I enthusiastically support their important work for our community by continuing to be Capitol Club members, serve on host committees for events and will serve once gain as Table [captains] for the EQIL gala in Feb. 2012."
Asked if endorsing Cassidy over Basta was awkward, Gottschalk said, "Of course it is. I love Paula. Paula is amazing."
Regardless, he said, the PAC is now officially endorsing Cassidy in light of the questions raised.
If controversy does not reside in the Cassidy campaign, however, the brouhaha may have raised questions about the source of the controversy.
Multiple sources alluded to a conflict of interest in the A-Ville Daily post.
Windy City Times found that Czuba is a pollster and CEO of Glengariff Group. According to the Illinois Board of Elections website, "Friends of Paula Basta" paid Glengariff Group $2,900 for research purposes in March 2010.
Basta responded promptly to an inquiry by Windy City Times about Czuba and confirmed her relationship with the blogger.
"Richard Czuba is a long time friend and supporter of my campaign" Basta wrote in an email. "We have used his services in the past. His actions and opinions are his own."
Czuba is also a financial contributor to Basta's campaign, he confirmed when asked to comment on the findings. However, he said, bloggers are not bound to the same rules as journalists.
"The real question here isn't about who has relationships with who," he said. "It's about what is the process here [for endorsements]… When a qualified LGBT challenger arises, they are almost automatically dismissed."
Czuba has published a handful of posts about the Cassidy/Basta race, including an exclusive A-Ville Daily poll on the race, conducted by Glengariff Group.
