Elections 2012: McAuliffe, Randazzo Battle for 20th House District

Michael P. McAuliffe proudly shows off his father’s old campaign posters and pins in his dining room at home. The red 1980 poster shows the late Rep. Roger McAuliffe’s face and reads “McAuliffe for the 14th District.” The McAuliffes have controlled the northwest Chicago area – which includes parts of Niles, Park Ridge, and Norridge – for decades.

Back then the district was the 14th. It has since changed to the 16th and is now the 20th House District.

Three decades after the poster was made, McAuliffe, 48, who has served 16 years in the Illinois House of Representatives, is being challenged by Bruce Randazzo, 55, who is determined to force change in the working class district. Both agree that the economy in Illinois has taken a hit, and that changes need to be made to improve the business climate. Their focus, however, is different.

The younger McAuliffe grew up in politics. He was an aide for his father before inheriting his seat in 1996, after his sudden death. After 16 years on the job McAuliffe said he isn’t sick of it. Described as an independent by some representatives, McAuliffe said he has never voted solely based on party lines, although he is listed as Republican on the ballot.

“I vote for what other Republicans won’t vote for. I vote for what my district needs,” McAuliffe said.

But some, like challenger Randazzo, say the district is still lacking many services such as elderly care and special needs education.

“They’re not getting the services they need out here,” Randazzo said. “They aren’t aware of the laws being made.”

Randazzo is no stranger to politics. The former Chicago Water Department employee ran for alderman of the 36th District last year, but only won 4.5 percent of the vote, according to Board of Elections documents. The discouraging loss did not stop Randazzo from continuing into politics. His platform focuses on lowering taxes, elderly abuse, and education.

McAuliffe has gained support from various groups, running for his ninth term he has raised over $136,382, according to campaign disclosure information filed under Citizens for Michael P. McAuliffe.

Randazzo has taken a different approach, while he did not disclose the amount he has fundraised and no records were listed on the Board of Elections websites. Candidates are required to file finance reports with the Board of Elections, if they exceed or receive more than $3,000. Randazzo did say he is opting to rely on family and friends to help fund his campaign while refusing to accept contributions from special interests groups.

“I don’t like the special interest because they have an influence on legislators,” he said. “It’s like they’re being bought off.”

McAuliffe insists that support from special interest groups has not determined how he votes.

“The thing with special interest groups is, there is always a for and against for every issue,” McAuliffe said. “Someone is always going to like you and someone is always going to hate you, I don’t let it affect me.”

McAuliffe has received endorsements from the typically Democratic Illinois AFL-CIO, a group that represents Illinois unions.

“His lifetime voting record is over 60 percent. He’s a person we have been able to count on over the years,” said Bill Looby, a political director for state AFL-CIO.

Still, the issues in the 20th District are no different than anywhere else residents say. Complaints about the lack of businesses and unemployment are the main concern.

“People are worried about what things are going to cost in 10 years and how they are going to afford things now,” McAuliffe said.

Residents have watched businesses come and go in the community. “You watch the names change fairly often,” said Chalrene Numrych, a resident of the 20th District. “Doors close as soon as they open.”

Illinois is an incredibly difficult place to run a business, said Katie Schneider, executive director of the Niles Chamber of Commerce. The tax rate for small businesses and the recession have made Illinois a hard place to make a living.

“This is not a state where you can easily do business,” Schneider said.

To combat this, McAuliffe sponsored a worker’s compensation bill last year, which hoped to tighten regulations and provide clarity for workers. But McAuliffe admits that it “didn’t do enough.”

McAuliffe said he believes that business reform in Illinois starts with maintaining the businesses already in the state. He points out that many businesses have left, including factories such as Maytag.

“If they can open a business out-of-state, they’re doing it,” McAuliffe said.

If re-elected, he plans to introduce a bill that would provide tax incentives to businesses that hire people that have been unemployed for over six months.

Randazzo said he plans to review taxes for businesses. “They should only be paying a tax for what they’re business is collecting,” he said.