2006 New Member Profiles
Illinois' 17th District: Phil Hare (D)
The Almanac of American Politics
© National Journal Group Inc.
| Phil Hare |
| Born: |
February 21, 1949 |
| Family: |
Wife, Becky; two children |
| Religion: |
Catholic |
| Education: |
Attended Black Hawk Community College |
| Career: |
Factory worker; congressional aide |
| Military Service: |
Army Reserves, 1969-75 |
Elected
Office: |
None |
After 23 years of working for Democratic Rep.
Lane Evans,
Phil Hare will succeed his former boss in January.
One week after winning the March 21 Democratic primary, Evans announced that he would not run for a 13th term, citing his long-running battle with Parkinson's disease. Under Illinois election law, elected precinct committeemen from the 17th District were authorized to choose the party's replacement nominee in a weighted selection process. Five Democrats sought the nomination, including Hare, state Sen. John Sullivan, Rock Island Mayor Mark Schweibert, state Rep. Mike Boland, and teacher Rob Mellon.
Hare, a former district director for Evans, is the son of a machinist and was a union leader at the Seaford Clothing Factory in Rock Island. He quickly received Evans's endorsement as well as the backing of organized labor and the Rock Island Democratic Party establishment. In the nominating contest -- which was conducted by mail-in ballot -- Hare won with 64 percent of the weighted vote, easily outdistancing Sullivan, who finished second with 28 percent.
In this Democratic-leaning district, Hare was the front-runner against Republican nominee Andrea Zinga, an Emmy-award-winning former television news anchor who was making her second bid for the seat. She lost decisively to Evans in 2004, 61 percent to 39 percent, in a race marked by her assertion that Evans -- who was noticeably struggling with his illness -- was physically unable to serve.
Zinga's campaign never really threatened Hare. She struggled to raise money, and the national GOP took no interest in the race. After a controversial September 11 speech in which Zinga supported racial profiling at airports, her campaign backpedaled, explaining that she had meant that airport screeners shouldn't face anti-discrimination lawsuits for focusing on travelers from certain ethnic groups. In another blow to her campaign, the Illinois Farm Bureau chose not to endorse either candidate, despite having endorsed Zinga two years ago.
Like Evans, Hare is a pro-union liberal who is critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He has said that his top legislative priorities include raising the minimum wage, increasing veterans' benefits, and expanding renewable fuels. On social issues, he supports abortion rights but favors parental notification for minors who seek abortions. He opposes a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
