STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Now, in the state of Illinois, Democrats are hoping to steal a Congressional seat from Republicans. There's a special election tomorrow. The winner's going to serve out the rest of Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's term. Hastert resigned in November.
He usually won reelection by wide margins. This is a historically Republican district, but recent polls suggest the race is a toss-up. From Chicago, NPR's David Schaper reports.
DAVID SCHAPER: The 14th Congressional District stretches from the far western suburbs of Chicago nearly to the Mississippi River. It includes Ronald Reagan's hometown and has traditionally voted strongly for Republicans. But in the eastern part of the district, the fast growing exurbs of Chicago, demographics are changing. Affordable housing has attracted people who used to live in the city or its inner ring suburbs.
(Soundbite of knocking)
SCHAPER: And it's these voters that Democrat Bill Foster is trying to mobilize.
Unidentified Man #1: Hello.
Mr. BILL FOSTER (Democrat, Candidate for Congress, 14th District of Illinois): Hi. I'm Bill Foster. I'm running for the U.S. Congress to replace Dennis Hastert in the special election.
SCHAPER: Foster is hoping voters who came out in near record numbers for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on Super Tuesday will come out again this Saturday.
Mr. FOSTER: As much as anything, this is going to be an election about whether the voters want to continue George Bush's policies in a number of areas or if they want to see a change. And this is an opportunity for the voters of this district to speak on a national stage.
SCHAPER: The Cook Political Report this week changed its handicap of this race from leaning Republican to a toss up. And sensing the opportunity, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been pouring money into the race, on top of the one million dollars plus Foster has spent himself, and some of the party's biggest names are also lending a hand.
Sen. BARACK OBAMA (Democrat, Illinois; Presidential Candidate): You may think you have wait until November to vote for change, but here in Illinois, you can start Saturday, March 8th.
SCHAPER: This ad featuring Illinois' own Barack Obama could enhance Foster's image. The 52-year-old political novice has appeared tepid, nervous, and sometimes even uncomfortable at forums and on the stump. Foster was a physicist for more than two decades, a lighting company he started as a 19-year-old with his brother gives him the wealth to go toe-to-toe with Republican Jim Oberweis, who made his fortune founding an investment firm, and more recently with his chain of Oberweis ice cream shops. This is his fourth bid for public office. Oberweis lost Illinois Republican primaries for U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004 and for governor in 2006, but he believes this fourth time is the charm.
Mr. JIM OBERWEIS (Republican, Candidate for Congress, 14th District of Illinois): I believe that the values that I hold - which is a faith in our country and a faith in the worth of individuals - clearly represents the values - traditional values of the 14th Congressional District.
SCHAPER: Oberweis is trying to characterize Foster as a big spending liberal in ads like this.
Unidentified Man #2: People are demanding change, but Bill Foster's offering the same old thing.
Mr. Foster: There's nothing in life that we can't improve by throwing money at it.
Unidentified Man #2: Foster…
SCHAPER: Critics say this ad featuring Foster at a candidate's forum saying there's nothing you can't improve by throwing money at it, is a gross distortion of a statement taken out of context on a point Oberweis actually agreed with at that forum. And in endorsing Foster, the usually conservative Chicago Tribune calls the campaign style of Oberweis consistently nasty, smug, condescending, and dishonest. But the usually more liberal Chicago Sun Times endorses Oberweis, calling Foster a disappointment who hasn't done his homework on important issues.
The 14th District race is one Oberweis or any other Republican should win, says Northern Illinois University political scientist, Matt Streb.
Dr. MATT STREB (Political Scientist, Northern Illinois University): If Oberweis does lose, that is an important symbolic victory for the Democratic Party, because you've just taken the seat that was held by the former Republican Speaker of the House. But more importantly, that could be a sign of big things to come in November.
SCHAPER: Streb says turnout for this Saturday's special election is expected to be extremely light, but the bitter fight won't really end tomorrow. Foster and Oberweis both won their primaries last month to face off again in November for election to a full congressional term.
David Schaper, NPR News, Chicago.
(Soundbite of music) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
