Dick Simpson defeats Dan Rostenkowski, 1992

[David Tenner]

What if liberal reformer and ex-alderman Dick Simpson defeats Dan
Rostenkowski https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rostenkowski in the IL-05 1992
Democratic primary? http://www.lib.niu.edu/1992/ii920223.html

It was actually pretty close for a non-open-seat US House primary:
Rostenkowski defeated Simpson 57-43, not a great showing for an incumbent.
https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=438429 (One thing that
hurt Rostenkowski was that redistricting had given him a considerable amount
of unfamiliar territory, including some on the lakefront, which was Simpson's
stronghold.) If Rostenkowski had gotten into legal trouble earlier, Simpson
could have won the primary, would almost certainly have gone on to win in
November, and might *still* be representing IL-05 (or might eventually have
tried for higher office). As it was, in OTL Rostenkowski defeated divided
opposition in the 1994 primary and went on to be upset by Republican Michael
Patrick Flanagan in November.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Patrick_Flanagan In 1996, Flanagan
(whose election in 1994 had been a fluke, made possible by Rosty's legal
problems) lost to Democrat Rod Blagojevich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich who in this ATL presumably
never goes to Congress, and never becomes Governor...

[Rich Rostrom]

In 1996, Flanagan (whose election in 1994 had been a
fluke, made possible by Rosty's legal problems) lost
to Democrat Rod Blagojevich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich who in
this ATL presumably never goes to Congress, and
never becomes Governor...

WI Blagojevich challenges Simpson in 1996 or maybe 1998,
with backing from the "Old Guard" against a "reformist"?

This is much less likely than it would have been a
a generation earlier, but it seems possible to me.

[David Tenner]

Post by Rich Rostrom

In 1996, Flanagan (whose election in 1994 had been a
fluke, made possible by Rosty's legal problems) lost
to Democrat Rod Blagojevich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Blagojevich who in
this ATL presumably never goes to Congress, and
never becomes Governor...

WI Blagojevich challenges Simpson in 1996 or maybe 1998,
with backing from the "Old Guard" against a "reformist"?
This is much less likely than it would have been a
a generation earlier, but it seems possible to me.

In OTL, Blagojevich's victory in the IL-05 1996 primary was far from
overwhelming, despite the support of his powerful father-in-law Richard Mell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mell


Rod Blagojevich 33,907 (49.83%)
Nancy Kaszak 26,115 (38.38%)
Ray Romero 8,001 (11.76%)
Larry Caballero (write-in) 20 (0.03%)

https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=156875

I doubt that Blagojevich could prevail aginst a Simpson who had the advantage
of incumbency.