Error: Unable to create directory /home/demockra/public_html/wp-content/uploads/2010/09. Is its parent directory writable by the server? House Spotlight: IL-10

If you’re looking to give a last minute donation or are simply interested in what House races to watch on Tuesday, Demockracy will be looking at a few competitive House races over the next couple days. Today, we’ll look at the the 10th District of Illinois.

Challenger Dan Seals is running for the second time against incumbent Republican Mark Kirk. This district stretches the majority of affluent North Shore suburbs of Chicago and more working class cities closer to the Wisconsin border. This district is a perfect example of party affiliation changes in well-educated suburban upper-middle class areas over the past 10-15 years. Many of these voters are fiscally conservative, but liberal on most social issues. As the Republican party has shifted to the right on social issues, many of these voters have started to identify more as Democrats. This district now has a slight Democratic Lean.

However, Mark Kirk, the current representative, is a moderate Republican. Challenger Dan Seals, virtually ignored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), managed to surprise most observers by only losing by a few percentage points in 2006. I had the honor to meet Dan in 2007, and I was very impressed with his vision and communication skills. Barack Obama is currently winning by 15-20 percentage points in this district. Will his coattails be enough to pull Seals over the top?