Friday, February 18, 2022

FWIW scooped again: Capitol Fax reports 4th Subcircuit bid by ShawnTe Raines-Welch

I check in with Rich Miller's Capitol Fax regularly, often more than once a day.

Unfortunately, I missed the announcement there yesterday that ShawnTe Raines-Welch would be seeking a 4th Subcircuit vacancy in this year's primary. But she is.


Her campaign website is up and running. That's a link to the site in the preceding sentence; a link has also been added to this site's Sitebar.

On Chicago Public Square this morning, Charlie Meyerson linked to Robert Herguth's article about the Raines-Welch announcement in the Chicago Sun-Times

(Between the coverage and comments on Capitol Fax and in the Sun-Times, we now have the names and campaign websites of several other candidates seeking one of the two posted 4th Subcircuit vacancies this June. We will get to each in their turn, but, for the moment, we will focus on Ms. Raines-Welch.)

ShawnTe Raines-Welch has been licensed as an attorney in Illinois since 2009, according to ARDC. She is presently a partner in the law firm of Ancel Glink P.C.

Her campaign bio stresses that Raines Welch has experience "in over ten areas of law including personal injury, civil rights, contracts, municipal law, school law, land use, administrative review and labor and employment law. She currently serves as general counsel for multiple Illinois municipalities and suburban school districts." It also notes that she also serves as a hearing officer for several suburban municipalities (the actual language used is that she "presides over local municipal court," which may sound like an overstatement of the case to a lawyer's ear, but reasonably conveys the idea to voters that she has actual adjucative experience).

There is a picture, on the campaign website, of the candidate with her husband, Illinois House Speaker Emmanuel "Chris" Welch, and their two children. The Speaker is not identified in the photograph. A press release, quoted extensively in the Capitol Fax post linked above, addresses the 'issue' that some may see in the candidate having a well-known spouse: "I know that my husband’s name will be evoked in this election many times. It’s the challenge of having a high-profile family and husband. It’s the challenge of professional women everywhere. The way I see it, Chris is creating his imprint on history, but it in no way vanishes mine. I believe in justice–using laws to fairly judge and determine consequences especially in black and brown communities. I also believe in inclusion-– the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources to all. My work is my own, and I look forward to making a difference for my children and all of the families in the 4th Subcircuit."

3 comments:

Tom Davy said...

If your offer of a bet of a dozen donuts made February 11th on Ms. Raines-Welch not running countywide but in the subcircuit was accepted, I would recommend collecting them at Kirschbaum's in Western Springs or Weber's on Archer a little past Harlem just slightly outside the 4th Subcircuit.

Jack Leyhane said...

Unfortunately, Judge, no solemnities were ever finalized on my proposed bet with "Mr. Neumann" but your helpful information is noted and logged for future reference!

Anonymous said...

Lane donuts.