Illinois 8: Greenberg Campaign Manager Leaves Post

By Nathan L. Gonzales

On the heels of a meager first quarter finance report, Republican challenger Steve Greenberg will now have to replace a top campaign aide. Campaign manager Brad Goodman left the Greenberg campaign on Wednesday to join the newly-renamed consulting firm Campbell Holste Inc.

“I am honored to have run Steve Greenberg’s successful primary campaign and will continue to work as an advisor to his campaign,” Goodman told the Report.

But Goodman’s exit leaves more questions than answers for Greenberg. The wealthy businessman was expected to throw a scare into Cong. Melissa Bean (D) in Illinois’ 8th District. But he showed only $5,035 in the bank on March 31, and his ability and willingness to self-finance the race is unclear. Greenberg has put in $79,000 of his own money thus far.

Meanwhile, Bean is sitting on $1.3 million in campaign cash and will likely benefit from increased Democratic excitement that likely presidential nominee Barack Obama will generate at the top of the ticket.

The Rothenberg Political Report is moving Illinois 8 to Democrat Favored from Lean Democratic in the upcoming April 18 edition of the newsletter.

The NRCC is relying on Greenberg and a handful of other wealthy candidates to fund their own campaigns, allowing the committee to focus its limited resources elsewhere. Likely Illinois 11 nominee Martin Ozinga recently told the Chicago Tribune he would only spend $350,000 of his own money. He’ll have to raise even more to keep pace with Debbie Halvorson (D), who has already raised twice that, in the open seat race.