More than two weeks ago, on August 26 the Chicago Suburban Daily Herald reported this about Jim Oberweis, Hastert’s rumored hand-picked successor, in the IL-14 Republican primary:

IL-14 Update: Perilous Times in Aurora Edition

Wednesday night, in Aurora, Illinois, at 46 W. Downer Place, the Laesch for Congress office officially opened. We were pleased to see not just many “old hands” on deck, but a large contingent of new faces as well. As you can imagine, this was a big event for us, most of the campaign staffers were on hand, John was there, Jen was there. I meant to do a general update diary tonight, blog about our office opening, and invite you all to come down and visit us or call at (630) 801-8900, but something transpired here on DailyKos while we were distracted that we want to address.

Dennis Hastert announced this morning on a local radio show that he will not seek re-election:

The Beacon News says:

While IL-14 Republicans are still awaiting word from Hastert as to whether he will be running again, the Dem field of candidates seems to have solidified. Dem State Rep Linda Chapa LaVia recently announced she will not be running for the seat, leaving the field to 2006 nominee John Laesch, Geneva blue dog Bill Foster, and St. Charles attorney Jotham Stein.

As the Laesch for Congress campaign readies for our visit to YearlyKos, we are keeping an eye on media reports about Hastert’s plans to make an announcement in August, and the not-quite-announcements of several Republican candidates that are hanging in the balance. Most recently we have heard from CQ Quarterly

Crossposted at DailyKos and Prairie State Blue

Recently, The Kane County Democrats hosted the 1st Annual IL-14 Dem Fundraiser in DeKalb, Illinois. Among other things, the event offered a chance for local activists to become acquainted with the currently declared candidates for IL-14 Congressional seat. I’m sorry I missed it, but I have the video!