Ethan Hastert explains run for Congress

Next fall, there will be a chance to see if the 14th Congressional District is ready for another Hastert.

Sometime in the next few days, Ethan Hastert, the 31-year-old son of former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, will file his campaign committee papers with the Federal Election Commission. He confirmed this week that he intends to run for his father's old seat, a decision he came to after months of soul-searching and reaching out to political leaders in the district.

Hastert said Tuesday he didn't originally intend on running. Disappointed with the Democrat-controlled Congress, he initially spent time looking for a good candidate in the 14th District to support. But before long, he said, others began encouraging him to consider going for the seat himself.

"As I reached out, it became clear that the normal suspects would not be running," he said. "So there was a shift from 'Who?' to 'What about me?' The response has been optimistic and positive."

Ethan Hastert is an associate at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago. He received his law degree from Northwestern University, and spent more than a year working for then-Vice President Dick Cheney. He lives in Elburn, and is the father of a 2-year-old son.

Of course, the first thing Hastert will have to contend with in the 14th District is his surname. Where once it was a guarantee of success, Hastert admits there is still some lingering disappointment over the last election. Dennis Hastert resigned his seat in 2007 after nearly 21 years, triggering a special election in the district, which Geneva businessman Bill Foster won.

Foster became the first Democrat since Watergate to represent the Fox Valley, and many have seen his victory as a sign that the local Republican Party, long led by Dennis Hastert, is faltering. Ethan Hastert said he encountered that disappointment among the people he spoke to, but also many who believe the name is strong, and who "appreciate my father's service."

"I am not my father," he said. "I expect supporters of any campaign of mine will be because people agree with me on the issues."

The big issue, he said, is the economy. Hastert called President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget "wrong-minded," noting that it will leave generations of Americans saddled with debt. (Although Foster supported the $787 billion economic stimulus bill, he voted against the budget, out of concern over mounting debt.)

Hastert said Republicans in the 14th District recognize that they did not unite after last year's divisive primary between State Sen. Chris Lauzen and businessman Jim Oberweis, and they are ready to move on.

"The best I can offer is to reach out to various groups and bring them together," Hastert said. "To start a dialogue and get people working together again for the success of the party."

Foster has not announced his intention to run again next year, but Gabby Adler, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, pledged support for him in a written statement.

"Bill Foster represents the needs of the district, and as a businessman and scientist, his unique perspective allows him to be an independent voice in Congress, making him perfectly suited to tackle the issues that affect 14th District families, like health care, energy and jobs and the economy," she said.