Tea Party Vows To Be Conservative 'Guard Dogs'
(UPDATED: 10/22/2010 1:30 p.m)
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Members of the Illinois Tea Party say the movement that began more than a year ago, will move the state from a blue state to a red state come Nov. 2.
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Organizers behind the Illinois Tea Party say rallying around some of the candidates, including 9th District Republican Joel Pollack and State Senate Candidate Cedra Crenshaw, has increased their polling numbers.
Party spokeswoman Denise Cattoni says if their candidates are elected, the group will continue to be the "guard dog" for the conservative movement.
"The candidates that we are looking to get elected, we will hold them accountable and they know that," she said.
Chicago Tea Party spokesman Steve Stevlic believes Illinois will become Republican controlled, and he points to Pollack, who is trying to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky.
"In the past two weekends in September, we reached over 100,000 homes in the 9th District, and Joel's name ID went from 40 percent to 80 percent," Stevlic said.
The more than 90 Tea Party groups statewide believe in same premise: fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.
Officials say billboards, as well as radio and TV ads are currently running as part of the get out and vote effort.
