Jason Gonzalez stands out among all the longshot candidates who have dared to try to unseat powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan has handily won his southwest side Chicago district every two years for almost four decades.
Gonzalez has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete in the now-majority Latino district. And his candidacy in the March 15 primary comes at a time when circumstances might favor a challenger.
But he faces long odds. His fundraising pales in comparison to Madigan, who has a multimillion-dollar campaign fund.
The 42-year-old Gonzalez blames Madigan for the state's current fiscal troubles.
Voters are frustrated at state government's ongoing paralysis amid a budget deadlock between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Madigan-led Democrats.
