Coffee at Starbucks with Jan Schakowsky

She is a relatively rare breed this election: a Democrat in Congress not thought to be seriously in trouble.  But the nearly $1.3 million she raised, dwarfing her upstart challenger, indicates Jan Schakowsky is taking her re-election battle cautiously as she asks voters for another term in Congress.

On a sunny morning with a definite hint of fall in the air, Schakowsky (D-IL) is doing what politicians have done since the beginning of time:  she is shaking hands with her constituents.  She is at the Skokie Swift terminal, donning a gold suit, saying hello to the people who have been sending her back to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District since 1998.

Schakowsky has consistently received over 70% of the vote in her previous contests, but she is campaigning amid a different political climate in 2010.  The economy is weak, unemployment high and people are concerned about federal spending, be it via the health care overhaul, the stimulus or the bank bailouts.  Now, there is fertile political ground out there for Republicans who can take control of the House by picking up 39 seats. Some Democratic incumbents, once thought to be in safe seats, are now running for their political lives.

In the case of the 9th District, a young Harvard educated lawyer named Joel Pollak (R-IL) is taking on Schakowsky.  While there isn't much thought that Pollak is likely in succeeding Schakowsky. If he wins, Pollak would be the first Republican to win election from the 9th District since the 1940s, and he's campaigning at a hectic pace. 

Amid the cacophony of the gate warning signals at the Swift, Schakowsky is meeting and greeting her constituents.  "Good morning, I'm Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky" is her constant refrain. 

Her contact is brief as people race to catch the Swift.  

Some exchange a quick handshake; others walk right by her.  But there are occasional moments of extended conversation.  A former intern in her office says hello and gives her a big hug. One young man is determined to take a picture with her and he winds up posing with Schakowsky three times.  Finally, a college freshman who doesn't know Schakowsky, asks the Congresswoman about inequalities in school resources and how drug users are tossed in jail.  

Skokie resident Judith Lomas stops by and expresses her gratitude for the support that Schakowsky's office has given for the Skokie Festival of Cultures, an annual art event in the city. 

"Her office was there to make sure everything ran smoothly," Lomas said.  "I just think she's great. She's someone Skokie can rely on."

Schakowsky, 66, says she is invigorated by the process and loves talking with people.  She says it keeps her grounded and she fears fellow incumbent Democrats who were once thought invincible may be rusty in what a year that could be a GOP tidal wave.

"I worry that a lot of my colleagues who now are facing races haven't been ready for a number of years," she said.

Schakowsky, the Chief Deputy Whip for the Democrats, and serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which produced the health care bill and the accompanying emotional reactions from people across the political spectrum.

It was her advocacy for that legislation that Pollak says drew him into the race. The key moment that led to his decision was Schakowsky's town hall meeting in 2009.

"After seeing what I saw there, where she shut down views she didn't agree with, that convinced me we needed someone who could listen to the district and not lecture to the district," Pollak said last week in an interview.

Schakowsky disputes the town hall unfolded that way and everyone was given a chance to speak. 

While incumbents sometimes are loath to debate their challengers, Schakowsky has agreed to meet Pollak twice in October. One debate is scheduled to center on Israel, the other to be more wide ranging, but the health care bill is almost assuredly going to be a huge topic.

Until then, Schakowsky maintains a full campaign calendar until the House reconvenes later this month.