Chapa LaVia as Quinn’s running mate. An open House seat in Aurora.

Northern Illinois Jobs With Justice is active in Chapa LaVia’s Aurora House district.

What state political race could I not possibly care less about?

The office of Lieutenant Governor.

It is an office that only becomes important once the Governor of Illinois goes to federal prison. Which, as we know, happens often.

So maybe I should care who is running.

The current Governor Squeezy was Rod Blagojevich’s Lieutenant Governor.

And choosing Quinn wasn’t even what Blago went to jail for.

Illinois state law requires that every gubernatorial candidate must run with a lieutenant governor (gubernatorial?) running mate.

While a lot of speculation for a while revolved around Senator Kwame Raoul, I’m hearing something different.

Word on the street is that Aurora Representative Linda Chapa LaVia is the likely pick to run with Squeezy.

Chapa LaVia is an inconsistent progressive and member of the House Latino caucus.

Said a political insider pal of mine, “Consider that Chapa LaVia recently switched her position on equality by voting for gay marriage, and she didn’t do it quietly.  She made a public statement on the floor of the house with two marriage certificates – a scripted and coordinated move.  The entire Latino caucus voted for gay marriage – a sign of solidarity to move one of their own up the ladder to be the first statewide elected Latino in Illinois.  She is ambitious and relatively unscarred.”

I spoke at an Aurora town hall meeting with Representative Elaine Nekritz on pensions that Chapa LaVia sponsored.

But for me, here’s the take-way.

If Chapa LaVia runs with Squeezy, it opens up the House seat in working-class Aurora for a non-incumbent.

We could see a pro-teacher, pro-pension, anti-charter, pro-union vote in the House.

So, now I have become interested in who Squeezy picks to run with him for Lieutenant Governor.

Squeezy is scheduled to announce later today.