Campaign News
Mark Kirk's Stance On Don't Ask, Don't Tell Dubbed 'Outdated' And 'Out Of Touch'
As Senator John McCain and Congressman Mark Kirk gathered for a closed-door fundraiser and talk on foreign policy in Chicago Friday morning, Democrat and former Senate candidate Jacob Meister joined Iraq War Veteran Trevor Montgomery to condemn McCain and Kirk for continuing to support Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Gay candidates net mixed results
On Feb. 2, Illinois voters weighed in on some unusually competitive primary races, and a few surprises emerged—with one being that gay candidates fared better outside Cook County that they did in it. For many candidates, the extremely low voter turnout hurt them, with everything from the weather to people not wanting to commit to one political party being factors.
Openly gay candidate pulls out of Illinois U.S. Senate race
"I will definitely remain active in politics," Jacob Meister told EDGE. "I have been overwhelmed by the level of support I’ve gotten from the LGBT community, particularly outside of metro Chicago, in rural areas."
Meister backs Giannoulias as U.S. Senate rivals rally for support
Standing next to Giannoulias Sunday morning, Meister said, “Today represents a time when doing the right thing means taking one for the team. Today represents a time when real leadership means stepping up and stepping aside.”
Meister to pull out of Senate race, back Giannoulias
The only openly gay candidate in the race, Jacob Meister said he is satisfied that Giannoulias is committed to the causes Meister supports. The fact that David Hoffman clerked for former conservative U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist concerns Meister, even though Hoffman espouses all the same positions in favor of gay marriage, for example, that Giannoulias does.
Senate race heading into weekend at full steam
One year ago today, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was kicked out of office after landing in handcuffs on charges of trying to auction off Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.
The ouster played out as the main event to the sideshow of Blagojevich's defiant appointment of Democrat Roland Burris to the same seat amid rancorous calls for a special election to fill it.
But for all the spectacle surrounding the seat, the battle over who will hold it next is coming down to traditional retail politics as primary contests kick into overdrive heading into Tuesday's election.
US SENATE: Meister seeks bipartisan approach in Washington
It's time for a more bipartisan approach in a divided Washington.
Jacob Meister, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, made that point in an interview Tuesday at The Daily Journal.
Meister, a Chicago attorney who is making his first try at public office at any level, is the first senatorial candidate for either party to come to the newspaper this year.
Residents, officials respond to State of Union
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address touched on a little bit of everything Wednesday night, from health care reform to partisan squabbles to renewable energy.
Local business owners, health care reform advocates, politicians and citizens weighed in on the speech. Here’s what they had to say.
Candidate Forum: Jacob Meister
Jacob Meister is a gay attorney running for the Democrat nomination to the U.S. Senate. While in the beginning, the fact that he is gay was not part of his platform, but others referring to his orientation have caused him to reconsider that stand. He took the time to speak with ChicagoPride.com a few weeks ago from his campaign headquarters in Bucktown.
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate focuses on job creation, business during Quincy stop
(Quincy) Jacob Meister wants to be an advocate for businesses and job creation in the U.S. Senate. Meister, one of five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination in next week's primary election, visited Quincy Monday to meet voters at a coffee. The attorney from Chicago said his background in commercial law, banking regulation, interstate commerce, telecommunications and foreign trade amount to "a winning combination" for the state and nation.
Media Releases 
Meister applauds Gates announcement to stop enforcing DADT Calls decision a step in the right direction
March 26, 2010 - (Chicago) Jacob Meister, former candidate for the United States Senate from Illinois, released the following statement Thursday regarding Secretary of the Defense Gates’ announcement that the military will revamp its rules relating to enforcement of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the 17-year-old policy of forcing gays serving in the military to be closeted or face discharge from the armed forces.
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An important note to my supporters
January 31, 2010 - Dear supporters,
Thank you!
Thank you for your unselfishness.
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Meister withdraws, endorses Giannoulias
January 31, 2010 - (Chicago) Jacob Meister withdrew his name from consideration for United States Senate Sunday before a crowd of supporters, union members and elected officials at Teamsters Local 705, and announced his support for frontrunner candidate Alexi Giannoulias.
“I entered this race last year because I knew that keeping the discussion on jobs and keeping the seat Blue were of equal importance,” Meister said. “Today we have a candidate who stands above the rest, Alexi Giannoulias will take my 20/20 Vision and use it to benefit all of Illinois.”
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Meister Issues Statement Regarding President’s Move to Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
January 27, 2010 - “On behalf of the estimated 13,000 men and women who have left the military, the thousands who have been deterred from entering it and those who are forced to live a life of hypocrisy solely because of this demoralizing and discriminatory policy, I say to the President, 'It is about time.'
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1 Day Left, Meister Votes Early
January 27, 2010 - Jacob Meister encouraged voters of all ages to vote early, quipping as he left Truman College, “If nothing else it beats waiting in line.” Early voting ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
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Meister: Supreme Court Ruling Puts Private Interests First
January 21, 2010 - Jacob Meister, Democrat for U.S. Senate, took aim at conservative members of the Supreme Court and Rehnquist protégé David Hoffman, after the Supreme Court handed down a decision today to lift the limits on political contributions for corporations and labor unions.
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Americans for Democratic Action Picks Meister
January 21, 2010 - Jacob Meister is the Americans for Democratic Action's choice in the Democratic primary for United States Senate.
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Attorney Takes Legal Action Against WTTW
January 20, 2010 - An attorney for the Meister for U.S. Senate campaign is asking the Federal Communications Commission to find WTTW/Chicago in violation of FCC rules for its exclusion of Jacob Meister from a debate the station was scheduled to televise tonight.
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Meister to Take WTTW to Court
January 17, 2010 - Jacob Meister, Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, has been informed that WTTW intends to exclude him from its United States Senate debate scheduled for Wednesday, January 20. All candidates who meet FCC guidelines must be included, according to the Communications Act of 1934 and FCC regulations, which outline equal access provisions.
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Meister Takes His 20/20 Vision on the Road
January 13, 2010 - Six cities are the settings for town hall meetings Jacob Meister, Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, is holding across Illinois.
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