Fresh off of the role he played in getting Gov. Pat Quinn elected, the president/CEO of Personal PAC discussed the past, present and future with Windy City Times
Terry Cosgrove, who started off as executive director of the pro-choice organization Personal PAC in 1989, has been a tireless fighter for a women's right to choose during his entire career.
In talking with Windy City Times, he described his job as "leading the organization in carrying out its mission which is to elect pro-choice candidates." He went on to say that "what's involved in that is a lot of cheerleading and keeping everyone on the same page which is recruiting candidates and helping them run campaigns. However, I spend about 60 to 70 percent of my time fundraising." Personal PAC's website states that the organization's overall mission is to elect pro-choice candidates in a bipartisan way to state and local office in Illinois.
Polling in October showed that Bill Brady, Quinn's Republican opponent, led by 13 percent. The question is: How did Personal PAC help turn the tide to a Quinn victory? The organization did so by sending out direct-mail pieces; buying its first television ad (called "Jennie") in the organization's 21-year history (costing $200,000); placing robocalls using a voice recording of the television ad; and distributing leaflets at Metra stations throughout Chicagoland to educate voters about Brady's conservative views.
Regarding these measures, Cosgrove said, "I knew if we could get enough of those suburban women, that's where the victory was" so the television ad, robocalls and direct-mail campaign were focused on suburban women who only vote in midterm general elections and not the primaries. The television ad ran during every morning-news show; many daytime talk shows; and WGN News and CLTV all day to reach as many suburban women as possible. Brady's operatives cited these tactics as the reason for his loss more than anything else.
Cosgrove also wrote an article in October for the Huffington Post entitled "Bill Brady: The Most Anti-Woman Nominee to Every Run for Illinois Governor" (which Windy City Times also ran) that outlined where Brady stood on women's issues. Asking Cosgrove how he felt when Brady conceded he said "he felt great" since Brady would "have been a disaster" for Illinois.
Some of the other victories Personal PAC can cite in this election cycle are four out of the six Illinois Senate races and nine of the 11 Illinois House races they targeted for the General Assembly elections. Other victories include Toni Preckwinkle as Cook County board president and Jeff Tobolski's 16th District commissioner win over pro-life incumbent Tony Peraica.
So what does Cosgrove do on an average day to keep things moving forward? The day we talked to him he also had a conference call with his executive committee, a business lunch with a friend/donor, a late meeting with a potential new board member and signing a stack of letters to donors thanking them for their support. He remarked that every day is different depending on what is happening politically.
Where did his passion for the pro-choice movement come from? After being raised in suburban Morton Grove along with his parents (his father recently died), older brother and younger sister (who has two kids, a girl and a boy) he went on to the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana where he earned two masters degrees. While still in high school he got involved with political activism, more specifically, Cesar Chavez's grape boycott in the 1970s. He protested in front of a Jewel grocery store and later got arrested. Along the way he got involved in the pro-choice movement when he saw that poor women would give up purchasing groceries for their children in order to pay for their abortions since the Hyde Amendment prevents the government from funding most abortions. Since becoming involved in the pro-choice movement, Cosgrove said he hears from many individuals, including family members, who have told them their abortion stories. He said hearing women tell their stories has only caused him to fight harder since 83 percent of counties in the United States do not have abortion clinics.
Being openly gay hasn't affected his work although elected officials call him to get information and advice on LGBT issues statewide, Cosgrove said. He sees the work he does with reproductive rights going hand in hand with LGBT equality since they are both civil-rights issues. Since his organization is bipartisan he stressed the importance of getting support from both sides so significant pieces of legislation can get passed.
To date he said his most satisfying accomplishments are getting abortion services restored for poor women at Cook County Hospital, getting Quinn elected, continuing to get pro-choice candidates elected to statewide offices over the years and passing proactive reproductive health legislation. Among his many honors is receiving the Impact Award from the Chicago Foundation for Women.
As for the future, Cosgrove said he is looking forward to the re-drawing of the political map in Illinois so they can elect more pro-choice candidates and pass the Reproductive Health and Access Act in the state assembly. He also would like to get comprehensive sex education taught in the public schools so young adults will know the ways to act responsibly.
His message to the readers of Windy City Times is to "live life to the fullest because there is so much opportunity out there so reach for the top of the trees." He said that is why he is optimistic about the future for reproductive and LGBT rights even though others around him may be skeptics.
