Jim Edgar ran a brilliant campaign for governor in 1990. He set the template for every winning statewide race since then by focusing on the importance of independent suburban women.

The Republican Edgar defeated a Catholic Democrat — Neil Hartigan — in that race, with a boost from the National Abortion Rights Action League’s endorsement. That endorsement most definitely helped him with suburban women, who were just starting to lean Democratic. Every successful high-profile statewide candidate since then has focused on winning the votes of suburban women. No major statewide candidate has won without them. Edgar broke the code. And 35 years later, his approach still works.

Edgar also realized that property taxes were a much more important issue than the income tax in the suburbs and everyw

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