She’s riding shotgun to Madigan in political ad. Is it sexist?

A candidate for state representative in the metro-east says a political mailer that depicts her as a passenger in a vehicle driven by a man is sexist.

Democrat Katie Stuart of Edwardsville, who is challenging incumbent Rep. Dwight Kay, a Republican from Glen Carbon, said the flier is part of an “unrelenting attack on women” by Kay.

The driver depicted in the vehicle is House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Democrat. The caption says Madigan is trying to drive the metro-east “into the ditch,” and that Stuart “wants to help navigate.”

Stuart’s campaign, in a news release, said: “After publicly suggesting women who use birth control are immoral, Dwight Kay’s latest attack on women suggests his opponent, educator Katie Stuart, isn’t even capable of driving a car. Kay’s piece portrays Stuart as a smiling passenger helping ‘navigate’ while a man drives the vehicle.”

Kay said there was no sexist intent in the ad — only a goal of showing that Madigan’s tenure has hurt downstate and the rest of Illinois, and that Stuart would be beholden to Madigan. Kay said he wonders if Stuart would be happy if the ad depicted Stuart serving as Madigan’s driver.

“If it would make her feel better to switch drivers, we could certainly do that,” Kay said. “Would she prefer to have the places switched? And have her chauffeuring around Speaker Madigan, who certainly is supporting her? Maybe that’s something we should do; maybe that’s a good thought.”

Stuart said Kay “continues to treat women like second-class citizens.”

She added, “Dwight Kay has repeatedly failed to stand up for women’s rights, putting corporate profits over equality in the workplace by voting against equal-pay protections, voting against requiring insurance companies to cover birth control, and failing to support programs that protect women and their health, such as life-saving breast cancer screenings, domestic violence shelters and services for victims of sexual assault. So his latest stunt is just a continuation of his pattern of disrespect and outright scorn for women.”

Kay took heat earlier this year for comments he made during a debate in the House about insurance coverage for birth control.

“I seriously question how much promiscuity should an insurance company pay (for),” Kay said during the debate. “It’s simply wrong, and I think we’re trying to address issues that quite frankly don’t have any business coming up in this General Assembly.”

Stuart said the remarks about birth control were “radically out of touch” and marked a “high point” for Kay.

Kay said Sunday he will be issuing a challenge to Stuart, asking her to sign a pledge that she won’t vote for Madigan to serve as the House speaker if she’s elected.

Kay said Stuart’s criticism of the mailer is an attempt to “gin up interest in a campaign that’s failing.”

“I care about and respect all women, men and children I serve as state representative. For my opponent to say otherwise is wrong,” Kay said.

Stuart, a math teacher at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is running against Kay, a business manager, in Illinois’ 112th House District, which covers areas of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville and Granite City.

This story was originally published August 28, 2016 at 7:17 PM with the headline "She’s riding shotgun to Madigan in political ad. Is it sexist?."