Footlik pitch: 'I loved him in Teen Wolf'

by Jim Tankersley

It's fair to say Jay Footlik has a unique background for a congressional candidate. He's a lawyer, a Middle East and renewable energy policy wonk and a former Clinton White House advisor. His father left his family when Jay was four, an experience Footlik recounted in his first campaign commercial in Illinois' 10th district, where he's running against business consultant Dan Seals in the Democratic primary for the right to challenge Rep. Mark Kirk.

Footlik is also a former child actor. His career features small parts in two 1980s movies. One was Iron Eagle with Louis Gossett Jr. The other, a Michael J. Fox classic, features prominently in Footlik's new campaign ad.

The ad, airing on cable starting today, mimics the opening credits of The Brady Bunch and includes several local Footlik volunteers talking about why they're switching from Seals -- who narrowly lost to Kirk in 2006 -- to Footlik this year.

“I voted for Dan last time, but Jay’s got the experience we need in Congress,” one says. “I think Jay is the one who can beat Mark Kirk,” another adds. Eventually, a smiling young woman appears.

“I loved him in Teen Wolf,” she says.

For the record, imdb.com says Footlik played "Student No. 1" in the 1985 teenager-discovers-he's-a-werewolf-and-uses-his-powers-for-basketball-domination flick. Footlik's campaign elaborates by saying he auditioned for a leading role but was apparently too tall -- the actors weren't supposed to be taller than Fox. As consolation, Footlik got a scene with Fox and a line of dialogue.

Seals, on the other hand, "fully admits that he cannot compete with Jay on his acting credentials," campaign manager Patrick Mogge said today. "But Dan's second grade daughter did a great Thanksgiving dance in her recent school play."