IL-Sen, IL-Gov: Primary day tomorrow

by desmoinesdem, Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 02:09:28 PM EST

Illinois has a freakishly early primary tomorrow, and the Democratic contests for governor and U.S. Senate are both competitive. DavidNYC posted a good preview at Swing State Project.

In the governor's race, state Comptroller Dan Hynes has been moving up in the polls, making it possible that he'll upset incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn in the primary. In the U.S. Senate race, State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has been ahead in all the Democratic primary polls, but his two opponents, former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson are attacking him over allegations surrounding the Broadway Bank, which is owned by Giannoulias' family. Chris Bowers thinks Democrats have little chance of holding Barack Obama's former Senate seat if Giannoulias is not stopped in the primary. So-called moderate Republican Mark Kirk is on track to win the GOP primary easily.

If anyone had told me a year ago that Republicans would win U.S. Senate seats in Massachusetts, Delaware and Illinois during 2010, I wouldn't have believed it. But political malpractice by Democrats in all three states may make this possible.

The Republican primary for Illinois governor is more of a tossup, and I have no idea what chance the eventual winner will have against Hynes or Quinn.

Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.

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Slow down

Last I looked, the calendar said February, and the general election is in November.  Let's put the brakes on for a minute.

Kirk has had a moderate voting record in the House, but he has tacked right in the primary.  His promise to vote against cap-and-trade in the Senate (which he voted for in the House--it's okay if...) won't play well in a general.  He's not the shoo-in everyone thinks.  Plus, we have no idea what the economy will look like in November.

That said, I agree that Lexi can't beat Kirk.  There are probably a few hard drives full of oppo research on his family's bank, and the GOP will put it out strategically between now and November.  I'm voting for David Hoffman.

In the gubernatorial race, none of the Republicans is able to seize on the outsider theme that is driving the teabaggers.  One candidate is a former state chair; another is a former state senator and chief of staff to former Gov. Jim Edgar; another is a washed up former state Attorney General who was such a great candidate when he was the GOP nominee in 2002 that he lost to Blagoyevich.

Maybe a teabagger couldn't win here.  But they do seem to be the energy in the Republican Party right now, and they don't seem to have any traction in the Republican primaries.  We will get our vote out for any Democrat running for Governor (go Quinn!), but Lexi will be a tough sell.  The fact that he played basketball a couple of times with Obama is not enough.

by rayspace 2010-02-01 04:10PM | 0 recs
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RE: Slow down

I wish there weren't three candidates in the Dem field here. In a two-person race, it seems likely that either Hoffman or Jackson would beat him, but I'm afraid he could win a very small plurality if Hoffman and Jackson both gain equally these last few days.

by desmoinesdem 2010-02-01 04:45PM | 0 recs
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1994

the CW about 1994 is that Clinton lost the congress.  But it was actually corruption in the democratic party.  People were just tired of it.  It was corruption in the Republican party that was largly to blame along with bad policy that gave the democrats back their majorities  over the last few election cycles.  But election after election we are giving seats back because people are disgusted with how the democratic party is acting, as if they didn't have to listen to the people.

Let's hope that the voters in IL reject any candidate who can be brought down by the stink of corruption. We do not need any more of it.

Here in NE PA we are neck deep in Democratic party corruption and it gets worse every day.  Every day is a new politician or judge who has to resign and face federal charges.  People WILL vote republican rather than vote for a crook.  Soon, something that has not happened in the history of Luz and Lack counties will happen, the republicans will be in the majority.

by TeresaINPennsylvania 2010-02-02 10:41AM | 0 recs

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