News

Election results finanlized -- except in governor’s race

By James Pluta

While the Illinois Democratic Party grapples with their self-created
problem of choosing a new running mate for gubernatorial nominee Gov. Pat
Quinn, the state’s Republicans still don’t know exactly who their nominee
will be.

Quinn, who became governor following the departure of Rod Blagojevich, was
going to be running with lieutenant governor nominee Scott Lee Cohen, but
the Chicago pawnbroker who self-funded his campaign to the tune of some $2
million was forced from the ticket after it was publicized following his
victory that he was once accused of domestic violence, had taken illegal
steroids and owed more than $50,000 in back child support.

In Lyons Township alone, Cohen was the first-place finisher, coming in
just five votes ahead of longtime state lawmaker Art Turner.

Cohen’s Feb. 7 resignation, called for by a bevy of party leaders
including Quinn, touched off a new firestorm — over who the Democratic
State Central Committee will choose as his successor to be paired with
Quinn on the November general election slate.

As of this writing, candidates include everyone from Turner, who came in
more than 30,000 votes behind Cohen, to former congressional candidate and
Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth, who didn’t even run in the Feb. 2
primary. A decision will not be made, however, until election results are
certified in early March.

Although Comptroller Dan Hynes did not concede until more than a day after
the primary in his bid for governor, Quinn accepted his party’s nod
Election Night, when he felt his victory was a given.

In the end, Quinn bested Hynes 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent, winning the
nomination by more than 8,000 votes.

On the GOP ticket — where a recount is likely — conservative downstate
state Rep. Bill Brady still appears to be 420 votes, or one-tenth of a
percentage point ahead of State Sen. Kirk Dillard of nearby Hinsdale, also
the former home of Quinn.

Unlike his Democratic counterpart, Dillard has not yet conceded victory to
Brady. But what is clear is that whomever is declared the Republican
nominee, his running mate will be 27-year-old Jason Plummer, a heavily
endorsed lumber company executive in the U.S. Navy Reserves who hails from
downstate Edwardsville.

Plummer handily won the lieutenant governor nod by nearly 5,000 votes over
Matt Murphy, who ran his campaign alongside failed gubernatorial hopeful
Andy McKenna.

In the tight race for state comptroller, the Democrat to face former state
treasurer Judy Baar Topinka in November will be David Miller. He beat Raja
Krishnamoorthin — yet another name being bandied about as a replacement
for Cohen — by more than 8,000 votes.

Locally, Township of Lyons Supervisor Russ Hartigan lost the nomination to
Sandra Ramos of Chicago but did a formidable job in winning the suburban
Cook County vote for a Cook County Circuit Court vacancy.

Hartigan defeated Ramos in suburban Cook by nearly 5,000 votes, but Ramos’
lead over Hartigan in Chicago was by more than 25,000 votes. The combined
vote totals were Ramos with 128,152 to Hartigan’s 108,133.

Hartigan and Ramos both were beat in one township — south suburban
Thornton — by Tracey Stokes. In that race, Hartigan placed fifth. Overall,
Hartigan defeated Ramos 53,242 (28.31 percent) to 48,433 (25.75 percent).