Author: Newsdesk

Posted by Ray Long at 10:00 a.m.; last updated at 6:45 p.m.

Gov. Pat Quinn accepted rival Dan Hynes’ concession today in the Democratic primary for governor, but the relief was short lived.

Quinn found himself coming to grips with the emerging scandal surrounding the disclosure that his lieutenant governor nominee, Scott Lee Cohen, was arrested five years over and accused of putting a knife to a girlfriend’s throat.

Quinn said Cohen has an "obligation to step aside" if his past becomes a political liability. But Cohen has said he will remain on the ticket, and he maintained the allegations contained in police records were bunk.

 Despite the bare-knuckled Democratic primary race for governor, Quinn and Hynes made nice immediately and pledged to work together. Quinn said Hynes "has the heart of a lion," and Hynes brushed aside his own campaign criticism that Quinn is incompetent, saying Quinn’s "basic decency is what Illinois needs."

"It’s all over," Quinn said at his separate appearance, saying the Democrats now will put the differences of the brutal primary behind them. "It’s like a family."

Quinn, who accused Hynes during the campaign of putting politics ahead of his duties as comptroller, said he will need Hynes to help put Illinois’ reeling finances back on track.

"Governor Quinn and I had disagreements," said Hynes, who for months disputed Quinn’s campaign rhetoric but acknowledged the "people have spoken." "We had different philosophies, and words get heated, and it was a fierce debate. But … I never questioned his commitment to the people of Illinois. I said throughout that he inherited a very difficult situation."

The comptroller’s reference was reinforced only hours later as federal prosecutors announced the re-indictment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose arrest on corruption charges, impeachment and ouster led to Quinn’s ascension from lieutenant governor barely a year ago. 

"After the past few years in our state after so much turmoil, conflict and strife, let us choose peace," Hynes said. "And to the victor goes our compliments and our support."

The fast-breaking political developments practically made the Hynes concession a poignant footnote to a day swept up in nthe Democrats’ Cohen crisis, but it also marked the abrupt political setback of Hynes, a respected public servant seeking to break into the next level of the Illinois government hierarchy.

Overcome by the moment, Hynes’ voice broke at one point during his morning concession announcement, pausing for 10 seconds to regain his composure as he talked about his family, including his three sons. His wife, Christina, a physician, stood at his side, reaching out toward her husband at one point and dabbing at her eyes.momentarily slipping a white tissue under her glasses and up toward her eyes.

"When I decided to run for governor, it was–I’m not trying to act like a martyr, but it was a sacrifice in a lot of ways because of our small kids," Hynes said. "And in the last four weeks, I’ve realized how much of a sacrifice because I’ve missed them, and they missed me. So, uh, I don’t see a campaign in my future."

Hynes, 41, said he had no regrets about the way he ran the campaign, including his decision to launch the controversial ad of old footage of Mayor Harold Washington talking about why he fired Quinn as city revenue director in the 1980s. 

Hynes’ father, 19th Ward powerhouse Thomas Hynes, once challenged Washington for mayor. The elder Hynes’ move came in the middle of the racially divided City Council wars with Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor, and earned the city the infamous moniker "Beiruit on the Lake."

Hynes said he did not know why his campaign fell only a few thousand votes shy of beating Quinn.

"But I’m going to have a lot of months to think about it, and I’m sure I will," Hynes said. "But, you know, I really don’t know. … Let me put it this way. There’s nothing I think I could have done more, there’s nothing I wished I had done more. "

Since the vote totals showed him ahead late Tuesday, Quinn had claimed victory and only buttressed his position as his lead grew to nearly 8,100 votes — an almost insurmountable number for Hynes to overcome and a margin that made it difficult to press for a recount. 

Hynes spent Wednesday out of the public eye as he pondered his next move, making sure the votes were in and  coming to the realization himself that the fight was done.

"It’s just that the people decided by a thin margin to choose somebody else," Hynes said. "And that’s, that’s life." 

In an email message to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Hynes said: "This morning, our journey came to an end. It is not the outcome we wanted, but after all the votes have been counted, it is the undeniable outcome of democracy in action. The final result is achingly close, but it is definitive, and Governor Pat Quinn will be the Democratic nominee.

But while Hynes’ decision to abandon any post-primary challenge to Quinn’s nomination brought clarity to one of the governor’s races, the Republican side remained fluid. State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington holds a 406-vote lead over state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, with a smattering of absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted, and there was no indication that Dillard would concede.

Posted by Ray Long at 10:00 a.m.; last updated at 11:53 a.m.Posted by Ray Long at 10:00 a.m.; last updated at 11:53 a.m.

Gov. Pat Quinn said rival Dan Hynes "has the heart of a lion" as he accepted Hynes’ concession in the Democratic primary this morning.

"We are grateful to the people of -lllinios and definitely Dan Hynes for coming together," Quinn said, adding Hynes believes in the "ethic of service."

Quinn held a news conference shortly after Hynes’ announcement, saying primaries are always difficult, but when  "it’s all over it’s like a family, we put aside difference and come together for things we truly believe in."

The governor, who fought a bitter primary contest with the state comptroller, said it’s "exceptionally important" for Hynes to help the state get back on track.

Posted by Ray Long at 10 a.m.

Dan Hynes ended his Democratic governor campaign today, calling Gov. Pat Quinn and pledging his support in the fall campaign.

"Well, the people have spoken, and the votes have been counted. And I’m here to report that we rose up but fell just a little short," Hynes said at a news conference at his River North campaign headquarters. "And if democracy means anything, it means that the campaign with more votes wins."

"We did the right thing. Made sure all the votes are counted and now we know for sure that it wasn’t us," Hynes said. "And rather than contest or demand anything further, let’s do the right thing again."

"There is nothing I think I could have done more. I have no regrets," he said.

"Friends, we gave it everything we had," said Hynes, who fought back emotion. Hynes’ wife, Dr. Christina Kerger Hynes, wiped away a tear.

Hynes said the state needs "peace" now instead of turmoil and Quinn can provide that. Hynes said he’s backing the governor because of Quinn’s "basic decency." Hynes called Quinn about 9:30 a.m. to offer his concession.

It marked a sharp difference from the rhetoric during the often-bitter campaign.

The three-term comptroller had vowed to “continue fighting” when he addressed supporters late Tuesday, waiting until all the Democratic votes were counted following a close and often bitter contest against Quinn.



But Quinn claimed victory, and in the ensuing hours his lead grew to nearly 8,100 votes — an almost insurmountable number for Hynes to overcome and a margin that made it difficult to press for a recount. Hynes spent Wednesday out of the public eye as he pondered his next move.

Quinn is scheduled to hold his own news conference in the Loop at 11:30 a.m.. On Wednesday, Quinn called on Democrats to come together, but did not publicly push Hynes to end his campaign, saying he’s “not going to tell anybody what to do.”



“I think Dan Hynes will do what’s right for the Democratic Party,” said Quinn, who praised his rival for putting his “heart and soul” into the contentious race.



Several of Hynes’ political backers said late Wednesday that the comptroller was finding little support for an extended recount push. They asked not to be identified so as not to pre-empt Hynes’ announcement.



Hynes’ announcement likely brings to an end one of the city’s most prominent dynasties. Hynes’ father, Tom, was a former Illinois Senate president and Cook County assessor who led the political operations of the 19th Ward. The younger Hynes, 41, was elected comptroller in 1998 but will be out of office next January.



While Hynes’ decision to abandon any post-primary challenge to Quinn’s nomination brought clarity to one of the governor’s races, the Republican side remains anything but. The GOP still face days, if not longer, in finding out who its nominee will be against Quinn in the November general election.



State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington holds a 406-vote lead over state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, with a smattering of absentee and provisional ballots still to be counted.

Posted by Tribune staff at 9:30 p.m.

Raja Krishnamoorthi tonight conceded defeat to state Rep. David Miller in the Democratic comptroller contest.

Miller, a dentist from south suburban Lynwood, held a lead of more than 8,000 votes with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Krishnamoorthi, a former deputy state treasurer from Hoffman Estates, did not end his campaign Tuesday night, saying he wanted to wait until all the votes were counted.

Tonight, he issued a statement ending his bid.

"A little while ago, I called David Miller to congratulate him on becoming the Democratic nominee for Illinois state comptroller," the statement read. "This is not the outcome we had hoped for, and we all wish last night and today would have included a victory celebration. Indeed, we came within a whisker of winning."

Miller will face Republican Judy Baar Topinka, the former state treasurer and governor candidate who is attempting a political comeback.

UPDATED at 8:24 p.m. with additional Quinn comment; originally posted by David Heinzmann and Ray Long at 7:55 p.m.

The newly minted Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor said Wednesday he doesn’t think a 2005 domestic battery arrest should hurt him in the fall general election, although records in the case raise questions about his version of events.

Scott Lee Cohen, a pawnbroker who was the surprise winner in the little-publicized contest among half a dozen candidates, had previously disclosed the arrest. He described it Wednesday as an argument with his drunken girlfriend and said he didn’t lay a hand on her, though she called the police and had him taken into custody.

But the official police and court records show that the woman alleged Cohen put a knife to her throat and pushed her head against the wall.

In their October 14 arrest report detailing the complaint from the 24-year-old woman, Chicago police noted they observed “mild abrasions from knife wound” on her neck. They also noted “minor scars on her hand from her trying to defend herself against the arrestee swinging the knife at her.” The report notes the woman was seen by ambulance personnel but not taken to a hospital.

The case was dropped a month later when the woman did not show up for a court date.

Also, public records show that the alleged victim, Scott’s 24-year-old girlfriend at the time, was a prostitute. Six months before the October 2005 incident, she had been arrested after a police investigation of a Glenview massage parlor. She later pleaded guilty to a charge of prostitution.

Through a spokesman Cohen said he did not know at the time that the woman was a prostitute and that she had told him she worked as a “massage therapist.”

Cohen’s spokesman said the woman’s accusations about the assault were false, and pointed to the fact that the case was dropped as evidence that complaint was baseless.

“These are accusations of what she says happened, but that is not what happened,” said campaign spokesman Phil Molfese.

Molfese said that he doubted that the marks on the woman’s neck that were noted by the arresting officers could have been made by a knife, and Cohen stands by his claim that he did not touch the woman.

“Those abrasions, we don’t know where they came from,” Molfese said.

Cohen sat down for an interview with the Tribune early Wednesday afternoon, during which he characterized the incident as an argument in which she was drunk and made allegations. After the Tribune obtained the arrest report later in the day and contacted the campaign about the discrepancies, Cohen was unavailable. Molfese downplayed the importance of the whole incident.

“I think this is totally ridiculous,” he said. “They were living together. They had a fight.”

In the earlier interview with Cohen, he had characterized his relationship with the woman as “tumultuous,” and said that he was going through a difficult time as his marriage was breaking up and he “fell in with the wrong crowd.”

“He admits he was not in an ideal place at that time,” Molfese said. “People sometimes get off track. He was going through a divorce.”

The new disclosures added another element of unrest to a roiled political landscape after Tuesday’s primary elections, which left the outcome of the Democratic and Republican nominations for governor in doubt.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who was holding a tight lead over rival Dan Hynes, spent little time Wednesday morning discussing the background of Cohen, the man who would be his running mate in the general election.

Quinn said he had not yet spoken to Cohen. Asked about the dropped battery case, Quinn said he doesn’t "like to have any opinions on things where I don’t have the facts.”

“One thing I was impressed with was he’s committed to jobs,” Quinn said. “I think he’s had jobs fairs all over. I look forward to anybody who wants to get the economy moving again and good jobs for Illinois… anyone committed to that is OK with me.”

Later  Wednesday, when Quinn was asked about the specifics of the police report by the Tribune, he said "I think it’s important that he explain exactly what went on there. I’m anxious to hear that."

Quinn called the allegations in the police report "troubling" but said he was not aware of any attempts to get Cohen off the ballot.

"I think any candidate, when questions come up, needs to be forthright and answer any and all questions," Quinn said.

Cohen, a political novice, used his own money to blanket Chicago with broadcast ads touting job fairs he sponsored as a way to publicize his campaign.

Posted by John Byrne at 12:35 p.m.



Mayor Richard Daley today called on candidates who lost in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to get behind the winners.

 

"I lost an election to Harold Washington in 1983, and the next day I had breakfast with Harold, and I supported him. Just like a basketball or football game, it’s over with, then you support the individual" he said.



But Daley refused to say that Comptroller Dan Hynes should concede to Gov. Pat Quinn and help strengthen the Democratic push to hold onto the governor’s mansion.
"I don’t know. It’s real close," the mayor said. "I don’t know all the — I haven’t seen the end result."

Hynes trails Quinn by about 7,100 votes with 99 percent of precincts reporting.

Daley also praised Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, 4th, who won Tuesday’s Democratic Cook County Board president primary. The mayor said voters were drawn to Preckwinkle because they believe she will stand up for them.

 

"The one thing about the voters, they will select who they want. It doesn’t matter who’s going to anoint somebody," Daley said. "(Preckwinkle) worked very hard, and so, she knows government, and she’ll do very well there," Daley said.

 

Democrats up and down the ticket need to keep working if they want to win in the general election, he said.

 

"Don’t count your chickens before they hatch," he said. "You have an election in November. I know everybody thinks they’re getting elected, but you’d better campaign for this."



The mayor talked politics at a news conference to spotlight the recently-opened stretch of the pedway passing through the Block 37 shopping center downtown. "They’re going to select who they want, and that’s called the role of independence. You have to understand that."

Posted by John Chase at 12:25 p.m.



With the battle for President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat just hours old, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk wasted little time slamming each other and setting a tone for the fall campaign.



Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman, criticized state treasurer Giannoulias’ management of a college savings program and his work at Broadway Bank. Giannoulias hammered Kirk for "ridiculous political attacks" and not being focused on the economy.

Standing outside a shuttered General Electric appliances factory in Cicero, Giannoulias said the plant closure is the result of failed Republican initiatives in Washington, D.C.

"I’m the only candidate talking about jobs and moving this country forward," Giannoulias said.

Speaking at a Republican unity breakfast, Kirk said “the whole fate of this
country and the upper chamber rests” on his battle with Giannoulias.

The Senate contest, which is expected to be expensive, already has begun to garner national attention. At the GOP unity breakfast, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour praised Kirk as being "the right man at the right time."



Giannoulias criticized Barbour as being a longtime Washington lobbyist who represented the Mexican government during ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement.



National Democrats already engaged in the race as well. 

When asked if he expected to get significant backing from President Obama, Giannoulias said he did and even got a phone call from the man he’s known for years and played basketball with.

"President Obama called and apparently I missed it but the White House called to congratulate us last night and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we keep this seat," Giannoulias said.

Posted by David Kidwell at 11:10 a.m.

Weary elections officials woke up this morning with a total of 96 precincts left to count, 24 in suburban Cook County and 72 in Chicago.



Both jurisdictions were hard at work by 9 a.m.



Most of the delays were due to transmission issues or because election judges in some precincts did not include data from touch screen machines that weren’t used, elections officials said.



In those cases, even when the issues were with only one machine, the results from the entire precinct must wait, they said. The final tabulation in both suburban Cook and the city is expected to be completed today.

But some races are close enough to be affected by absentee ballots and provisional ballots that haven’t been counted.



Elections officials must wait for all absentee ballots postmarked the day before the election. Provisional ballots are those cast by voters on election day when there is an issue about registration or polling place. Overseas military ballots can take up to two weeks to arrive.



Poll workers at the county warehouse had counted and consolidated all the uncounted paper ballots from 13 precincts by 10:30 a.m., and had moved on to retrieving data from touch-screen machines in 11 other precincts that hadn’t been counted. Final election day results from suburban Cook County are expected to be available by noon.



Cook County Clerk David Orr said statewide most jurisdictions have reported 100 percent from election day, with Cook County and Chicago the only places with "any significant" outstanding election day votes left to count.

In Chicago, elections officials are scheduled to give more information at 1 p.m. when workers start processing voting return cartridges at a warehouse in the 1800 block of West Pershing Road. The process is open to candidates, reporters and the public.

Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections, said officials will talk about how many precincts remain uncounted and what they’re doing about provisional ballots and absentee ballots.

Posted by Monique Garcia, Rick Pearson, Ray Long and Christi Parsons at 5 a.m.; last updated at 9:12  p.m.

Democrat Dan Hynes on Thursday is expected to announce the fate of his campaign against Gov. Pat Quinn as political allies privately acknowledged tonight that a drawn-out recount doesn’t appear viable.



Republicans, however, are gearing up for the possibility of a recount as little more than 400 votes separate state Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington and Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale.



More than a day after voters delivered two of the closest governor primaries in Illinois history, the dynamics of the fall campaign for the state’s top job remained far from settled. Instead of Democrats and Republicans attacking the other party’s nominee, they found themselves dealing with unfinished business inside their own camps.



Hynes, the three-term comptroller had vowed to “continue fighting” when he addressed supporters shortly before midnight Wednesday, and to wait until all the Democratic votes were counted following a close and often bitter contest against Quinn.



But Quinn claimed victory, and in the ensuing hours his lead grew to nearly 8,100 votes — an almost insurmountable number for Hynes to overcome and a margin that made it difficult to press for a recount. Hynes spent Wednesday out of the public eye as he pondered his next move.



Quinn called on Democrats to come together, but did not publicly push Hynes to end his campaign, saying he’s “not going to tell anybody what to do.”



“I think Dan Hynes will do what’s right for the Democratic Party,” said Quinn, who praised his rival for putting his “heart and soul” into the contentious race.



Several of Hynes’ political backers said the comptroller was finding little support for an extended recount push. They asked not to be identified so as not to pre-empt Hynes’ announcement.



If Hynes concedes defeat, the decision also likely would bring to an end one of the city’s most prominent political dynasties. Hynes’ father, Tom, was a former Illinois Senate president and Cook County assessor who led the political operations of the 19th Ward. The younger Hynes, 41, was elected comptroller in 1998 but will be out of office next January.

While Hynes’ announcement could bring clarity to one of the governor’s races, the Republican side remains anything but clear.

The GOP still faces days, if not longer, in finding out who its nominee will be against Quinn in the November general election.



That made today’s Republican unity breakfast awkward. Both Brady and Dillard were seated at the head table, separated by a lectern, with no clear governor nominee for the party to rally around.



Dillard is consulting with a top election law attorney as the possibility of a recount looms. He won’t even be able to request a partial recount until the Illinois State Board of Elections certifies the results on March 5. From there, a complicated process unfolds that could include legal arguments before the state Supreme Court, day after day of ballot examinations, election board hearings and further legal action.



Think Florida 2000 and the presidential contest between then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore, or maybe Al Franken and Norm Coleman in the 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate race. Though electronic ballot counting technology has replaced those scenes of election judges gazing through magnifying glasses at hanging chads, the drama of what constitutes a valid ballot could still be perilously slow.



Asked about a recount on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight,” Dillard said he hasn’t gotten that far yet.

Brady joked about the close contest at the unity breakfast.



“I know this election’s tight, and I wish Sen. Dillard would concede right now,” Brady said to his rival. But Brady’s tone became more serious when he said, “this ticket, and our ticket around the state, has no time to waste” to launch the 2010 general election against Democrats.



Nearly 24 hours after the polls closed, Dillard issued a statement noting “there are hundreds of provisional and absentee ballots left to be counted.” Dillard added, “We believe every Illinoisans’ voice needs and deserves to be heard. We do not know who won yet and we probably won’t for several more days.”



Illinois Republican Chairman Pat Brady, no relation, addressed the possibility of a recount.



“I pledge to you, this will be done properly, it will be done fairly, it will be done within the letter of the law,” Pat Brady said. “All your votes will be counted.”



Quinn said tonight that he doesn’t care whether he faces Brady or Dillard this fall.



The governor’s remarks came hours after President Barack Obama made what the White House described as a congratulatory call to Quinn for winning the close Democratic primary.



Bill Burton, the deputy White House press secretary, said he had not talked to Obama about whether the president supported what several state Democrats have expressed privately — that Hynes should concede the contest due to the governor’s expanded lead.



Quinn said he had taken a break from greeting voters Wednesday morning when Obama called. Quinn said that the call was friendly and congratulatory for his winning campaign.



Burton later confirmed that Obama also called Hynes, who unsuccessfully challenged the president in the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Despite Hynes’ defeat, he was among the first to publicly suggest that Obama run for president.



Hynes aides said the White House made the call Wednesday morning but it wasn’t until noon-time that the two were able to talk, as the comptroller made clear his desire that every vote in the contest be counted.



State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, who was on the dais early Wednesday with Quinn and several prominent African-American leaders, said the governor’s vote margin is too big to overcome.

“I think it would behoove him to give it some thought as to how a (drawn out election) will effect our party this year,” Lang said.

Posted at 8:12 p.m.

Democratic governor candidate Dan Hynes will make "an important announcement" about his campaign Thursday morning, his campaign said tonight.

Hynes trails Gov. Pat Quinn by nearly 8,100 votes with all of the precincts
reporting. Some absentee and provisional ballots have yet to be
counted, but there are unlikely to be enough of them to impact the contest.

Quinn, however, was not publicly pushing Hynes to end his campaign.

"I think that’s up to Dan Hynes," said Quinn when asked if he expects Hynes to concede Thursday morning.

"I think Dan Hynes will do what’s right for the Democratic Party," said Quinn, who praised his rival for putting his "heart and soul" into the contentious race.




The Hynes campaign news came after President Barack Obama today made what the White House described as a congratulatory call to Gov. Pat Quinn for winning the close Democratic governor primary, also calling Comptroller Dan Hynes to talk about his campaign effort.

Quinn said he had taken a break from greeting voters this morning when Obama called. Quinn told WTTW’s "Chicago Tonight" that the call was friendly and congratulatory for his winning campaign.

The news first surfaced at today’s White House press briefing, where Bill Burton, the deputy press secretary, said he had not talked to Obama about whether the president supported what several Illinois Democrats have expressed privately — that Hynes should concede the contest due to Quinn’s expanded lead.



Burton later confirmed that the president also called Hynes, the comptroller who once unsuccessfully challenged Obama in the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Despite Hynes’ defeat, he was among the first to publicly suggest that Obama make a bid for the presidential nomination.



Hynes aides said the White House made the call this morning, but it wasn’t until noon-time that the two were able to talk as the comptroller made clear his desire that every vote in the contest be counted.

Quinn this morning called on Democrats to get behind his
campaign for governor, but stopped short of calling on Hynes to give up while votes are still being counted.

"I just think the results are in, the primary is over, the people
heard both candidates and got a chance to vote,” Quinn said. “After
that’s over, it’s time to count the votes and move on.”

“The numbers speak for themselves," he said.

Asked on "Chicago Tonight" whether he preferred to face Republican Bill Brady or Kirk Dillard this fall, Quinn said he didn’t care.

On the GOP side, Illinois Republicans gathered downtown for a unity breakfast but found they had to add an extra seat at the main table.

With the governor’s contest still undecided, state Sens. Brady and Dillard both were seated on the dais, separated by a lectern.

Orange and blue signs adorning the meeting room at the Union League Club read, "Illinois is next!" That’s a reference to Republican victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

But what is next for the Illinois GOP is unclear: With 100 percent of precincts counted, unofficial results this morning showed Brady with a 406-vote lead over Dillard.

Entering the breakfast, Brady said he believes his lead will hold. He also heralded voters’ selection of Jason Plummer for lieutenant governor, saying he’ll be member of a "great team."

"It’s clean break from the politics of the past," Brady said. "We’re going to go on to victory in November."

Brady, of Bloomington, dismissed questions of whether he’s too conservative. "I support the values of Illinois residents," he said.

Brady said he and Dillard have been friends a long time and that he will respect whatever decision Dillard makes about whether to seek a recount.

"Our strategy was simple," said Brady, the only downstate candidate. "We were running against five, six Chicago guys. We needed to solidify our base. But we did that 11 months ago by deciding we had to build the strongest grassroots effort this state has ever seen.

Dillard said he’s confident he will be the Republican nominee.



“We’ll have a better feel today when we see 100 percent of the precincts reporting,” he said. “It’ll be a while before they’re all in, but we’ll know I think by sundown today. I’ll be in the lead.”

Late this afternoon, Dillard put out a statement urging patience.

"A winner has not been decided yet. Yesterday’s election was really close and the simple fact is that they are still counting the votes. There are hundreds of provisional and absentee ballots left to be counted along with several precincts votes to be reported. We believe every Illinoisan’s voice needs and deserves to be heard. We do not know who won yet and we probably won’t for several more days," the campaign statement read.



"Rumors of a victory are not legitimate when votes are still being counted.  I’m confident that when all of the ballots have been counted, I will be the Republican nominee for governor,” he said in the statement.

Illinois Republican Chairman Pat Brady, no relation, addressed the possibility of a recount in the governor’s race.





"I pledge to you, this will be done properly, it will be done fairly,
it will be done within the letter of the law," Pat Brady said. "All your
votes will be counted."

In the Democratic governor’s contest, Hynes is staying out of the public eye so far today.

"We are still in the same posture as last night, taking a look this morning at where things stand," Hynes spokesman Matt McGrath said. "We’re not prepared to declare victory or concede until all the votes are counted."

McGrath also said it remains unclear whether Hynes will seek a recount. He trails Quinn by a little less than 7,100 votes with 99 percent counted.

Hynes told supporters after midnight that there were still votes to be counted; this morning Cook County officials were to resume tabulating ballots from 24 precincts they didn’t get to after midnight.

“I know where the precincts are and just since midnight of last night our lead has lengthened,” Quinn said to reporters after thanking voters in Chicago this morning. “It was a close election, there’s no doubt about it.”

“But after it’s over, people come together. I haven’t won every election of my life, sometimes I’m on the short end and life goes on. It’s important for people I think to understand the Democratic party has very robust contest in the primary, but the tradition in our party is that the candidates come together after the primary and work together for the candidates in the fall.”

Asked if he was calling on Hynes to concede, Quinn said he’s "not going to tell anybody what to do."

Quinn also said he had not yet spoken to pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen, who claimed victory in the Democratic lieutenant governor’s race. Cohen, a big-spending political rookie and surprise winner, will have to answer questions during the general
election race about a 2005 misdemeanor domestic battery charge. He was
accused of beating a woman, but the case was dropped a month later when
she refused to pursue the charges.

Asked about that, Quinn said he doesn’t "like to have any opinions on things where I don’t have the facts.”

“One thing I was impressed with was he’s committed to jobs,” Quinn said. “I think he’s had jobs fairs all over. I look forward to anybody who wants to get the economy moving again and good jobs for Illinois… anyone committed to that is OK with me.”

Posted by Tribune staff at 5 a.m.

Turns out Illinois’ fast-moving primary isn’t over yet.

While Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle won decisively over Cook County Board President Todd Stroger Tuesday night, things were much tighter in both races for governor.

Republicans headed to a unity breakfast this morning with their governor nominee still in doubt. State Sens. Bill Brady of Bloomington and Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale were within 1,500 votes of each other with 99 percent of the unofficial vote counted this morning. Each had 20 percent of the tally in a six-way contest.

On the Democratic side, Gov. Pat Quinn declared himself the winner, even though Comptroller Dan Hynes had not conceded defeat. Hynes trailed by fewer than 6,000 votes as results trickled in.

The possibility of lengthy and expensive recounts looms, which will put pressure on elections officials who aren’t even done counting the ballots and certifying the election results yet.

As Cook County Clerk David Orr stood at the front counter of his offices Tuesday evening perusing elections results, he joked with reporters about his potential nightmare.



"Have any of you ever seen one election with a dozen recounts," he said, shaking his head. "I see a lot of very tight races here."



Orr said he anticipates recount petitions despite the fact rivals are from the same party.

"In my experience, these inter party battles can be just as rancorous as any," he said.



In preparation, Orr’s staff passed out the recount rules to reporters awaiting election results. They are:



*If a losing margin is within 5 percent of the winner, the candidate can demand a "discovery recount."



*In a discovery recount, the losing candidate can petition the clerk’s office to retabulate votes in up to 25 percent of the precincts of the candidates choice.



*If the discovery recount uncovers evidence of missed votes or disenfranchisement, the candidate can then opt to sue in circuit court for a full recount, a process Orr said can take months to complete.



*Filing for discovery recount is March 1.

There aren’t going to be recounts in the U.S. Senate race, where Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk are set to square off for President Barack Obama’s old seat.

Posted by Rick Pearson, David Heinzmann, Monique Garcia, Michelle Manchir and Jared Hopkins at 6:53 p.m.; last updated at 12:35 a.m.

The races for governor went down to the wire tonight with razor-thin margins separating Gov. Pat Quinn from Comptroller Dan Hynes on the Democratic side and state Sens. Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady among Republicans.



The closeness of the contests, accentuated by a low voter turnout, meant no one declared victory on either side as trailing candidates pondered seeking an expensive and lengthy recount.



With 99 percent of the state’s precincts reporting, Quinn and Hynes each had 50 percent, separated by about 5,400 votes in a bitter contest for the Democratic governor nomination.

Though Hynes did not concede, Quinn, flanked by his 92-year-old mother, sought to portray himself as the winner, saying "the primary is over."

"The time for fighting is over. The people have won and we have won this election," Quinn told supporters, including Secretary of State Jesse White, who likened the primary to a Chicago street fight. "We have consumers to protect in Illinois. We have children to educate in Illinois. We have health care to be delivered in Illinois. We have veterans and service members and their families to be taken care of in Illinois. And we have lots and lots of jobs to make happen in our state."

At a downtown union hall, Hynes vowed to fight on.

"Tonight we’ve learned one thing for sure and that is that we are going to continue fighting," Hynes said as supporters chanted "Let’s Go Dan."

"This is a close race. A very, very close race," he added. "There are thousands of ballots that haven’t been counted. And whatever the outcome, it’s important for Illinois to get this right."

On the Republican side, Brady had 21 percent to 20 percent for Dillard, about 1,500 votes apart. Former state Republican chairman Andy McKenna had 19 percent, with 99 percent counted.

"I am confident that when the votes are counted, we will win now and we will win in November," said Dillard, of Hinsdale.



“The night’s not over,” Dillard said earlier. “We’re going to be around for a while.”

Brady said his campaign is watching the outcome “very closely.”

“It just shows the strength of the grassroots,” said Brady from his campaign headquarters at a Bloomington hotel. “We were far outspent on Chicago TV.”

McKenna thanked supporters and asked them to hang in with him for the long haul.

"This race is too close to call. It’s not going to be resolved any time soon," he said. "The road is not finished. Let’s see where we land tomorrow morning."



Regardless of who wins the nominations for the November election, the splits within the Democratic and Republican results reveal the potential weaknesses each party nominee will face heading into the general election campaign.



Quinn, elevated to the state’s top job little more than a year ago by the ouster of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, found himself under heavy criticism for indecisive leadership as state government’s deficit increased along with a $5 billion backlog of bills.



Hynes found his efforts to display leadership under withering attacks from Quinn, who raised questions about the three-term comptroller’s efforts to help Democrats repair from the damage caused by the Blagojevich scandal.



Among Republicans, a nominee with the support of one-in-five primary voters can’t declare a mandate and faces a difficult unifying task ahead.

Dillard was criticized heavily for bipartisan assistance he gave to then-Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and whether he was adamantly opposed to a tax hike. For his part, Brady has been a staunch central conservative whose views may not mesh in the more moderate suburbs.



Dillard counted heavily on a field organization through battle-tested top advisers such as Greg Baise, the former state transportation secretary who now heads the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Dillard also counted on gaining downstate support in his endorsement from former Gov. Jim Edgar, whom Dillard worked for as chief of staff.



Brady, the lone downstate candidate, had counted on the plethora of GOP candidates from DuPage County — Dillard, former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and Adam Andrzejewski — to split the Chicago metropolitan vote with McKenna, who advertised heavily on TV.



The last governor’s race to go to a recount was the 1982 general election battle between then-incumbent GOP Gov. Jim Thompson and Democratic challenger Adlai E. Stevenson III. The race was decided in Thompson’s favor by 5,074 votes by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Stevenson, ironically, is co-chair of Hynes’ current campaign for governor.



The Democratic campaign went from a sleepy contest in which Quinn and Hynes sparred over approaches to the budget to a post-holiday slugfest with scorched-earth TV ads from both sides.



Hynes seized on reports that the Illinois Department of Corrections had launched a budget-cutting program to accelerate the early release of some inmates with short sentences.

Most of the inmates had credit for time they served in county jails before they were convicted, and ended up serving just days or weeks in state custody.



As Quinn blamed his corrections director for not fully informing him of the program’s details but refused to fire him, Hynes ran ads attacking Quinn as an inept manager.



Hynes also began to focus heavily on African-American voters late in the campaign, launching a controversial ad showing 1987 video of the then-Mayor Harold Washington making pointedly negative remarks about Quinn, whom he had fired as city revenue director. Hynes, whose own father had launched a third-party bid to unseat Washington, risked being painted as racially divisive for using the words of the long-dead first black mayor of Chicago.



To counter the ads, Quinn launched his own commercials alleging that Hynes should be held accountable for the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal that unfolded last years when a worker at the historically black graveyard discovered piles of human remains above ground. An criminal investigation has led to charges that Burr Oak officials were moving remains and reselling grave plots.



The comptroller’s office has auditing oversight of cemetery finances, but Quinn has alleged that Hynes ignored multiple complaints from people suggesting criminal behavior.



On the Republican side, the unsettled nature of the contest may make for an interesting topic at a scheduled GOP unity breakfast Wednesday morning.



Opposition to tax increases was an important factor to GOP voters, and the contenders often sought to turn the contest into who was a more dedicated tax fighter despite questions of whether a deficit plagued state could get by without more revenue.



McKenna’s money and advertising catapulted him into the top tier of candidates, initially by taking on a corrupt Springfield “culture of the hair” in mocking Blagojevich’s coiffure. But in the final weeks of the campaign, McKenna’s message turned harder onto Dillard and Ryan in questioning the depth of their opposition to tax increases.



Dillard also found himself on the receiving end of McKenna reminders that the Hinsdale state senator appeared in a 2007 Iowa caucus campaign ad attesting to then-Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama’s bipartisanship.



To try to counter the onslaught of McKenna advertising, Dillard reached out to disparate political elements to get on the air. He got a $250,000 donation from conservative activist Jack Roeser, who has long complained about teachers’ unions and chafed at the moderate rule of the state GOP. And he got $250,000 from the Illinois Education Association.



Those dollars helped Dillard rekindle the Edgar endorsement while attacking McKenna’s tenure as chairman of the state GOP, a post McKenna gave up in August saying he had no interest in seeking office. In particular, Dillard hit at McKenna’s use of state Republican Party dollars to conduct a poll of potential 2010 candidates that specifically included McKenna.

McKenna later apologized for the poll, but Dillard contended it was an ethical lapse.



As he attempted a political comeback, Ryan sought to hit at McKenna but largely lacked the resources to run a campaign as he did in 2002 against Blagojevich. With campaign appearances limited mainly to public debates and forums, Ryan, an instructor at Benedictine University in Lisle, saw his name-ID driven early frontrunner status in the polls dissipate amid sporadic TV advertising.



Rounding out the field, Ryan had 17 percent, transparency advocate Adam Andrzejewski of Hinsdale had 15 percent and Chicago political consultant Dan Proft had 8 percent. Andrzejewski and Proft spent much of their time battling for support from disaffected voters within the so-called tea party movement.

Posted by David Heinzmann at 12:05 a.m.



A Chicago pawn broker was leading the race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor early today.



With 97 percent of the vote counted, it was less clear who would be the nominee on the Republican side. Jason Plummer, a 27-year-old lumber company executive from Edwardsville, had 34 percent of the vote, maintaining a slight lead over state Sen. Matt Murphy of Palatine, with 33 percent.



Scott Lee Cohen, a pawn broker and cleaning supply distributor, appeared to be edging out state Rep. Art Turner for the Democratic nomination. Cohen had 26 percent of the vote to Turner’s 22 percent, with 97 percent counted.

Cohen, a little-known candidate who financed much of the campaign with his own fortune, will have to answer questions during the general election race as more is learned about him. He was charged with a 2005 misdemeanor domestic battery charge.

He was accused of beating a woman, but the case was dropped a month later when she refused to show up in court to pursue the charges.



Though the lieutenant governor’s job is limited in its powers and reach, the post became one of the most sought- after offices in the primary election — with six candidates from each party vying in their respective primaries. It’s likely the heavy interest had something to do with the last lieutenant governor — Pat Quinn — being elevated to the G governor’s M mansion after Rod Blagojevich was impeached last year.



Because candidates for governor don’t pick their running mates, the races can make for odd pairings. For instance, Quinn and Blagojevich were not natural allies but found themselves sharing the ticket. Blagojevich’s downfall catapulted Quinn into office but also saddled him with ties to the indicted former governor in some voters’ minds.



In another statewide race, a familiar face emerged victorious as former state t Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka ran away with the Republican nomination for comptroller, taking 59 percent of the vote in a three-way contest.



Late into the night, it was unclear whom Topinka, whose last race was a failed 2006 bid for governor against Blagojevich, would face on the Democratic side. In that contest, south suburban dentist and state Rep. David Miller was narrowly leading Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Harvard-educated lawyer from Hoffman Estates, both holding onto about 46 percent of the vote with 97 percent counted.



The treasurer’s post was also was left vacant by a politician — Alexi Giannoulias — — seeking higher office. Downstate lawmaker and businessman Dan Rutherford was uncontested in the Republican primary. And on the Democratic side, Giannoulias’ chief of staff, Robin Kelly, won the nomination. With 97 percent of precincts counted, she had 58 percent of the vote to 42 percent for Justin Oberman, an investment banker who is the son of a former Chicago alderman.

Posted by Ray Long at 9:30 p.m.; last updated at 1:10 a.m.



Incumbent state legislators fought to win the right to run again in a marathon campaign that will end in the November general election, but ballots were still being counted throughout the Chicago area early today in many contested races.



One of the tightest Chicago races showed veteran Rep. Dan Burke, the brother of Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, ending up ahead of challenger Rudy Lozano Jr., the son of the slain political activist Rudy Lozano, in a largely Latino district, according to unofficial returns.



"I think I do a decent, legitimate job for real people," said Burke, who added: "I love the people I represent."



In the northwest suburbs, Republican Palatine businessman Thomas Morrison was leading Rep. Suzanne Bassi, R-Palatine, but she had not conceded as of early today, according to Sara Wojcicki, spokeswoman aide.

The primary election results set the stage for a highly charged political year in Springfield, where state lawmakers hope to make it through the spring legislative session without a misstep that will stoke the fires of an already angry electorate.



That’s not going to be easy if the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate attempt to tackle the state’s reeling finances, particularly if they choose to follow the lead of the dueling Democrats who ran for governor—incumbent Pat Quinn and comptroller Dan Hynes—both calling for an income tax increase.

Without a tax increase, Democrats still would face bad, unpopular and financially risky choices, but they are more palatable to an angry public than paying more out of their wallets to a state government reeling from scandals and budget woes.



If the past were to foretell the future, lawmakers will have a series of creative maneuvers. They have shown a fondness to borrowing, skimping on payments due to pension funds and rolling up debt. The backlog of old bills has hit an astronomical $5 billion. The main goal is likely to be cobble something together long enough to prevent a fiscal catastrophe before the November election.



The primary election won’t change the balance of the Illinois legislature, but most hard-fought Democratic primaries for House and Senate seats in Chicago will determine who goes to Springfield next year.



A fight over a Southwest Side open seat has Evergreen Park’s Michael Macellaio, the candidate backed by House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, trailing by several hundred votes in a battle with attorney Kelly Burke, the president of Evergreen Park Public Library Board. Only a handful of precincts remained to be counted early today, when a Burke campaign aide said she was cautiously optimistic.



Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Chicago, had an overwhelming lead in another Southwest Side district over challenger Terrence Collins, a Chicago police officer and lawyer.



A six-way race on the West Side, Rep. Annazette Collins of Chicago leading the closest contender, Jonathan Goldman late Tuesday.



In a Northwest Side race with two openly gay candidates, Rep. Deborah Mell, the daughter of 33rd Ward Ald. Dick Mell, had 2-1 lead in her re-election bid against part-time Columbia College teacher Joe Laiacona, an author of books on bondage and sadomasochism.



On the North Side, attorney Ann Williams, a former aide to Attorney General Lisa Madigan, was ahead in the race to replace incumbent Rep. John Fritchey, who chose to seek a seat on the county board. Williams’ campaign manager, Adam Quader, said Williams had declared victory over Ed Mullen and Dan Farley, the son of former Sen. Bruce Farley, convicted years ago in a ghost-payrolling scheme.

In the Senate, Sen. Heather Steans declared victory with a hefty lead over Jim Madigan, an attorney, in a North Side race.

The race to replace retiring Sen. James DeLeo drew multiple candidates to the open seat on the Northwest Side: John Mulroe, an attorney, was well ahead of his three other competitors, Thomas Ryan, a real estate broker, and Mary Sendra Anselmo, a former teacher and now an official for the Cook County circuit clerk, and Wanda Majcher, former director of the Copernicus Foundation.



Unlike other Democrats, the winner of the DeLeo seat will face an intensive showdown against veteran Ald. Brian Doherty, 41st, a Republican.



Elsewhere in the Northern suburbs, attorney Republican Dan Sugrue was leading both Cynthia Hebda, an early-education teacher and Vernon Hills trustee, and Mohan Manian.



In the north suburbs, appointed incumbent Rep. Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, was leading challenger by Elliott Hartstein, village president of Buffalo Grove.



In the far north suburbs, Republican Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake was leading over Paul Mitchell of Hainesville, a computer developer and consultant.

An open House seat in Evanston showed early today that Democrat Robyn Gabel, director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, had a slight lead over Eamon Kelly, an attorney who once served as chief of staff at the state Board of Education and as an aide in ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration; attorneys Edmund Moran Jr. and Jeff Smith; law student Patrick Keenan-Devlin.

Posted by Georgia Garvey and Kristen Schorsch at 9:30 p.m.; last updated at 3:31 p.m. Wednesday

Democrat Dan Seals will get his third crack at a North Shore congressional seat, facing Republican political rookie Robert Dold in what’s expected to be an expensive, nationally-watched contest this fall.



Seals squeaked out a win Tuesday against state Rep. Julie Hamos in the 10th Congressional District Democratic primary. With 99 percent of the unofficial vote counted, Seals had 48 percent to 46 percent for Hamos. Late in the evening, Seals declared victory after Hamos conceded.



On the Republican side, Dold will try to succeed five-term U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, who opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.

The November campaign is expected to be expensive and nationally-watched after Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk opted to run for U.S. Senate instead of seeking re-election.

In another contest that attracted some national attention, Ethan Hastert, son of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, conceded defeat in the Republican primary to state Sen. Randall Hultgren in the far west suburban 14th Congressional District.

Both suburban districts could be in play as Republicans try to make gains in the House against the Democrats.

Along the North Shore, Dold, a Kenilworth pest control company owner, portrayed himself as the best candidate to take up Kirk’s mantle.

“We need to focus on common sense, small-business thinking,” Dold said after declaring victory.

Dold got 39 percent in a five-way primary, with state Rep. Elizabeth Coulson of Glenview finishing second with 31 percent.

On the Democratic side, Seals held on against Hamos, a fundraising powerhouse and veteran state lawmaker from Wilmette. With two previous unsuccessful runs against Kirk under his belt, Seals took significant name recognition into the fray.

The 14th District contest saw Hastert come up short in his bid to take back a Kane County seat his father held for decades before retiring in late 2007. But the Hastert name proved as much as a burden as a blessing as some conservative voters resented the 31-year-old Hastert’s first run being for such a high-profile office.

Hultgren scored 55 percent to Hastert’s 45 percent with 98 percent of the vote counted. He’ll take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster in November.

The contest turned nasty in the final weeks, with Hultgren accusing Hastert of working for a law firm that represented companies with a history of human trafficking. Hastert responded by having his wife record a phone message to voters blasting Hultgren, who later apologized.

In the far southwest suburban 11th District, 31-year-old Air Force Capt. Adam Kinzinger of Manteno easily bested a crowded Republican field, scoring 63 percent with 99 percent of the vote counted. Kinzinger will take on freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete, who won the longtime Republican seat in 2008.

"I think what we’re feeling in Illinois and my district is that excitement and that energy, and that’s translated into a victory for me," Kinzinger said.

In the northwest suburban 8th District, business fundraiser Joe Walsh, 48, of Winnetka, who once ran as a liberal Republican for a different congressional seat, outpaced five other GOP candidates. He’s set to face Democratic U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean of Barrington. Walsh got 34 percent in a six-candidate Republican primary with 98 percent of the vote counted.

UPDATE at 9:45 p.m.

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger was gracious tonight in his concession speech after a quick and overwhelming defeat, pledging to work with Ald. Toni Preckwinkle, who won the Democratic nomination for his office.

Only about three dozen supporters, campaign staff and county aides were still at Stroger’s election night headquarters when he took the stage around 9:30 p.m.

"I am not giving up on the county," Stroger said, his wife and son at his side. "I am going to work with the Democratic nominee."

UPDATED at 9:08 p.m. by Robert Becker and Kristen Mack

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle overwhelmed incumbent Todd Stroger and two other challengers to capture the Democratic nomination for Cook County Board president tonight.

"This victory belongs to the people of Cook County," Preckwinkle said. She said hopes of county residents have often been tempered by cynicism, "but not this time."

"Their message is clear. Now is the time to repeal the Stroger sales tax," Preckwinkle said. "Now is the time to end patronage. Now is the time to cut waste while preserving health care, human services, public safety and our forest preserves."

With 85 percent of precincts reporting unofficial results, Preckwinkle had 50 percent, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien had 23 percent, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown had 14 percent and Stroger had 13 percent.

UPDATED AT 8:55 p.m. by Robert Becker and Kristen Mack

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle was preparing to declare victory in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board president tonight after roaring out to an insurmountable 2-to-1 lead over her closest rival.

That rival, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien, called Preckwinkle before 9 p.m. to concede.

“You can’t win everything," O’Brien said in an interview. "We tried our best, we worked hard and had a great campaign.”

O’Brien said he still doent know what went wrong. “But the number don’t lie. We’ll move on.”

The live band got increasingly loud as the mood at Preckwinkle’s election night party turned from cautious to celebratory. A top campaign aide said the candidate was preparing to give her victory speech.

UPDATED AT 8:30 p.m. by Robert Becker and Hal Dardick

Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle was holding a 2-to-1 lead over her closest rival in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board president and incumbent Todd Stroger was facing an overwhelming rejection from voters with most of the ballots counted tonight.

With 70 percent of precincts reporting unofficial results, Preckwinkle had 48 percent, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien had 23 percent, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown had 15 percent and Stroger had 14 percent.

Preckwinkle was crushing her opponents in Chicago and the Cook County suburbs.

At Stroger’s election night party room at the W Hotel, about two dozen supporters amd campaign operatives sat and stood talking. The media corps, about a dozen in number, and their equipment, took up about as much space.

Two medium-sized flat-screen televisions were blank, and the mood, despite the pop music playing in the background, was equally subdued.

Stroger, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. Aides said he and his wife awaited returns in a suite.

A small crowd of Preckwinkle supporters began gathering at the Chicago Mart Holiday Inn around 8 pm. A live six-piece band performed soul classics, while well-wishers watched returns come in on a big screen.

UPDATED AT 8:05 p.m. by Robert Becker and Hal Dardick

Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle jumped out to a strong early lead in the Democratic primary for Cook County Board president tonight, with incumbent President Todd Stroger lagging at the back of the four-candidate field.

With 52 percent of precincts reporting, Preckwinkle had 47 percent,  Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien had 22 percent, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown had 15 percent and Stroger also had 15 percent.

Much of the Chicago vote has already been counted, a bad sign for Stroger.

Posted by Robert Becker and Hal Dardick at 7:25 p.m.



Voters who braved light snow to vote in the Democratic primaries for Cook County Board president today were weighing in on the controversial tenure of incumbent Todd Stroger as much as the qualifications of his three challengers.



Chosen by regular Democratic powers four years ago to replace his ailing father John in the general election, Stroger found himself under near-constant fire for his combative style, a controversial penny-on-the-dollar sales-tax increase and troubled patronage hiring decisions.



By the time campaign season rolled around late last year, most Democrats had abandoned him and declared themselves neutral – or thrown their support to one of his three challengers: Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President Terrence O’Brien.



All three Stroger challengers pledged to roll back the remaining portion of the tax increase, after a restive County Board last year cut the increase in half, with O’Brien pledging to do it immediately and the other two candidates over time. Stroger stood by the tax, saying it was needed to prevent decimation of the county’s vast public health system.



Critics said that just wasn’t accurate and pointed to a new independent health board that made a significant cut in the system’s reliance on local taxes. Only Preckwinkle made an unconditional pledge to keep that board in place.



The challengers also took aim at Stroger’s hiring decisions, most notably his selection of troubled steakhouse busboy Tony Cole, who was quickly promoted to an executive post paying $61,000 a year before Stroger fired him. Stroger also ousted his own cousin, the county’s chief financial officer, who had twice bailed him out of jail.



The challengers also have pledged to remove politics from the hiring process, in each case saying a bloated patronage payroll increases the cost of government.



Also taking aim at that so-called hidden corruption tax, and the sales-tax increase, were the two Republicans vying to take on the Democratic nominee in the November general election. They are former state senator Roger Keats and Chicago Police Lt. John Garrido.



Running unopposed on the Green Party ticket was Tom Tresser, best known for his opposition to the failed effort to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago and the proposal to site the Chicago Children’s Museum in Grant Park.



In recent weeks, a Tribune poll found Preckwinkle had a 12 percentage point lead over Brown, her closest Democratic rival, while Stroger had dropped to last. In a remarkable turn for an incumbent from a once-powerful political organization, Stroger had trouble raising campaign cash and was never able to purchase TV ad time.



O’Brien hit the airwaves early and often and was relying on the political organizations of regular Democrats to turn out the vote.



Last weekend, O’Brien exhorted those troops to remember the 1996 general election, when former State’s Atty. Richard Devine beat the Republican incumbent, Jack O’Malley, despite O’Malley’s high poll numbers.

That was in a lower turnout contest in which political workers played a key role. But it also was in a race with straight-party voting at a time when political machines were more powerful.

Preckwinkle’s ads started airing later than O’Brien, but they were frequent in the final two weeks of the contest as she benefitted from major campaign donations, including $150,000 from the local branch of the Service Employees International Union.

Her ads projected a positive, outgoing image of the former school teacher and city planner, whose persona had been characterized as that of a schoolmarm.

While O’Brien had many regular Democrats, particularly on the city’s Northwest and Southwest Sides, backing him, Preckwinkle was supported by more independent aldermen. The Tribune poll also showed that her appeal was growing among suburban Democrats.



Stroger, a 47-year-old former Chicago alderman and state legislator, was left with only the backing of his most loyal friends and County Board allies. Even Commissioner Jerry Butler, a Stroger policy backer, was supporting Preckwinkle.



So Stroger hit forums in an effort to get out his message that the government he leads was in excellent fiscal shape. He also assailed the media for coverage he said was biased.



“You’ve seen what the media outlets say about the county, but the truth about the county is that it’s run very well,” Stroger said Sunday during a campaign stop.



Faced with a public outcry over the increase, which pushed Chicago’s sales tax to the highest levels in the nation, the coalition of County Board members who had supported the measure collapsed. The board voted three times to roll back or repeal the measure, leading to a series of Stroger vetoes.



Eventually, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, head of the state’s Democratic party, let his legislative minions in search of political cover heading into election season, reduce the extraordinary number of votes needed to override a board president’s veto. That allowed the halving of the tax increase.

Brown tried to project an image of a proven, highly educated leader, but the controversy surrounding her campaign only grew.



In the closing weeks, she confronted a spate of stories recounting the clerk’s history of accepting thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and gifts from employees. Only days before the election, Brown had to combat reports that employees had to pay $2 or $3 to wear jeans on designated days.



Brown said all the jeans day money went to charities for employee-appreciation events. But she did not document all of the jeans-days proceeds when she responded.

Brown, 56, oversees more than 2,100 employees in an office that spends $131 million a year to keep the records of one of the world’s largest unified court systems. She pointed to her ongoing efforts to digitize the office and promised to bring new technologies and modern accounting practices to county government.

Preckwinkle, 62, boasted that she was an independent, progressive Democrat who, in addition to her backing for the independent health board, urged exploring alternatives to incarcerating non-violent offenders and stressed her ability to work with others.

Questions of Preckwinkle’s onetime political relationship with convicted political fixer Antoin “Tony” Rezko never gained traction. Preckwinkle said Rezko, who was building affordable housing in the 4th Ward, stopped making campaign contributions to her around 2000 after she told him to fix emerging problems at some of his properties.



O’Brien, 53, boasted of his experience in overseeing the district and its $1.7 billion annual budget, which included rebating taxes and reducing the district’s payroll. But opponents criticized him for raising the district’s property tax levy by more than 30 percent during the last decade. They also raised questions about his work for an environmental consulting company that represented companies doing business with the district.



COUNTY BOARD SEATS



Stroger’s political allies on the County Board also faced fallout from the unpopular sales-tax increase and hiring controversies.



In one of the most competitive races, longtime Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno was challenged by Jesus Garcia, a former alderman and state senator.



Garcia accused Moreno of “unconditional support for the Stroger administration” and using his government post for “personal gain,” in part a reference to Moreno’s sister and brother also being on the county payroll. Moreno said Stroger’s “issues are my issues. … I’m in it for the constituents of my district.”



Also facing strong challenges in their South Side and south suburban districts were Commissioners William Beavers, who has publicly defended political patronage, and Deborah Sims, the board’s most outspoken defender of the sales-tax increase.



Beavers faced Elgie Sims Jr., an attorney and former aide to retired state Senate President Emil Jones. Sims is supported by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and several state lawmakers, including Rep. Marlow Colvin, a longtime friend and backer of Stroger’s.



Deborah Sims faced a challenge from Sheila Chalmers-Currin, a retired marketing executive who was elected a Matteson trustee last year. Sims defended her strong support for the penny-on-a-dollar sales-tax increase by noting there are three county health clinics in her district.

COUNTY ASSESSOR

Democrats also got to nominate a new county assessor, an important but low-profile office that sets the value of property for tax purposes.



The three-candidate field includes county Democratic chairman Joseph Berrios, former county judge Ray Figueroa and former alderman Robert Shaw.



The contest has focused on Berrios because of his party post and his alliance with state House Speaker Michael Madigan. is the presumed favorite in the race to replace Assessor James Houlihan, who is retiring this year at the end of his third full term.

Posted by John Chase at 7:08 p.m.; last updated at 10:17 p.m.

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias declared victory tonight in the Democratic primary for President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.

The victory for the first-term son of a banking family sets up a nationally-watched November contest with Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, who easily won the GOP primary tonight.

Giannoulias addressed supporters at a downtown hotel.

“Tonight the voters of Illinois sent a message loud and clear. In the midst of this dreadful economic crisis, they wanted a senator who will limit Washington special interests and protect the jobs of everyday Illinois families,” he said.

Giannoulias’ declaration came shortly after former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman conceded defeat.

"A short time ago, I called Alexi Giannoulias and I congratulated him on his victory and I offered him my full support," Hoffman said.

Earlier, Kirk declared victory on the Republican side. With 91 percent of the unofficial voted counted, Kirk had 57 percent with Hinsdale developer Patrick Hughes at 19 percent.The
other candidates were in single-digits.

"The people of Illinois now see the arrogance of a one-party state," Kirk said. "And this election will show we will not surrender to their dangerous cynicism of low expectations. Because we are Americans and we can do anything."

Giannoulias scored 39 percent to 34 percent for Hoffman and 19 percent for former Chicago Urban League president Cheryle Jackson. That’s with 91 percent of the unofficial vote counted.

The race has already drawn interest from both national parties that want to take advantage of a rare open Senate seat with besieged appointed U.S. Sen. Roland Burris not running for election.

Democrats want to hold onto their majority in the Senate and fear the embarrassment and symbolism that would come from losing the seat once held by Obama. Republicans are trying to ride what they’ve described as a wave of dissatisfaction with Obama’s leadership that has manifested itself in victories in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

With each new update, as Giannoulias showed a small but steady lead over Hoffman, the growing crowd inside the Fairmont Hotel erupted into cheers.



Raymond Oshana, 59, owner of Crystal Palace Banquets in Mt. Prospect, praised the state treasurer as a "fresh, young energetic guy," with new ideas on how to boost the national economy.



"The economy right now is real bad," said Oshana. "We need new ideas. He has good ideas."



Oshana is a customer of Broadway Bank, the Giannoulias family bank that came under federal oversight this year after losing $75 million in 2009. He defended the state treasurer against criticisms by Hoffman as someone who has shown fiscal irresponsibility in the past. He predicted those troubles would not affect Giannoulias in a race against Kirk.



"Every person has got obstacles; There is no perfect person," Oshana said. "If we’re going to make a big deal out of every issue, how are you going to encourage our young people to be somebody?"

Even before today, Giannoulias and Kirk weren’t shy about going after each other, so much so that at times during the primary races it seemed like they were running against each other instead of their primary opponents.

Giannoulias slammed Kirk, who has spent a decade carving out a niche of being a moderate, for moving away from his stances on several issues and turning to the right to placate conservative voters in the GOP primary. Most notably, Kirk voted in favor of cap-and-trade legislation to limit carbon emissions but has since said he would not vote for such legislation if he was representing the entire state.

Illinois’ next junior senator will become the latest occupant of a seat that has historic ties to the state and the nation. Not only was it held by Obama, but it was also the seat indicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly tried to sell. It subsequently went to Burris in a controversial appointment.  It’s also the seat held by other notable Illinois politicians, including Adlai E. Stevenson III, Everett Dirksen and Carol Moseley-Braun, who was the nation’s first woman African-American senator.

Kirk, 50, faced little opposition in his primary run. Since launching his campaign in July, he held a commanding lead in polls over his opponents. His biggest competition came from Hughes, a Hinsdale businessman who attempted to develop support from the “tea party” movement that has attracted disaffected Republicans and others critical of higher taxes and government spending.

While Giannoulias tried to stress his stances on the economy and what he would do to bring more jobs to Illinois, Hoffman tried to run as a reformer and routinely raised questions about Giannoulias’ experience and decision-making as senior loan officer at his family-owned Broadway Bank, as well as his handling as state treasurer of $150 million in losses with the Bright Start college savings program.

Hoffman reiterated questions about loans Broadway awarded to a convicted bookmaker and prostitution ring promoter, but the issue came to a head last week when the now-struggling bank, which is still run by one of Giannoulias’ brothers, agreed to greater government oversight and was told it had to raise tens of millions of dollars.

Hoffman said Giannoulias had to better explain to voters what role he had in the bank’s troubles. Jackson said Giannoulias should drop out of the race. Giannoulias said that only a small percentage of the bank’s nonperforming loans were made while he was senior loan officer. On Bright Start, he argued his office noticed the losses, ordered corrections and reached a settlement that allowed investors to get back more than half the money they lost.

Giannoulias rose to statewide prominence in 2006 when he got Obama’s endorsement for treasurer. The two have known each other for years and played basketball when Obama was a state senator. But Obama did not endorse Giannoulias in the primary. Indeed, Giannoulias even had to answer questions about why the White House spent last summer trying to get Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run. She declined.

Posted by David Kidwell at 4:25 p.m.

New vote-counting software in Chicago and Cook County is raising anxiety among elections officials who remember the lengthy delays that resulted when electronic voting debuted in 2006.

While election officials are worried about what happens when the polls close, voters will be facing a new procedure tomorrow when they turn in their paper ballots. That’s because a new state law requires election judges to give voters a second chance if they don’t cast a vote in statewide races for such posts as governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer.

Elections officials are on guard because of the number of close races that might hang in the balance in tomorrow’s primary election if results from some precincts are late.

The software upgrade — designed to end a late-night backlog in counting votes — has been fully tested in a mock election with no glitches, said Jim Allen, spokesman for Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

“Any time you roll out new software there is possibility of a wrinkle you didn’t or couldn’t test for,’’ Allen said.

The software was developed by Sequoia Voting Systems to enhance the electronic vote tabulating systems it rolled out in Cook County and Chicago in March 2006. That year, it took embarrassed elections officials into the weekend to count all the votes following a series of software glitches, hardware failures and human foibles.

That prompted elections officials to threaten to withhold millions in payments to Sequoia and hire independent experts to analyze equipment and software. Since then, elections have run much more smoothly.

The new state law, designed to curtail the number of accidental "under votes", means the scanning machines this year will automatically spit out any ballot that does not register a vote in a statewide race.

Elections judges will then inform the voter of the under vote, and give the voter the option to cast the ballot as is, or to change the ballot.

For those voters who opt to use electronic touch screens, there will be no change. The computer will flag voters to any races in which a vote was not cast.

In suburban Cook County more than 60 percent of people voted on touch screens in the last election. In Chicago only about 15 percent used touch screens, according to elections officials.

Allen said elections judges have been fully trained on the new under vote procedure and he does not expect any delays in the primary election, only questions from voters.

Posted by Tribune staff at 5 a.m.

* It’s fly-around day in Illinois politics, the last full day of campaigning before Tuesday’s primary elections. Candidates for statewide office traditionally take to the air to touch base with core groups of voters around the state.

* Gov. Pat Quinn starts in Chicago and is scheduled to hit airport rallies in Rockford, the Quad Cities, Peoria, Decatur and Marion.

* Republican Bill Brady has stops in Peoria, Moline, Champaign, Marion and Chicago.

* Republican Jim Ryan will sandwich a midday visit to the statehouse press corps in Springfield around campaign stops in Chicago to start and end the day.

* Democratic Senate candidate Cheryle Jackson is keeping it a little more local, with a campaign swing reaching from the South Side and south suburbs to downtown Chicago.

* No major campaign has been more negative than the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. But expect Gov. Pat Quinn and state Comptroller Dan Hynes to focus on the positive in their last day on the trail.

"I do believe that people, as we get closer to the election, they start to dismiss the accusations, and start to roll their eyes at the finger pointing, and that goes for both campaigns, they want to know what the candidates are going to do for them," Hynes said Sunday.

Posted by Monique Garcia and David Heinzmann at 6:16 p.m.

The Democratic candidates for governor pitched messages of hope during competing tours of predominantly African-American churches today, pausing outside to attack each other for the negative tone of the campaign’s final days.

Speaking at the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church on the city’s South Side, Gov. Pat Quinn did not mention his competitor or Tuesday’s primary election for the Democratic nomination, but he hit on his familiar themes of inclusiveness and teamwork.

He invoked the names of Martin Luther King Jr. and the late mayor Harold Washington, telling the predominantly black congregation that he stands for the same ideals the civic leaders fought for.

"When we have tough times we can’t be turning on each other and trying to divide people, one against the other," Quinn said.

He then paraphrased the Book of Isaiah, saying "I want to hold the people of Illinois, all 13 million people, in my arms."

Earlier, Quinn again accused state Comptroller Dan Hynes of knowing about the discovery of human remains at Burr Oak Cemetery years before the alleged grave-selling scandal that became public there last year.

After a morning and early afternoon tour of black churches, Hynes stopped at a soul food restaurant to shake hands and talk to reporters. He again accused Quinn of using the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal as a political weapon.

"The governor has gone to unbelievable lengths to blame me …and exploit a tragedy for his own political gain," Hynes said.

Hynes defended his own attacks on Quinn, including his ad featuring 1987 footage of the late Mayor Washington criticizing Quinn after he fired him from the city’s revenue director post.

Hynes has watched Quinn’s lead in the polls dwindle to a dead heat in recent weeks, partly because of the constant attacks.

"I feel we’re going to have a great victory. People are responding to our message of change and budget responsibility," Hynes said.

Posted by John Chase at 3:55 p.m.

Trying to stem any Republican tide from hitting Illinois, Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate rallied supporters today with a similar battle cry that voters need to nominate the best candidate on Tuesday or risk losing the seat once held by Barack Obama.

At events for both David Hoffman and rival Alexi Giannoulias, the recent GOP Senate victory in Massachusetts was cited as a cautionary tale for why Democrats can’t be complacent in picking a nominee for the fall campaign.



“Illinois is not Massachusetts, right?” U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., called out to roughly 200 Giannoulias supporters at a union hall in Chicago. “Here in the heartland…working families understand the difference between people and administrations and elected officials who want to create jobs and those who don’t.”



Hoffman, meanwhile, said Senator-elect Scott Brown’s victory for the seat long held by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy shows candidates need to answer all questions about their background and be fully vetted by voters before taking on the Republican nominee, which is expected to be veteran U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk.



Hoffman made his comments as part of a repeated effort to question Giannoulias’ history of work at Broadway Bank, the struggling Chicago financial institution that Giannoulias’ father founded.



Hoffman said Giannoulias continues to avoid accepting any responsibility for decisions he made as senior loan officer at the bank between 2002 and 2006. Last week, the struggling Broadway Bank, which is still run by one of Giannoulias’ brothers, agreed to a consent order with banking regulators that requires the bank to raise capital and receive more oversight.



“This is going to be a difficult year for Democrats and…this is our president’s Senate seat,” Hoffman said. “And we know the Republicans are going to throw everything they can into this general election. And so it is of critical importance that we have the strongest possible nominee.”



Giannoulias, the first-term state treasurer, left the bank in 2006. He said less than 9 percent of bank’s nonperforming loans originated during his time at Broadway.



“The numbers speak for themselves and you can always reevaluate, but when I left we were very well capitalized, we were very high-performing,” Giannoulias said. “It’s very tough out there and (Hoffman has) no feel for that. My family’s business is like thousands of businesses in Illinois that are dealing with horrible financial times.”



Giannoulias made his comments following a campaign event in Chicago before embarking on a two-day tour across the state. At the Chicago event, Giannoulias was endorsed by Jacob Meister, a lawyer who had been running for the nomination but dropped out of the race today to endorse Giannoulias.



Meister, who had been having trouble garnering much interest in his campaign and had recently received only 1 percent support in a Tribune poll, said he felt dropping out would give Giannoulias a better shot at winning the nomination. He also said Giannoulias agreed to support his positions on jobs and gay rights.



Meister, who is gay, had campaigned for months mostly about bringing more jobs to Illinois and didn’t make his stances on gay issues a central theme of his campaign until recently. Although Mesiter’s poll numbers weren’t very high, Giannoulias excitedly accepted his support.



“I’m humbled that someone who just yesterday was a competitor is now endorsing my campaign and as he mentioned in his comments, he wants to make sure we win this race on Tuesday and November,” Giannoulias said. “He understands I’s the candidate who is talking about jobs and the economy.”



Hoffman’s campaign dismissed the endorsement, saying questions had been raised about whether Meister and Giannoulias were aligned for months.



“I’m not sure it has a great deal of impact,” Hoffman said.



Former Chicago Urban League chief Cheryle Jackson was also campaigning today and expected to attend a rally at a South Side church tonight.

UPDATED AT 5:37 p.m.: Preckwinkle rallies North Side voters; originally posted by Hal Dardick and Robert Becker at 2:17 p.m.

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger today took his defense of the county sales tax increase to black churches on the last weekend of the Democratic primary campaign.

He wasn’t alone on the church campaign route today, as all four Democratic candidates tried to stoke voter excitement before Tuesday’s election.

Stroger told several thousand people at the Apostolic Church of God on the South Side that the controversial penny-on-the-dollar sales-tax increase enacted at his urging was needed to maintain adequate public safety and public health care services.

"Our public health system is the greatest public health system you’ll find in these United States," Stroger told the crowd, echoing his near-constant theme for re-election.



"I’ve spent these last years just trying to keep what we have, because it doesn’t just help African Americans," he added, getting enthusiastic applause from the predominantly black audience. "It helps everybody. …We all do better because of the system."



Pastor Byron Brazier and Stroger asked the crowd not to heed the extensive negative media coverage of his campaign, much of which has questioned how much of the new tax revenue has actually gone to public health.



"You’ve seen what the media outlets say about the county, but the truth about the county is that it’s run ver well," Stroger said.



Stroger has lagged behind his Democratic rivals in Tribune polling on the four-way primary race, which historically decides who will win in the November general election.



Rival Terence O’Brien spoke to more than 100 voters during a get-out-the-vote rally today at the North Side’s St. Margaret Mary church.



"We’re getting people fired up to vote on Tuesday," he said.

 

In a gray suit and blue shirt, O’Brien worked the crowd and said he believes his campaign is well-positioned, noting the attacks mounted by the other candidates on his campaign during the past week



"They probably understand that we’re ahead of them," O’Brien said.



Ald. Bernard Stone sported a black fedora and walked with a cane as he entered the gym/community room at the church to support O’Brien, his former aldermanic assistant.



"If the turnout goes good, he’ll win," Stone said.

The other Democratic challengers, Chicago Ald. Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, were also working crowds of potential voters.

Preckwinkle had her own North Side campaign event, leading about 50 supporters on an impromptu parade down Devon Ave that included brief stops at businesses ranging from Kahn BBQ to a rug shop to Zam’s Hope, a social services agency where she was presented with a black shawl.

Along the way,  Preckwinkle expressed optimism about her chances on Tuesday and promised her audience from several South Asian communities that county government under her would be inclusive.

"This won’t be my last time on Devon Ave," Preckwinkle told supporters gathered at North Shore Banquets. She also pledged to make county government "as diverse as Cook County."

Preckwinkle was joined by fellow politicos, including U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and Ald. Joe Moore, 49th. Schakowsky said while the weather on Tuesday may be cold or snowy, "Nothing can deter us from getting out the vote."

Balvinder Singh, one of Preckwinkle’s supporters in the South Asian community, said he believed she would be a strong leader.

"That’s what we need here, somebody that’s going to be tough," Singh said.

Salman Aftab, a community activist who ran against Stone for alderman, praised Preckinkle’s independence.  "We think she’s very intelligent and good for the job," Aftab said. 

Dressed in her Sunday finest after attending five South Side church services and a campaign fundraiser in Chinatown, Brown said today she’s confident going into the final days of the campaign.

"I feel very good," she said. "We had a good response at the churches today. . . . I predict a victory."



She made the comments at her far-south suburban Matteson campaign headquarters before launching a campaign caravan of cars and vans to six south suburban malls.



She dismissed a recent Tribune poll that showed her losing ground since an early December survey by the newspaper.



"My polls are the people," she said. "They know Dorothy Brown. They know her service. They trust Dorothy brown."



Brown has been the subject of recent stories highlighting her history of accepting thousands of dollars in campaign donations and gifts from employees. That was highlighted by reports that employees had to pay $2 or $3 to wear jeans on designated days.



Brown said all the jeans day money went to charities or to pay for employee-appreciation events. But she did not document all of the jeans days proceeds when she responded.

 

"That’s a minuscule thing," she said of the jeans days issue. "People have been laughing. They say that’s a joke. Everybody does it."



She also dismissed allegations by her opponents that she went out of public sight for days after the jeans days reports, naming a number of suburban locations she had campaigned in recent days. None of them, or the churches she visited this morning, were released to the media beforehand.

Posted by Rick Pearson at 1:48 p.m.



Defending his handling of the state’s deficit-plagued budget, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn said today he’s “cut all the frills” out of state government but more tax money is needed to fund essential services.



Appearing on “The Dean Richards Show” on WGN-AM (720) the governor wouldn’t use the words “tax increase” for his proposal to raise state income taxes. Instead, he called it “tax reform.”



Quinn is locked in a tight battle with Comptroller Dan Hynes for the Democratic primary nomination for governor in Tuesday’s elections.



“What I basically have done is cut all the frills out of state government — more than $2 billion of cuts of non-priority items,” Quinn said.



“But the bottom line is we still need more revenue to pay for fundamental things like healthcare and education, and I don’t want to lose a generation of children. So I proposed a tax reform that would get more revenue for Illinois,” he said.



Quinn was unsuccessful last year in embracing various versions of tax increase plans in the Legislature — some that included increased deductions for lower income families and some that did not. Both Quinn and Hynes have proposed an income tax hike as part of their campaigns.



Despite Quinn’s contention that he has eliminated the frills from state government, a recent Tribune poll of likely Democratic primary voters found more disapproved of the governor’s handling of the state budget than approved — 43 percent to 31 percent.



Democratic voters in the poll also were equally split over the need for an income-tax increase -— 44 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed.

UPDATED at 1:43 p.m.; originally posted by John Chase at 8:55 a.m.

Democratic Senate candidate Jacob Meister dropped out of the race with two days to go and endorsed rival Alexi Giannoulias.

Meister, a lawyer who is openly gay, made his announcement this morning at a Giannoulias rally in Chicago.

Meister was having difficulty gaining much traction in the race. A recent Tribune poll showed him garnering only 1 percent of support.

 During debates, Meister has defended Giannoulias against attacks made by rival David Hoffman. He also has taken exception to comments Hoffman has made about being the only candidate to be married with children. He said such comments were insulting to gays who are unable to legally marry.

Meister spokeswoman Karen Craven said Giannoulias has agreed to adopt some of Meister’s policy initiatives, including issues related to creating jobs and supporting civil rights for gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgender citizens. 

Giannoulias, the state treasurer, still faces former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman, former Chicago Urban League head Cheryle Jackson and radiologist Robert Marshall.

Because of how late the decision is being made, Meister’s name will still be on the ballot.