Six candidates are vying to fill the position of governor in a state that has generally rejected the national Republican Party’s hard-line positions. The GOP nominee will face the winner of a contentious Democratic primary battle between Gov. Pat Quinn, the former lieutenant governor who succeeded Blagojevich, and Comptroller Dan Hynes.
Debates between the contenders have put the state GOP’s internal conflict between conservatives and moderates on full display, especially regarding tax policy as Illinois struggles with a historic $12 billion budget deficit.
Kent Refield, professor emeritus of political science at UIS, weighed in on the primary elections in a January 31, 2010, article in the Decatur Herald & Review.
Download a PDF of the article:
20100131-H%26R-elections.pdf
