Quinn declares victory as vote counts go on
CHICAGO – Proving that Illinois politics is always entertaining, closely watched primary races for governor were still undecided Wednesday for both Republicans and Democrats as officials scrambled to count every last vote.
Gov. Pat Quinn claimed victory in the Democratic primary over Comptroller Dan Hynes, though the margin was less than 1 percent. Though President Obama called Quinn to offer his congratulations, Hynes has refused to concede.
On the Republican side, Sen. Bill Brady led by just a few hundred votes over Sen. Kirk Dillard.
Quinn is trying to win the job on his own merits after inheriting it a year ago when Rod Blagojevich was ousted in disgrace over charges including the allegation that he tried to sell Obama's former Senate seat. He said it was time for Democrats to unite and focus on keeping the governor's seat in November.
"The time for fighting is over," Quinn said as he thanked voters at a Chicago train station. "The tradition in our party is that people come together after the primary and work together for the candidates in the fall."
Hynes campaign manager Michael Rendina said the nomination could hinge on how many absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted.
Absentee ballots can trickle in for the next two weeks. In addition, Illinois lets people vote despite questions about their registration status; now officials must decide which of those provisional ballots are valid. In some cases, ballots weren't automatically recorded and must be counted by hand.
"What's important now is that everyone take a deep breath and make sure every vote is counted," Rendina said. "There's no hurry."
Quinn stopped short of asking Hynes to concede, saying that's up to the comptroller. He also said he had no preference on an opponent in November and called Brady and Dillard "nice guys."
Brady, from central Illinois, is the more conservative of the two Republicans. Dillard, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, has positioned himself as a pragmatist who can get things done in an often-paralyzed state capital.
Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary did decide the field in the race for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Obama. Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, the state treasurer and a basketball buddy of the president, will face five-term U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk.
Republicans hope to win the Senate seat and the governor's mansion in November by exploiting Democratic turmoil and scandal, including Blagojevich's ouster. The victories in an increasingly Democratic-leaning state would be another blow to Obama, already stinging from the Republican victory in a Massachusetts special election for Edward Kennedy's former Senate seat.
The inconclusive results in the governor's races postpones the GOP push to retake the governor's office.
One or both of the governor races could wind up going to a recount. Illinois law doesn't require recounts in close races, so the candidates would have to decide whether to request one and cover the costs.
Two months ago, Quinn appeared set to easily win the Democratic nomination. But he was weighed down by the baggage of his two campaigns with Blagojevich, his support for a major tax increase and a botched program that granted early release to some violent prison inmates.
The Blagojevich scandal already played a role in the Senate race. The incumbent, Roland Burris, chose not to run because Blagojevich appointed him to the seat, sullying his reputation so badly he could find little political support. Obama, who cast an absentee ballot, tried to recruit some big-name Democrats but came up empty.
Democrats who did get in the race had their own troubles. Giannoulias' only previous job was working for a family bank that is now in financial trouble, and a treasurer's office investment program lost millions of dollars for families saving for college.
Kirk is likely to question Giannoulias' judgment while linking him to larger Democratic troubles.
"We know that one political party cannot hold all the answers and that one political party should never hold all the power," Kirk said.
Giannoulias signaled he will go on the offensive.
"As we saw in Massachusetts, voters are angry," Giannoulias said. "For the past decade, Congressman Kirk has been a huge part of the problem."
