SPRINGFIELD -- Despite campaigning on behalf of Kirk Dillard, former Gov. Jim Edgar believes Bill Brady's slim lead in the Republican primary election for governor will hold up.
As it stands, Brady, the state senator from Bloomington, holds a 406-vote lead over Dillard, the state senator from Hinsdale. Election officials are still waiting on absentee and provisional ballots to trickle in after the close of voting Tuesday.
"I'm saying this as if the 406 votes are going to hold up. I suspect it will," Edgar said.
Edgar said the key to the Republican race was three candidates from the Chicago area -- Dillard, former GOP chairman Andy McKenna and former Attorney General Jim Ryan -- split the city vote. All three candidates finished within striking distance of Brady.
"The key factor was geography. It wasn't ideology," Edgar said.
Brady was the only candidate from outside of Chicago on the gubernatorial ballot, allowing him to make a virtual sweep outside of the Chicago area.
Brady has expressed confidence that he will be the nominee for the party. Brady was at home in Bloomington Thursday resting his vocal chords. A spokesman said Brady could not talk above a whisper after the intensity of the final days of the campaign.
Dillard, however, has yet to concede. His campaign is looking at the remaining ballots and isn't making a final decision just yet, Edgar said Thursday.
"They are hopeful in 48 hours they will know just what else is out there and whether it is worth it to pursue it any more," he said.
The possibility of a recount also has been discussed, although the process could take months.
Edgar and David Yepsen, director Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, gave their post-election analysis at a luncheon sponsored by the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Yepsen said the close Republican and Democratic primaries were gifts for political junkies. Gov. Pat Quinn defeated his opponent Comptroller Dan Hynes by 8,000 votes in the Democratic primary for governor. Hynes conceded earlier in the day on Thursday.
He added that many factors may play against Democrats in the November general election, including the number of young voters and black voters are down and independents are leaning towards Republicans
"It is still a Democratic state, but I think this could be a very good year for the Republican Party in Illinois," Yepsen said.
Source: The Pantagraph
