By Kevin McDermott
June 10, 2014
A piece today in Politico cites Illinois’ governor’s race this year as one of just four contests nationwide that are true “tossups,” among the 36 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2014.
It’s just the latest in a long line of polls and punditry to declare that incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is potentially in trouble.
From the piece:
[Quinn] squeaked out a full term in 2010, having earlier succeeded the now-incarcerated Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) in mid-term. Even though the Land of Lincoln is deep blue, Quinn is deeply vulnerable for many reasons, including recent allegations that an anti-violence initiative he started in 2010 is being investigated for possibly being a “political slush fund.” The GOP apparently chose wisely in its primary by selecting wealthy businessman Bruce Rauner, who is trying to position himself as the sort of outsider and moderate Republican that the state elected governor in the 1970s through the 1990s.