SENATE/HOUSE RESULTS: IL, IN, KY, MI, MD, MO, OH, WV

[muon2]

Kirk leads for the first time.  Pull away now Mark and let's go home with a moderate win1

Like PA, another Chicago/Cook reported early vs. late-reporting Downstate effect.

Rock Island, the IL bellwether is 49-45 Kirk right now.  We'll see if the statewide margin conforms to the norm.

I just returned from the Hultgren party. Everyone seemed confused by statewide numbers since it was hard to deduce from the TV that the results from Cook came in much faster than the rest of the state. I had the advantage of seeing numbers online, so I knew the cause.

[muon2]

Whoa, Illinois. How you went so Republican, I still don't know. That can't feel good for Obama.

The combination of negative views of Washington, coupled with the scandals of Blago and budget disaster were too much for even many D-leaning voters to bear. Cook remains solid for the Dems, but CDs beyond Cook could not be sustained against this combination.

[muon2]

I don't know why Gill tried again in IL-15, I did work on that campaign (advisory capacity... not fundraising...) in 2006... and he did as well as a Dem can in the district...


Still can't quite believe the 55% in Champaign county for Kirk (mind you, it's roughly the same as Brady got in the Gub. race)

I'm more surprised at his wins in the downstate Dem strongholds of Madison, St. Clair, and Rock Island. The talk for two years was about the furor of downstaters towards Chicago's control of the state and these county results seem to back that. It looks like Kirk only lost Alexander and Cook counties.