IL-Sen: Schakowsky Internal Shows Tight Primary, Many Undecideds

Lake Research Partners for Jan Schakowsky (4/19-22, likely voters, no trendlines):

Jan Schakowsky (D): 24

Alexi Giannoulias (D): 22

Roland Burris (D-inc): 18

Undecided: 36

(MoE: ±4%)

Schakowsky represents IL-09, a northern Chicago district with a D+20 PVI. Her own polling memo (Progress Illinois has the full text) frames the race as being “wide open,” which makes sense – Giannoulias, the state Treasurer, has a lot of money and is buddy-buddy with Barack Obama. Schakowsky will have to fight hard to wrest this nomination away from him. The memo says Giannoulias has higher name rec than Schakowsky, but doesn’t specify numbers (I’d bet both are pretty low, though).

Progress Illinois also reports that Schakowsky is sending out a separate letter today saying that she’ll announce her plans on June 8th. The bigger question mark is still probably Roland Burris – not that I think he has much of a shot at winning, but if he bails, his supporters have to go somewhere. Schakowsky thinks it might be to Chicago Urban League CEO Cheryle Jackson, but we’ll have to wait and see. Illinois does have the earliest primary in the nation (February 2010), so serious candidates can’t wait too much longer to make up their minds.

31 thoughts on “IL-Sen: Schakowsky Internal Shows Tight Primary, Many Undecideds”

  3. though it does indicate a longshot senario where two (or more) strong non-Burris candidates could split the anti-Burris primary votes, and allow Mr. $845 to slip by a plurality win.

    Anyone know the Dem primary election voting rules in IL? Can Repubs vote in it to cause mischief?

  7. Another candidate or two gets in the race and Burris wins the Dem nomination.

    Remember, much of the Dem Party wants to dump Todd Stroger in the primary too.

    There’s a concern that Black voters will be miffed at the Dem Party actively working to dump two high profile Black Democrats.

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