We now have a clear picture of who will be on the ballot in Illinois’s primary elections on St. Patrick’s Day.  Candidates were required to file the appropriate paperwork to the state’s Board of Elections by November 10.  With longtime U.S. Senator Dick Durbin retiring and state comptroller Susana Mendoza not seeking re-election, the Democratic primaries for those two positions could be competitive.  The same is expected to be true for the Republican primary for governor.  The other primaries and their subsequent general elections, however, appear to only have one serious candidate running.

Dr. Kent Redfield is a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois-Springfield.  He says the Republican party is in a difficult position to rebuild its representation in office in Illinois due to the sizes of their current delegations, droughts from key positions, and lack of key fundraising sources.

By contrast, the Democratic party has had more success bringing in funds for their campaigns.  This is especially true regarding Governor JB Pritzker, who self-funded his previous two campaigns to nine figures.

Dr. Redfield says these trends have happened over multiple decades as the parties and key issues have evolved and as people have moved between cities, suburbs, and rural areas.

As for elections limited to certain geographic areas, only a small subset of these, as well, are expected to be competitive.  Dr. Redfield says the drawing of the state’s congressional districts for the U.S. House is part of the reason. 

More information on UIS’s political science program is available at www.uis.edu/spia.

Dr. Kent Redfield appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.