* The Evans & Novak Political Report has moved Republican Congressman Mark Kirk’s race to “Leaning Democratic.” No explanation was offered.
ENPR has freshman Democrat Bill Foster’s race against Republican Jim Oberweis as “Leaning Democratic” as well as Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson’s contest against Republican Martin Ozinga.
* Mike Murray takes a look at the Oberweis vs. Foster race and finds Oberweis coming up short…
Independent groups have seen the writing on the wall, as $4.7 million was spent on the competitive special election. However, nothing has been has been spent for the fall rematch, a clear indicator that Foster is the favorite.
Perhaps the best indicator of Foster’s victory comes from Oberweis own pocketbook. In spite of his rhetoric, Oberweis has only contributed $475,000 to his fall campaign compared to the $2 million he shelled out for the special election.
* Adding to the GOP’s problems, early voting was huge in Illinois and election day may set a record…
Election officials counting ballots throughout Illinois say the state has set a new record of more than 821,000 early votes cast.
Authorities say that includes almost 484,000 early voters in Chicago and suburban Cook County.
The previous state high was set during the February primaries, when about 220,000 people voted.
Cook County Clerk David Orr says election judges alarmed by large crowds called fire marshals to several polling places Thursday.
Illinois election officials hope that record turnout in advance of the actual Election Day means shorter lines on Tuesday, when many expect turnout to be about 80 percent.
Still, there’s worry that many of the state’s remaining 6.9 million registered voters could clog the polls.
About 220,000 people cast ballots before Election Day in the February primaries in Illinois.
* But Steve Sauerberg bravely soldiers on, albeit in a boat aimlessly floating up the River Nile…
One poll of 800 likely voters released this week by Maryland-based Research 2000 found that [Democratic US Sen. Dick Durbin] had a 59 percent to 34 percent lead, 7 percent undecided. But Sauerberg is undaunted: “Our internal polls are not as bad as some other polls.'’
Operative phrase: “Not as bad.”
* PI has posted an excerpt from a CBS News report on veterans running for congress that features Illinois Democratic candidate Jill Morgenthaler…
* Walking precincts can be scary at times, or it could just involve navigating through a maze of Halloween decorations…
Life as a campaign foot soldier can be brutal.
Doors slammed in your face; shouting; aggressive dogs. And for April Wong Loi Sing, loud, scary Halloween prop noises.
That’s what the married mom of four and Marty Ozinga volunteer encountered Saturday morning after wading through a front yard of elaborate Halloween decorations, searching for a front door to knock on.
“The homeowner and I had a big laugh afterward,” she said, after a loud, high-pitched noise piped into the front yard had her screaming with shock and fright.
* Elections a miracle: Before you make fun of senior citizens who act as judges on Election Day, or anyone else who serves in that capacity, I suggest you take one of the training sessions offered free of charge by the office of Cook County Clerk David Orr. Those judges earn every doughnut they eat on Election Day.
