* The Illinois Chamber’s president sent his members an urgent e-mail today about a poll he’d commissioned…

The poll, completed just last night, shows Rauner receiving 44.9% support to 41.1% for Quinn and 6.4% for Libertarian candidate Grimm. The 3.8% margin is outside of the poll’s 3.36% margin of error.

* The minimum wage referendum result is no surprise, but the millionaire’s tax kinda is…

Please don’t overlook two referendums on the ballot that are intended to show support for proposals that would cause even greater harm to small businesses. One asks voters whether the minimum wage in Illinois should be raised to $10/hour.

Our poll shows that when voters are not educated on this issue - Illinois already has the highest minimum wage in the Midwest - a majority of voters support its surface appeal.

The second referendum asks if voters support a so-called “millionaires’ tax” which would increase income taxes on small business owners and entrepreneurs. Fortunately, it looks as if more voters recognize the negative impact of raising taxes on jobs creators. A majority opposing the tax in our poll.

* Other results…

US Senate: Durbin (D) 48.9%; Oberweis (R) 38.2%; Hansen (L) 5.7%

Attorney General Madigan (D) 50.6%; Schimpf (R) 32.9%; Koyl (L) 5.0%

Treasurer Cross (R) 36.8%; Frerichs (D) 32.9%; Shopek (L) 5.4%

Still lots of undecideds in that treasurer’s race.

* Methodology…

The survey was conducted over three nights from 10/21-10/23 by polling firm Cygnal. It includes 853 respondents for a margin of error of +/- 3.36%. 22% of respondents were contacted on cell phones.