* The Tribune’s campaign finance report Twitter page has been indispensable all year. I’m not a big fan of the “All in!!!” hyperbole for $50,000 contributions and over because as we’ve seen many times, $50K is chicken feed in many races. Other than that, I’m loving it.

Anyway, here are a few highlights from the last day or so…

* Speaking of Topinka…

Veteran Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka continues to hold a sizable lead over Democratic challenger Sheila Simon in a new Reboot Illinois poll.

The automated poll, conducted Oct. 8 by We Ask America among 1,070 likely voters, found incumbent Topinka the choice of 52 percent of respondents to Simon’s 34 percent. Libertarian candidate Julie Fox was the choice of 4 percent of respondents. The result was consistent with Reboot Illinois polls conducted June 16, July 31 and Sept. 2 that found Topinka ahead by 11, 19 and 19 percentage points, respectively.

The poll has a margin of error of +/-3 percent, with 28 percent of responses from cell phone contacts. Party identification of participants was 26 percent Republican, 37 percent Democratic and 37 percent independent.

While Topinka’s overall showing was impressive, more remarkable were her numbers among Chicago and Cook County suburban respondents. Simon had a 47-37 edge among Chicago voters, but Topinka’s 37 percent is very strong for a Republican candidate. Winning 20 percent of the Chicago vote is considered the benchmark for a Republican statewide candidate to win.