* The Bill Daley campaign released results of a statewide poll of likely general election voters late last night. Notice, however, that the campaign didn’t release any Daley numbers. The polling memo…

Lisa Madigan is personally popular (54% favorable / 26% unfavorable), and she leads Dan Rutherford among general-election voters in a head-to-head race for Governor (Madigan 50% / Rutherford 34%), whom we used as a placeholder candidate. Rutherford is currently only known to one-third (37%) of voters. Her lead also holds up after we give voters positive information about both candidates (Madigan 49% / Rutherford 38%).

However, Madigan faces a tough battle if she runs for Governor and her father remains Speaker of the House. In a vote between Lisa Madigan and Rutherford where her father does not resign his office, Lisa is in a dead heat with Rutherford (Madigan 41% / Rutherford 41%).

Voters shift away from Madigan after they hear of a conflict of interest with Speaker.

After voters hear the following about Mike and Lisa Madigan serving as Governor and Speaker, an easy message for Republicans to execute, the race moves to a tie (41% Madigan / 41% Rutherford). This includes a 27-point shift among Independents, who move from supporting Madigan by 4 points (Madigan 37% / Rutherford 33%) to opposing her by 23 points (Madigan 26% / Rutherford 49%).

“There has been some talk about Attorney General Lisa Madigan running for Governor. As you may know, her father, Mike Madigan, is Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. If she is elected Governor, some say that creates a major conflict of interest to have family members running both branches of state government. If Mike Madigan decided not to retire or resign as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and the candidates for Governor were Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, and Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, a Republican, for whom would you vote?”

Voters are heavily concerned about how this relationship will affect state government. It’s a “serious concern” to 53% of voters that “If Lisa Madigan is elected Governor, the Madigans will control two branches of state government. This will put too much power in one family’s hands and break the system of checks and balances that is supposed to keep power in government separated.” A further 17% of voters think this is “somewhat of a concern”, making 70% total say it is a concern.

Nearly a majority will not consider voting for Lisa Madigan if her father is Speaker. A near majority of voters (49%) have already cut themselves off from voting for her as Attorney General if her father continues as Speaker. This shows shows the deep skepticism voters have of having the same family control two branches of government:

Which of the following statements comes closest to your own view, even if none is exactly right?

Lisa Madigan has been a good attorney general, and I am open to voting for her for Governor despite her father’s position….38%

I like Lisa Madigan, but I would have a hard time voting for her if her father continues as Speaker….23%

At this time, I plan to vote against Lisa Madigan regardless of her father’s position….26%

[VOL] Don’t know/refused….12%

* The poll, by the way, was taken in April…

Anzalone Liszt Grove Research conducted N=600 live landline and cellphone interviews with likely 2014 general election voters in Illinois between April 10-15, 2012. Respondents were selected at random, with interviews apportioned geographically based on expected voter turnout. Expected margin of sampling error is ±4.0% with a 95% confidence level and higher for subgroups.

* Sun-Times…

The wording in the question is undoubtedly loaded. However, it is likely to pale in comparison to how opponents would portray Lisa Madigan in TV ads during a primary or general election.

“Biased language? I don’t think that it’s anything in the extreme. We’re not making the argument that mimics paid communication,” Anzalone said. “It clearly affects the vote when you help people connect the dots.”

And…

In Springfield on Tuesday, the Speaker chuckled sarcastically when asked about a possible conflict with he and his daughter holding those offices.

“Oh, really?” he said.

He was asked if he saw it as a conflict of interest — having a Gov. Madigan and a Speaker Madigan.

“You know what, I’m not going to address those questions today,” Michael Madigan said. “But you should take the conflict of interest questions to your editors. Talk to them about conflict of interest.”

Um, hmm.