Gov. Pat Quinn has been declared the winner over State Senator Bill Brady in the race for governor by the Associated Press and NBC News.
Quinn received 47 percent of the vote with 100 percent of precincts reporting. A Brady win is mathematically impossible, according to the AP. Quinn's lead exceeds 19,000 votes. Quinn's victory will not be official until certified by the Illinois Board of Elections.
Brady has not conceded.
"We are still in the gathering numbers and data stage," said Brady's spokesman earlier Thursday. "We are reaching out to election authorities. We realize 19,000 is a large number, but no one has an accounting of how many votes are out there."
The win would be Quinn's first electoral victory for the governor's office. [Full Election Results]
The Democratic Governors Association called the win a "major victory for Democrats."
"Already, he has shown true leadership by making the hard choices that will put Illinois on the right path forward. We look forward to continuing to work with Gov. Quinn over the next four years," said DGA Communications Director Emily Bittner.
Going into election day the governor trailed Brady by a handful of points and had been roundly criticized for running a disorganized campaign.
Quinn also carried the baggage of the previous Blagojevich administration, to which Brady constantly tried to link him, and faced a record $13 billion state deficit, which Brady blamed him for not managing. Quinn also faced problems identifying with women, a typically strong bastion for Democratic candidates. Polls have shown since March that Quinn either barely led Brady or slightly trailed the pro-gun, pro-life, anti-gay rights Republican among women.
But Brady's barbs were apparently unmatched to the Democrat's get-out-the-vote effort (e.g., 20,000 volunteer shifts). And Quinn benefited from the voters' unfamiliarity with Brady, who largely confined his campaigning to downstate locales.
Politics
Brady was also likely hindered by his highly conservative views. Brady is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-gay rights and for lowering the minimum wage, stances at odds with the more populaous areas of Illinois.
