Governor's Race Too Close to Call, New Poll Shows

A new poll by the Paul Simon Institute at Southern Illinois University showed the race for Illnois governor is too close to call. Republicans have more enthusiasm while Democrats have more voters the poll showed.

“I suspect it will be a close race but I am very confident Bruce will win,” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said Friday outside a GOP fundraiser.

Christie was in town for yet another GOP fundraiser, a closed downtown affair with tickets topping at $1,000.

“He’s someone who can win in a blue state,” said Congressman Peter Roskman.

What Christie did in New Jersey is something Rauner is attempting to replicate in Illinois.

“Voters are going to have clear choice this year, really clear choice between Pat Quinn and myself. We have to get more jobs, we have to get taxes,” Rauner said.

But as Rauner---who took no questions---was talking about jobs, the final unemployment numbers prior to the election were announced. They showed a drop from 6.7 percent to 6.6 percent, the seventh month of jobless decline.

“Unemployment is down, down in Illinois, jobs are up,” Gov. Pat Quinn said Friday.

Quinn toured Spring-CM, a cloud software company that will add 500 jobs in the next five years, thanks to a state infusion of $2.25 million. Quinn also defended the use of state money.

“This is a good way to leverage faster job creation,” he said.

The parade of political stars into Illinois continues on Sunday with President Obama returning to rally for the Democrats at an event at Chicago State University.

It will be the President’s 2nd recent trip for Quinn, who just like Christie today, hopes to stir the Illinois electorate to vote.

“I think we motivate people to get out. I think we motivate people to get out, that’s what we do,” Christie noted.

The election is 18 days and counting.

“It will be a very close race. It always is in Illinois,” Christie said.

The latest poll does nothing to challenge that.

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