Poll: Dems Pick Madigan Over Quinn, Daley

Illinois' attorney general takes top billing in a hypothetical primary race with Lisa Madigan, Gov. Pat Quinn and former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, according to a new poll.

Though Madigan has not yet confirmed a 2014 gubernatorial run, several polls have shown strong Democratic support. A new poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University determines the same.

According to the poll, Illinois Republicans remain undecided about which candidate to support, but Democrats have thrown their support behind Madigan.

“As the curtain goes up on these contests, the nominations in both parties are up for grabs,” Institute director David Yepsen said in a statement. “The Illinois primary is just over a year away – March 2014 - and campaigns are already at work.”

The poll surveyed 600 registered Illinois voters between Jan 27 and Feb 8 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. 

Of Republicans, 53.2 percent said they are undecided, 10.2 percent like State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, and 9.7 would vote for Senator Bill Brady. Congressman Aaron Schock won 9.1 percent while former Congressman Joe Walsh got 5.9 percent and state Senator Kirk Dillard 3.2 percent.

Among Democrats, 31.9 percent would vote for Madigan while 22.9 percent would vote again for Quinn and 11.9 would pick Daley. Even in this camp 28.4 percent was undecided.

"Many Illinois voters are in a bad mood," the poll determined, about Quinn and whether the country is on the right track.

Only 32.8 percent approve of the job Quinn is doing with 51.3 percent disapproving, according to the poll. That compares to 42.2 percent positive and 49 percent negative from last summer's poll.

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