United_States_Senate_election_in_Illinois,_2010

2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois

2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois

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The 2010 United States Senate elections in Illinois took place on November 2, 2010. There were two ballot items for the same seat: a general election, to fill the Class 3 seat beginning with the 112th United States Congress beginning on January 3, 2011, and a special election, to fill that seat for the final weeks of the 111th Congress. Roland Burris, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created by fellow Democrat Barack Obama's election to the presidency, did not run in either election.[1]

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The elections took place alongside 33 other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections in Illinois and other states. The registered party primaries for the full term took place on February 2, 2010, the earliest state primary elections: Republicans nominated U.S. Representative Mark Kirk, Democrats nominated State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, and the Green Party nominated journalist LeAlan Jones. The Constitution Party and Libertarian Party submitted signatures to be on the ballot but were challenged; the result of the ensuing hearings was the Constitution Party's candidate being denied placement on the ballot but the Libertarian Party's candidate Michael Labno given ballot access.[2]

On August 2, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled that the candidates appearing on the ballot for the replacement election would be the ones of the regular election,[1][3] and that the special election would appear after the general election on the ballot.[3] Kirk won both elections and was sworn in on November 29, 2010. As of 2024, this was the last time that Republicans won an Illinois U.S. Senate election.

Election information

The primaries and general elections of both the special election and regularly scheduled election coincided with those for House and those for state offices.

Background

Vacancy

Barack Obama, the former United States Senator holding this seat, was elected President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and subsequently resigned from the Senate on November 16, 2008.[4] Illinois law provides for the Governor of Illinois to appoint replacements for Senate vacancies.[5]

Burris's appointment

On December 9, 2008, the FBI arrested Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) on various corruption charges, most notably allegations that he attempted to sell the appointment to the vacant U.S. Senate seat. On December 31, 2008, Blagojevich nevertheless appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to fill the vacancy.[6] After initially seeking to exclude Burris, Senate Democrats relented,[7] and Burris was seated on January 15, 2009.[8]

Burris later declined to run for election.[9]

Turnout

For the state-run primary elections (Democratic, Republican, and Green), turnout was 21.74%, with 1,652,202 votes cast.[10][11]

For the general election, the special election saw turnout of 47.24%, with 3,545,984 votes cast and the regularly-scheduled election saw turnout of 49.35% with 3,704,473 votes cast.[10][12]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Campaign

Incumbent Senator Roland Burris did not run for a full term in 2010.[9] Burris suffered from poor approval ratings[19] and was investigated by the Sangamon County, Illinois State's Attorney for perjury.[20] Although no criminal charges were filed against him, Burris faced an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.[21]

Jacob Meister withdrew from campaigning and declared his support for Alexi Giannoulias on January 31,[22] two days before the February 2 election.

Finances

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Polling

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Results

Democratic primary results by county
  Giannoulias
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  Hoffman
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Marshall
  •   30-40%
  Tie
  •   30-40%
More information Party, Candidate ...

Republican primary

Candidates

Finances

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Polling

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Results

Republican primary results by county
  Kirk
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  Hughes
  •   30–40%
  Lowery
  •   20–30%
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
More information Party, Candidate ...

Green primary

Candidates

Results

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General elections

Candidates

(campaign site)

Campaign

A self-described "fiscal conservative and social moderate," Republican nominee Mark Kirk based his campaign on reform and compared the race to Republican Scott Brown's election to the Senate in February 2010.[32] In addition, Kirk immediately criticized his Democratic opponent for his management of Bright Start, an Illinois 529 college savings program and his work at Broadway Bank.[33] Immediately after the primary, the National Republican Senatorial Committee aired a web ad comparing Giannoulias to the fictional character Tony Soprano.[34] Politifact ranked Kirk's references to the mob as "Half True".[35] Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown campaigned for Kirk in Illinois.[36] Kimberly Vertolli, Kirk's ex-wife, signed on as an advisor to Mark Kirk's campaign, but didn't support his more conservative platform.[37]

On February 4, 2010, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias revealed his campaign strategy, saying "come November, Congressman, your days as a Washington insider are over."[38] On July 19, 2010, Giannoulias announced that he had raised $900,000 in the quarter that ended June 30, compared to $2.3 million raised by Kirk. The Giannoulias campaign also announced that President Obama was scheduled to attend an August 5 fundraiser for his candidate in Chicago.[39]

Kirk and Giannoulias disagreed mostly on fiscal and foreign policy. Kirk voted against Obama's Stimulus package and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. As a Congressman, Kirk originally voted for Cap and trade but during the primary campaign announced that if elected a Senator he would vote against it.[40] Giannoulias strongly supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act[41] and Obama's stimulus.[42] Kirk opposed the building of the Park 51 Islamic center near Ground Zero of New York City, while Giannoulias stated that "Americans must stand up for freedom of religion even when it's difficult."[43]

Libertarian nominee Micahel Labno was added to the ballot by the Illinois State Board of Elections after gaining ballot access by means of citizen petition.[31] Labno, an electrical project construction manager[44] and recruiter for Private Security Union Local 21[45] ran on a platform of downsizing or cutting some Federal agencies and reducing taxes and government regulations. He also supported allowing citizens to opt out of Social Security.[44] Labno is pro-life and supports 2nd Amendment rights. In August 2010, Democratic candidate Alexi Giannoulias declared Labno a legitimate challenge from the right for Mark Kirk. Labno responded on his Facebook fan page, saying "This is very true Alexi, and you should be afraid too."[46] Labno attended the September 18, 2010 Right Nation rally in Hoffman Estates, Illinois headlined by conservative media figure Glenn Beck. While greeting attendees Labno noted that Republican candidate Kirk did not attend.[47] On August 27 the Illinois Board of Elections approved the Libertarian Party's petition to include its candidates on the ballot.[31]

Predictions

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Debates

Kirk and Giannoulias debates (other candidates were not invited):

Jones and Labno debate:

Polling

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Fundraising

More information Candidate (Party), Receipts ...

Results

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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican


References

  1. "Illinois Special Election for U.S. Senate Seat". Triblocal. Chicagoland Publishing Company, Inc. August 11, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  2. "Constitution Party forced out of fall election". Columbia Chronicle. September 7, 2010. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  3. Bohan, Caren (November 13, 2008). Doina Chiacu (ed.). "UPDATE 1-Obama resigns Senate seat effective Sunday". Reuters. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  4. McCormick, John; Rick Pearson (November 13, 2008). "Obama friend Jarrett not interested in Senate seat". Chicagotribune.com Clout Street blog. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
  5. (AFP) – January 5, 2009 (January 5, 2009). "Illinois governor's pick for US Senate heads to Washington". Retrieved June 14, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. Hulse, Carl (January 13, 2009). "Burris Will Take His Seat as a Senator From Illinois (Published 2009)". The New York Times.
  7. Sidoti, Liz (January 15, 2009). "Burris takes his place as Obama's Senate successor". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
  8. Pierce, Emily (July 9, 2009). "Burris Won't Run in 2010". Roll Call. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  9. "Election Results". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  10. "Voter Turnout". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  11. "Voter Turnout". www.elections.il.gov. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 22, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  12. Spielman, Fran (August 27, 2009). "Chicago inspector general quits to run for Senate". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  13. Kraushaar, Josh (August 10, 2009). "Giannoulias gets primary opponent". Politico. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  14. "Chicago Attorney Enters U.S. Senate Race". WBBM-TV. September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on December 29, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  15. Christman, Zach (January 31, 2010). "Openly Gay Senate Candidate Drops Out". WMAQ-TV. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  16. "publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com". publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com. May 21, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  17. Korecki, Natasha (March 6, 2009). "suntimes.com". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  18. "dailyherald.com". dailyherald.com. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  19. Pallasch, Abdon M. (February 1, 2010). "Meister backs Giannoulias as U.S. Senate rivals rally for support". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  20. "IL US Senate – D Primary Race – February 2, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  21. "Primary election results". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 2, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  22. "IL US Senate – R Primary Race – February 2, 2010". Our Campaigns. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
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  24. "NPR Inside – Press Releases". Npr.org. April 30, 1997. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  25. "Michael Labno for U.S. Senate". Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  26. "Board of Elections adds Libertarian Party candidates to Illinois ballot". Abclocal.go.com. August 27, 2010. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  27. Thomas, Charles (August 27, 2010). "Libertarian Party adds candidates to ballot". WLS-TV ABC Channel 7. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  28. Lee, Robert (February 4, 2010). "Kirk Looks Ahead to November << Liveshots". Liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  29. Chase, John (February 3, 2010). "Clout St: Giannoulias, Kirk already scrapping in contest for Obama's old Senate seat". Newsblogs.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  30. Geraghty, Jim (February 3, 2010). "MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan Needs a Map". Campaignspot.nationalreview.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  31. Farley, Robert (July 8, 2010). "Senate candidate Mark Kirk says rival gave mobsters bank loans". St. Petersburg Times PolitiFact.com. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  32. Pallasch, Abdon M. (August 26, 2010). "Sen. Scott Brown stumps for Mark Kirk". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2010.
  33. Sabella, Jen (August 17, 2010). "Mark Kirk's Ex-Wife Joins Campaign After Slamming Top Kirk Consultant". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  34. Davey, Monica (February 4, 2010). "Illinois Senate Race Worries Democrats Anew". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
  35. Pearson, Rick (August 5, 2010). "Obama raises nearly $1 million for Giannoulias". Chicago Breaking News Center. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  36. Wills, Christopher (August 30, 2010). "Kirk talks trade, Giannoulias talks environment". Bloomington-Normal Pantagraph. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  37. "Health Care | Alexi Giannoulias | Democrat for U.S. Senate, Illinois". Alexiforillinois.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  38. Lester, Kerry (September 3, 2010). "Kirk, Giannoulias, outline spending cuts". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  39. Gilmer, Marcus (August 17, 2010). "Kirk, Alexi Weigh In On Ground Zero Mosque". Chicagoist. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  40. Lester, Kerry (September 17, 2010). "Giannoulias talks up Libertarian in attempt to siphon votes from Kirk". Daily Herald. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  41. "Mike Labno – Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  42. "Illinois Senate Democratic campaign declares Libertarian Mike Labno a threat to Republican". Independent Political Report. August 26, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  43. Pallasch, Abdon (September 19, 2010). "Tea Party, protesters clash at Glenn Beck event". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  44. "Senate". Cook Political Report. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  45. "Battle for the Senate". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  46. "2010 Senate Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  47. "Race Ratings Chart: Senate". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  48. Guzzardi, Will (August 26, 2010). "Kirk, Giannoulias Agree On Two Debates; Kirk Still Says Alexi Is 'Ducking'". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  49. "Election Results SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION - 11/2/2010". Illinois State Board of Elections. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  50. "2010 SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections.
  51. "Election Results GENERAL ELECTION - 11/2/2010". Illinois State Board of Elections. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  52. "2010 GENERAL ELECTION". Illinois State Board of Elections.

Notes

  1. In December 2008, Burris was appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Barack Obama, who had elected President of the United States.
  2. Meister dropped out two days before the election and endorsed Giannoulias, but his name remained on the ballot.[18]

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