Candidates are making their final pushes for support ahead of Tuesday's elections. It's all about getting out the vote.
As they travel the state on St. Patrick's Day, each of the Republicans seeking the party's nomination for governor are hoping for some luck they can carry over to election day.
While polls show private equity investor Bruce Rauner ahead, Sen. Kirk Dillard has seen his support rise in recent weeks. At an Dillard rally last night in Springfield, his onetime boss, former Gov. Jim Edgar, said primary results are hard to predict by polls.
"More times than not, they're wrong," Edgar said. "Because you can't poll turnout. And turnout we know is going to be crucial."
Edgar also said polls don't measure the independents and Democrats he expects will "cross over" to vote for Dillard. Meanwhile, in Decatur, Rauner encouraged his supporters to show up at the voting booth tomorrow.
"Get your friends out to vote," he said. "This is a critical election. Turnout in a Republican primary, absolutely critical, Get out and vote."
Sen. Bill Brady, of Bloomington, who took many by surprise when he won the GOP nomination four years ago, says he's confident he'll do the same this time. He also has statewide appearances scheduled all day.
Treasurer Dan Rutherford -- who's closed his election night party to the press -- is taking a quieter approach. Support for Rutherford has tumbled since his refusal to release a taxpayer-funded report investigating a former employee's allegations of sexual harassment and political coercion.
Gov. Pat Quinn is widely expected to win his race against Tio Hardiman, the former director of a Chicago-based anti-violence program. Quinn has largely stayed out of the public eye leading up to the primary, and has no public appearances scheduled for today.
