The Count 2014

Illinois campaign and election news & content, culminating in live, continuous results & analysis video-streamed on election night in 2014. input[type='submit'].minimal, button.minimal { background: #e3e3e3 !important; border: 1px solid #bbb !important; -moz-border-radius: 3px !important; -webkit-border-radius: 3px !important; border-radius: 3px !important; -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #f6f6f6 !important; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #f6f6f6 !important; box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #f6f6f6 !important; color: #333 !important; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; font-weight: bold !important; line-height: 1 !important; padding: 8px 0 9px !important; text-align: center !important; text-shadow: 0 1px 0 #fff !important; width: 150px !important; } input[type='submit'].minimal:hover, button.minimal:hover { background: #d9d9d9 !important; -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #eaeaea !important; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #eaeaea !important; box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #eaeaea !important; color: #222 !important; cursor: pointer !important; } input[type='submit'].minimal:active, button.minimal:active { background: #d0d0d0 !important; -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #e3e3e3 !important; -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #e3e3e3 !important; box-shadow: inset 0 0 1px 1px #e3e3e3 !important; color: #000 !important; } Join our Mailing List Email Address Close var fancyboxLoaded; try { var jqueryLoaded=jQuery; jqueryLoaded=true; //Check if a fancybox plugin is already loaded try{ fancyboxLoaded = $.fancybox } catch(err) { fancyboxLoaded=false; } } catch(err) { jqueryLoaded=false; } var head= document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; var script= document.createElement('script'); if (!jqueryLoaded) { script.type= 'text/javascript'; script.src= 'http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.4/jquery.min.js'; head.appendChild(script); } if (!fancyboxLoaded) { //Only load the CSS because the asynchronous JS might not load the script in time... //We'll load the script later with jQuery :) var fancystyle= document.createElement('link'); fancystyle.setAttribute("rel", "stylesheet"); fancystyle.setAttribute("type", "text/css"); //TODO: Hey MC guys, you've gotta host this somewhere! 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70 posts

[thecount2014]

Rich Miller over at Capitol Fax.com with some of the latest poll number on the governor's race.

[thecount2014]

The Count 2014- Live stream link

Here's the link to Tuesday night's broadcast.  Tune in on your smart TV, laptop, tablet or smartphone. http://new.livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/3535864

[thecount2014]

Dave McKinney, Statehouse reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times resigns over candidate interference.

 The media blackout on the Dave McKinney story has got to end. Right now. Dave just resigned his position as the Sun-Times Statehouse Bureau Chief and posted his resignation letter online…

[thecount2014]

Rauner Leads in Endorsements, But There’s Still One Big One Left

Rauner has picked up some big endorsements, but so far, the Springfield newspaper hasn't picked either. Here's a look...

Endorsements roll in for Rauner, but nothing yet from the paper in our state’s capital. Why?

[thecount2014]

Covering a closed-off candidate

The Columbia Journalism Review has a look at how the media is covering Rauner and his campaign.

CHICAGO, IL — If the Chicago Tribune’s editorial endorsement is any indication, Bruce Rauner is getting his message across.

Rauner is the Republican nominee for governor in Illinois, and he was always likely to get the backing of the right-leaning Tribune editorial board in his campaign to unseat the incumbent Democrat, Pat Quinn. But when the endorsement came out Oct. 10, it was hard to imagine Rauner could have scripted things any better: While Quinn’s a nice guy who had his chance to tax-and-spend and failed, it argued, Rauner is a no-nonsense businessman who would bring a laser-like focus to jumpstarting the state economy, reforming government, and staring down “entrenched Illinois interests.”

[thecount2014]

Tracking The Money in Election 2014

Jennifer fuller from WSIU follows the money.

Political fundraising is making news, as candidates vying for election in November have filed their third quarter reports.

[thecount2014]

Our Opinion: Voters passing up their chances to be heard

The Springfield State Journal-Register editorializes on primary turnout.  What do you think it's going to take to get people to vote?

A two-part tradition accompanies every spring election in Illinois. Part 1: County clerks predict low voter turnout. Part 2: Voters prove them right.It happened here again during Tuesday’s primary, which featured such important races as governor, Congress, the U.S. Senate, county sheriffs, judges, county board members and a host of referendums about taxes, school consolidation, fire protection, electric supply and alcohol sales.These races and ballot questions are not insignificant. Illinois

FULL STORY

[thecount2014]

Our Opinion: Dillard in Republican primary for governor

Springfield State Journal-Register endorses Dillard.

Of the GOP governor candidates who met with the SJ-R editorial board, one best exhibited the skills and approach needed to right Illinois' sinking economic ship.

FULL STORY

[thecount2014]

02-18-2014 GOP Gubernatorial Debate by blueroomstream

If you missed last night's Republican forum in Springfield, you can watch it  via BlueRoomStream's Livestream page.

Watch blueroomstream's 02-18-2014 GOP Gubernatorial Debate on Livestream.com.

[thecount2014]

GOP Gubernatorial Primary 30 Days to go — who’s up, who’s down.

With 30 days to go, Natasha Korecki has a look at the GOP race for governor.

Today marks 30 days until the March 18th Republican gubernatorial primary in Illinois. The four-way race is intensifying with TV ads up from anti-Bruce Rauner g

FULL ARTICLE

[thecount2014]

Former employee alleges Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford sexually harassed him - Chicago Sun-Times

Details on the Rutherford allegations are out.

A former high-ranking employee for Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford dropped bombshell allegations in federal court Monday – charging that Rutherford sexually harassed him and used his state office to further his political aspirations

FULL ARTICLE

[thecount2014]

Governor wants to delay budget speech until after election

And now for something completely different…

SPRINGFIELD – Voters hoping to find out how Gov. Pat Quinn plans to handle the expiration of the state's temporary income tax increase may have to wait until after the election.

FULL STORY

[thecount2014]

Rauner talks to Crain Chicago's Greg Hinz about Stuart Levine.

Many weeks after I first started asking, GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Rauner finally gave me a full interview about how and why convicted political fixer Stuart Levine was on the payroll of a company Mr. Rauner's venture capital firm partially owned.

[thecount2014]

Rich Miller has a look at what the media didn't report from last night's debate.

[thecount2014]

An interesting look at campaign communications, and what Capitol Fax.com's Rich Miller calls "Dillard's 'I' problem."

FULL POST

[thecount2014]

Brady, Barr get top ballot spots for governor, sheriff

Ballot positions are set.  In the governor's race, Brady gets the top spot for the Republicans, and for the Democrats, Tio Hardiman.

State Sen. Bill Brady will have the top ballot spot in the March 18 primary for governor, due to a lottery conducted Wednesday at the State Board of Elections.Following Brady — a member of the state Senate from Bloomington and the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nominee — will be state Treasurer Dan Rutherford of Chenoa, state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale and venture capitalist Bruce Rauner of Winnetka.In the Democratic primary race for governor, Tio Hardiman of Hillside, a former head of an

FULL ARTICLE

[thecount2014]

Rich Miller from Capitol Fax.com takes a look at Rauner & Madigan.

FULL STORY