CHICAGO – Illinois Republican Party primary voters have seven choices to pick from in the U.S. Senate race – and whoever wins on June 28th will be at the top of the November General Election ballot. That person will challenge Illinois' junior U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat first elected to the federal office in 2016, the same year Donald Trump was elected president of the U.S.
Duckworth is a loyal Democrat – and rarely, if ever, does she veer to the center of the political specter. She's a dependable vote for the Joe Biden/Chuck Schumer/Nancy Pelosi Democrats:
So, in an expected Red Wave year, whoever is on the ballot opposite Duckworth could gain national attention in the Fall.
A Sun-Times poll released over the weekend makes the case few have decided who they're going to support June 28th.
Indeed a vast majority – 66% – of those polled said they had yet to decide who would get their vote in June.
There are seven IL GOP candidates – and few have raised a substantial amount of campaign funds.
Only Wauconda attorney Kathy Salvi – who entered the race shortly before the March 2022 petition deadline – has raised more that $200,000. Salvi polled at 10% in the Sun-Times' numbers.
Salvi touts endorsements from local Illinois Republican Party townships and a recommendation from the conservative statewide Illinois Family Action.
One other candidate – downstate veteran and law enforcement advocate – Peggy Hubbard is also polling at 10%. However, Hubbard has been unable to raise a substantial financial backing:
The five other candidates – radio personability Matt Dubiel, demographics analyst Bobby Piton, Chicago author Jimmy Lee Tillman, businessman Casey Chlebek and Pastor Anthony Williams are all polling less than 10% – most in single digits.
With 66% of those polled not having yet made a choice in the U.S. Senate race, the field is wide open leading up to June 28th.
