Daily Egyptian Politics Reporter

The race for lieutenant governor between former Illinois treasurer Pat Quinn and Kane County Coroner Mary Lou Kearns remains undecided five days after the Tuesday primary, leaving Democratic nominee for governor Glenn Poshard temporarily without a running mate.

During the primary, Kearns and Quinn perpetually leapfrogged over each other as returns came in. At midnight March 18, Quinn had a lead of about 2,000 votes with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

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However, the next day’s total showed Kearns with a lead of about 2,500 with 92 percent of precincts reporting. Now, with one precinct left unreported, Kearns’ lead has narrowed to 1,453.

Kearns’ apparent slim victory is far from complete, though. Quinn, a long-time critic of inefficiency in government, vowed to pursue complaints of voter fraud in Cook County.

The Chicago Tribune reported March 19 that many absentee voters were approached by members of voting precincts who persuaded the early voters to hand over their ballots, which is a violation of voting regulations.

In addition to the alleged voter fraud, the number of ballots spoiled by election judges may play a role in the final outcome. In the Cook County 37th Ward precinct, 209 of 210 ballots were declared void because they were not initialed by election judges.

Quinn has filed for a discovery recount of ballots in Chicago and Rock Island, Madison and St. Clair counties. While results of the sample recount has no official bearing on the race, it can open the door for a formal recount. The Illinois State Board of Elections can begin the recount after all final results are finished on April 6.

The outcome of Kearns-Quinn race could impact Poshard’s campaign adversely. If a winner is not determined until the Illinois State Board of Elections tallies final results April 6, or if a recount is filed by either opponent, Poshard may be spinning his wheels rather than racing down the general election freeway. This is a sharp contrast to Poshard’s opponent, Secretary of State George Ryan, whose running mate Corinne Wood was uncontested in the primary.

A win by Quinn could be detrimental to Poshard’s campaign, says Mike Lawrence, associate director of the Public Policy Institute, because Quinn is far from being a darling of the Democratic party.

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Pat Quinn has some enemies within the Democratic party, he said. I don’t know how many Democrats will vote against Poshard just because Quinn is on the ticket, but there could be some erosion.

Governor and lieutenant governor are voted upon separately.

Quinn angered many lawmakers in 1983 when he successfully pushed for a reduction in the state legislature. Lawrence said his renegade style of politics makes him a liability to the Poshard campaign.

Another political expert, SIUC Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John Jackson, said Poshard likely will have little trouble working with either candidate.

Kearns seems to be the more comfortable candidate to work with, and if she’s got a couple of thousand more votes, she’ll probably keep her lead.

And Poshard’s so strong that this is only a minor irritation to his campaign. He will build his team around whatever he gets, but again, Kearns is the more comfortable candidate.

Lawrence said, though, he thinks he knows how Poshard is leaning.

If I were Glenn Poshard, I would have my fingers crossed and hope that Mary Lou Kearns hangs on to her lead.