With the primary elections over, the general election landscape is beginning to take shape.

Key races at the state and local level include the race for governor between incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bruce Rauner, and the race for the 115th State House of Representatives seat pitting Republican Terri Bryant against Democrat Bill Kilquist.

Faculty and staff from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute weighed in on these primaries.

Institute director David Yepsen said both candidates for governor performed poorly, especially in southern Illinois. Quinn’s challenger Tio Hardiman, carried some southern districts and ended with almost 30 percent of the vote.

Yepsen said Hardiman’s showing in the election was because of unhappy voters, particularly union members, casting protest votes.

He said Rauner faced similar problems as Quinn, including opposition from unions and an apathetic base.

“Quinn and Rauner need to fire up their base voters,” he said. “Now they can do it. Republicans are disgusted with Pat Quinn and some will accept Rauner as anybody but Quinn. Democrats are going to look at Rauner and see him as wealthy and hostile to organized labor, so that will be a big motivator.”

Professor Emeritus John Jackson said the numbers did not surprise him as Quinn still won against Hardiman, and Rauner was facing three other candidates with campaign experience.

“I don’t buy the idea that Rauner’s victory, even though a narrow margin, somehow indicates a loss or a weakness for him,” he said. “I think he’s going to be very competitive and I think Pat Quinn’s going to be very competitive. This is going to be a down-to-the-wire, slam-bang, spend a ton of money, knock-down drag-out fight.”

Professor Charlie Leonard agreed with Jackson about the money. Rauner spent $6 million of his own money on his primary campaign, a record for an Illinois governor race.

“He outspent everybody combined,” Leonard said. “And a year ago nobody except political insiders that he contributed to knew who he was. It’s name recognition that can be bought.”

Jackson said the bases of both parties will likely support their candidate.

Leonard said Rauner’s showing will come down to him taking a stance on certain issues, something he said they failed to do during the primary.

“Nobody’s pressed him real hard to take a position on anything,” he said. “He’s against making the income tax increase permanent. Where will he cut? Where will he make up the lost revenue? There’s a big one right there. He’s offered nothing and, to the best of my knowledge, he’s been pressed weakly at best.”

Yepsen, Jackson and Leonard all said despite Quinn being a Democratic incumbent in a blue state, there is no clear leader.

Yepsen said the race for the 115th House District is going to be tight as well. The district is open for the first time in almost 20 years after current Rep. Mike Bost announced he was challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart for the 12th District Congressional Seat.

“Both parties have nominated strong candidates,” Yepsen said. “Kilquist has a proven record of getting votes and Bryant won a very impressive, hard fought primary.”

Yepsen said Kilquist is experienced at gathering votes as he was previously elected as the Jackson County Sheriff and as a Board of Trustee member for John A. Logan College.

However, he said Bryant is experienced and served in leadership positions with other campaigns.

Jackson said he found it interesting yet unsurprising both candidates are from Murphysboro.

They might have a difficult time sharing the same location, Jackson said.

“They’re going to have to reach out to those other counties, including, most notably, Jefferson county, and the other counties north and northeast of us,” he said. “It remains to be seen which candidate will be more effective in that.”

House Speaker Michael Madigan showed interest in the race and might consider it poachable from Republicans.

“The Democratic organization in Springfield sees possible pickup here with a Republican stepping down and Mr. Kilquist being elected several times as sheriff and John A. Logan Trustee and is a well-known name to voters, and I expect they figure they might have a chance for a pickup,” Leonard said.

The interest in the 115th District may be a tactical move to force Republicans to spend resources they might use elsewhere, Yepsen said.

Yepsen said he gives the Republicans an edge because it is a midterm election and many Republican voters are upset with the Democrats in the White House. Leonard and Jackson said there was no clear front-runner.

Seth Richardson can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @EgyptianRich or at 536-3311 ext. 268.