Quinn leads in new poll as governor's race tightens
Fri. October 1, 2010 1:14 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
illinois gov. pat quinn in chicago pride parade
photo credit // kevin wayne
Gay rights advocates have expressed concern over potential Brady win
Chicago, IL -
A Chicago Tribune poll released Friday shows that the lead Republican candidate Bill Brady had over the Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn has evaporated.
Quinn scored 39 percent to 38 percent for Brady. Independent candidate Scott Lee Cohen and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney aren't attracting much support. The poll has a 4-percentage-point margin of error.
These poll numbers are a shift from the pre-Labor Day Tribune poll that had Brady leading Quinn 37 percent to 32 percent.
The Quinn campaign's ads asking "Who is this guy?" seem to be making an impact as voters learn more about Quinn's conservative downstate opponent. The Quinn campaign has also launched the whoisbillbrady.com website.
Last month, gay right advocates were alarmed after Statistician Nate Silver, from the legendary 'Five Thirty Eight' blog, predicted a Brady win.
Brady and his Democratic opponent, Gov. Pat Quinn, differ significantly on social issues including gay rights, including marriage equality, and women's and minority rights.
Brady, a former real estate developer from Bloomington, Illinois, not only opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions, but he favors an amendment to the Illinois constitution banning equal marriage rights for LGBT citizens. Brady has said he would veto any civil union legislation.
Quinn, the former lieutenant governor who replaced the disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich, remains solid in his support of civil unions legislation, yet has failed to show support for full marriage equality. Quinn says he will sign civil unions legislation.
"I support the civil-unions bill and am working for its passage. The governor does have a great deal of influence [in such matters] . I think we have a good chance of passing it by this year," Quinn told the Windy City Times in an interview published Sept. 8.
Last year a house bill to allow civil unions in Illinois was successfully voted out of committee, but never came up for a full vote. Equality Illinois has renewed the push and remains optimistic that the bill can get enough votes to succeed - if Quinn is elected.
The general election is Nov. 2.
Quinn scored 39 percent to 38 percent for Brady. Independent candidate Scott Lee Cohen and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney aren't attracting much support. The poll has a 4-percentage-point margin of error.
These poll numbers are a shift from the pre-Labor Day Tribune poll that had Brady leading Quinn 37 percent to 32 percent.
The Quinn campaign's ads asking "Who is this guy?" seem to be making an impact as voters learn more about Quinn's conservative downstate opponent. The Quinn campaign has also launched the whoisbillbrady.com website.
Last month, gay right advocates were alarmed after Statistician Nate Silver, from the legendary 'Five Thirty Eight' blog, predicted a Brady win.
Brady and his Democratic opponent, Gov. Pat Quinn, differ significantly on social issues including gay rights, including marriage equality, and women's and minority rights.
Brady, a former real estate developer from Bloomington, Illinois, not only opposes same-sex marriage and civil unions, but he favors an amendment to the Illinois constitution banning equal marriage rights for LGBT citizens. Brady has said he would veto any civil union legislation.
Quinn, the former lieutenant governor who replaced the disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich, remains solid in his support of civil unions legislation, yet has failed to show support for full marriage equality. Quinn says he will sign civil unions legislation.
"I support the civil-unions bill and am working for its passage. The governor does have a great deal of influence [in such matters] . I think we have a good chance of passing it by this year," Quinn told the Windy City Times in an interview published Sept. 8.
Last year a house bill to allow civil unions in Illinois was successfully voted out of committee, but never came up for a full vote. Equality Illinois has renewed the push and remains optimistic that the bill can get enough votes to succeed - if Quinn is elected.
The general election is Nov. 2.