Chicago Tribune / WGN-TV Poll Shows Blagojevich, Topinka Leading in Primary Races for Governor

Chicago Tribune / WGN-TV Poll Shows Blagojevich, Topinka Leading in Primary Races for Governor

Poll Results Also Show Incumbent Stroger Ahead in Democratic Contest for County Board President

CHICAGO, March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich maintains a comfortable advantage over his Democratic primary rival, while Judy Baar Topinka, the state's three-term treasurer, is losing some of her sizable lead over the pack of potential Republican candidates for governor, according to a new Chicago Tribune / WGN-TV poll. Complete story and poll results appear in the Tuesday, March 14, edition of the Chicago Tribune and online at chicagotribune.com/elections .

The poll, surveying 600 likely voters in the Republican primary and another 600 indicating they would cast a Democratic ballot, was conducted March 8-12 by Market Shares Corp. of Mt. Prospect, Ill., and has an error margin of 4 percentage points.

With just a week before the March 21 election, the new poll results -- similar to one conducted last month -- show Blagojevich and Topinka still as the front-runners. If they each win their party's nomination, the two will spar in the November 7 general election for the governor's seat.

Among the Democrats, Blagojevich has the support of 67 percent of voters who were polled compared with 18 percent for challenger Edwin Eisendrath, a former Chicago alderman. Another 14 percent are undecided, and 2 percent say they would vote for someone else. Since February's poll, Blagojevich's standing gained 5 percentage points while Eisendrath's remained the same.

In the Republican contest, Topinka continues to lead in this race but now by 15 percentage points over Aurora businessman Jim Oberweis, not the 21 points she claimed over him last month.

The poll found 36 percent of voters -- who are likely to cast a Republican ballot supporting -- Topinka. Oberweis was favored by 21 percent while 15 percent backed Bill Brady, a state senator from Bloomington. Another 9 percent voted for Chicago businessman Ron Gidwitz, 1 percent for Internet journalist Andy Martin and 18 percent were still undecided.

Separately, a different poll of 475 registered Cook County voters likely to vote in the Democratic primary has John Stroger, a 12-year incumbent, with a 10 percentage-point lead over challenger Forrest Claypool in a contest for the Democratic nomination for Cook County Board President. The poll, which has an error margin of 5 percentage points, shows Stroger with 47 percent. Tony Peraica, the GOP candidate for board president, is unchallenged.

Tuesday's edition of the Chicago Tribune will feature more poll results where voters weigh in on corruption, recognition / opinion of select candidates and the race for lieutenant governor.

A Chicago Tribune campaign guide with candidate profiles, statewide issues, voter information, WGN-TV candidate interviews and a CLTV how-to-vote guide is online at chicagotribune.com/elections .

Chicago Tribune political experts are available for media interviews -- in print and on-air -- to discuss the poll and next week's Illinois primary election. Contact Michael Dizon at 312-222-3165 to schedule an interview.

Chicago Tribune Company publishes the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper with daily readership of nearly 2 million and nearly 3 million on Sunday. Together with other media businesses it operates -- including chicagotribune.com, RedEye, Hoy and Chicago Magazine -- Chicago Tribune Company reaches approximately 60 percent of adults in Chicagoland every week. Chicago Tribune is the founding publication of Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in broadcasting, publishing and on the Internet.

Source: Chicago Tribune

CONTACT: Michael Dizon of the Chicago Tribune, +1-312-222-3165

Web site: http://chicagotribune.com/

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