Poll: Ill. Gov Race ThisClose
Democratic Congressman Glen Poshard has vaulted into a virtual tie with his Republican rival in the Illinois governor's race, according to a new poll.
Poshard had been trailing GOP Secretary of State George Ryan in previous polls, but the Chicago Sun-Times/WBBM-TV survey showed Ryan with 44 percent to Poshard's 42 percent, well within the poll's 4.8-point margin of error.
Six weeks ago, the same poll had Ryan in the lead by a margin of 52-34 percent. And more recent polls sponsored by other media organizations showed Ryan with a double-digit lead.
The Sun-Times said the results suggested that a driver's license scandal that has rocked the secretary of state's office had damaged Ryan's standing with the voters. Federal criminal charges have been lodged against some employees in Ryan's office who are accused of illegally selling truck licenses.
Nearly one-third of the voters in the poll said the scandal made them less likely to vote for Ryan. Nevertheless, the survey found that Ryan is viewed favorably by 52 percent of the voters, compared to a 45 percent approval rating for Poshard.
Poshard is a conservative Democrat from downstate whose stands against abortion and most gun-control measures have angered some party liberals. Ryan, a veteran political insider, has presented himself as a pragmatist who will listen to all sides.
The survey was conducted by telephone Oct. 19-20 by KRC Communications Research, using a sample of 400 likely voters.
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