A new poll from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU Carbondale finds Hillary Clinton and Tammy Duckworth leading their respective races.
The survey of a thousand registered voters shows Democrat Clinton leading Republican Donald Trump 53% to 28% in the race for President, and Democrat Duckworth leading incumbent Republican Senator Mark Kirk 48% to 34% in the race for U.S. Senate.
We've got only a month to go, though, so if the Senator's going to make a move, he's got to do it soon. ~John Jackson
Simon Institute Analyst John Jackson says Kirk's campaign has some serious work to do.
"You have to be on television to be moving the needle, as they say. I don't think either of these candidates has spent a great deal of money so far. We've got only a month to go, though, so if the Senator's going to make a move, he's got to do it soon."
Democrat Hillary Clinton also shows an advantage over Republican Donald Trump in the Simon Poll.
Jackson says the margins are much closer downstate, but he says both Kirk and Trump have an uphill battle to win what is a traditionally Democrat-leaning state.
In addition, the Simon Institute poll asked voters their opinion of leaders in Illinois - from Republican Governor Bruce Rauner to Democratic Legislative Leaders Mike Madigan and John Cullerton.
Fifty-five percent of voters have a negative opinion of Gov. Bruce Rauner, while 63% disapprove of House Speaker Michael Madigan. Forty-one percent have an unfavorable rating of Senate President John Cullerton.
Jackson says that news should come as no surprise.
"The races in this end of the state clearly indicate that, where everybody on the Republican side is running against the Speaker, and everybody on the Democratic side is running against the Governor."
Much of voters' displeasure comes from the ongoing budget stalemate.
Jackson says this is just the beginning of what the state can expect for the 2018 election, when Governor Rauner will be up for re-election.
