Few primaries, but intense competition for legislative seats

Only eight state senate seats and 24 of 119 house seats had contested primaries in Tuesday's election.

But the scant competition camouflaged the underlying struggle within the Illinois Democratic Party between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Candidates with the backing and blessing of Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones clashed with some of Madigan’s chief supporters, especially in predominantly black or Hispanic wards on the West and South Sides of Chicago.

In the South Side 10th House District, incumbent Annazette Collins, a Madigan ally, faced Chicago police Sgt. Eddie Winters, who has ties to Jones. Collins set the pattern of Madigan-backed winners, as she carried 64 percent of the vote, with 98 of 111 precincts reporting.

Chicago area Reps. Art Turner in the 9th District, Monique Davis in the 27th District and Deborah Graham in the 78th District were other Madigan allies who successfully defended their seats against opponents with connections to Jones or Blagojevich.

The only incumbent Democrat in the House to lose their seat was South Side Rep. Elga Jeffries, who took a terrific beating in the 26th District. With 112 of 127 precincts reporting, Jeffries was lagging in fourth place, barely garnering 12 percent of the vote in a five-way race. Will Burns, a former aide to Jones, was leading the race with 33 percent of the vote.

On the Senate side, establishment politics and independence clashed. But frontrunners and incumbents remained victorious.

In the 7th District on the North Side, the seat vacated by Sen. Carol Ronen (D-Chicago) became billed as a race between “establishment” candidate Heather Steans and grass roots progressive "reformer" Suzanne Elder.

Steans was endorsed by Ronen soon after Ronen announced her retirement. But that move irked some local online activists, who thought Ronen had tipped off Steans and given her an unfair advantage.

Ronen announced her retirement less than two weeks before the filing deadline for the primary election, forcing any interested candidate to scramble to collect 1,000 registered voters' signatures in order to be eligible.

Only Steans and Elder collected the necessary amount.

Steans, a public policy advocate who has managed budgets in the public and private sector, received the endorsements of mainline Democratic establishment organizations, including the Illinois AFL-CIO, the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, the Equality Illinois Political Action Committee and the Sierra Club.

Elder, a policy and legislative advocate who has pushed for change in Springfield, received the endorsements of the Independent Voters of Illinois, Illinois National Organization for Women and Americans for Democratic Action.

With 150 of 168 precincts reporting, Steans was leading Elder, 64 percent to 36 percent.

Similarly, in the 5th District, Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), a West Side politico and one of Jones' lieutenants in the Senate, defended his seat in a three-way race.

With 186 of 226 precincts reporting, Hendon led challenger Amy Sue Mertens 61 percent to 27 percent. Candidate Jonathan Bedi garnered 13 percent of the vote.

On the GOP side, incumbent Sen. Christine Radogno (R-Lemont), a socially moderate Republican, was able to survive a brokered three-way primary.

With 111 of 209 precincts reporting, Radogno won 72 percent of the vote, over challenger Greg Abbott's 20 percent and Brian Bartoz's 8 percent. Radogno had come under fire from more conservative elements in her party, who took issue with her stances on abortion and gay rights.

Radogno ran for state treasurer in 2006, losing to Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.