Illinois GOP primary mini-analysis and scorecard

It's early, but former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani picked up key endorsements today from two Illinois Republican congressman. Judy Biggert represents "soccer mom" territory in Chicago's western suburbs, while Jerry Weller, who lives in Morris but whose district's population base is mostly in the south and southwestern Chicago 'burbs, both are backing Rudy for president.

H/T to Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune's Clout Street blog.

Guiliani's Illinois campaign chairman is state House Minority Leader Tom Cross, from west suburban Oswego.

Elsewhere on the circuit:

John McCain has the support of many Illinois state legislators, including State Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson of downstate Greenville, according to the McCain 2008 site.

Mitt Romney recently named State Senator Dan Rutherford, another downstater, as the head of the the former Massachussets governor's Illinois effort. Rutherford was the party's candidate for Secretary of State last fall, he was defeated by the incumbent Democrat. Rep. Dennis Hastert, the former Speaker of the House--the US House of Representatives that is--endorsed Romney earlier this year.

McCain has the most Illinois GOP endorsements, but my guess his support is soft here.

I can't find any notable supporters for any of the second-tier Republican candidates. The same goes for the leading third-tier candidate, Chicago businessman John Cox.

And finally, in news that reached me while I was on vacation last week, the Illinois Republican Party announced that it will be holding a straw poll on August 16. I don't expect that it will make much of an impact, since the presidential candidates have less than a month to prepare for the event, and the straw poll will be conducted at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. By nature of its location, the fair won't draw a representative pool of Prairie State Republicans.

Technorati tags: Illinois John Cox Romney Giuliani McCain Jerry Weller Judy Biggert Republican 2008 politics election Chicago