Ill guv race: How Bill Brady lost

Okay, it's not over yet, but I don't see enough uncounted votes out there for Republican Bill Brady to make up his 8,000 vote deficit to send Governor Pat Quinn, Rod Blagojevich's old running mate, into retirement.

Rich Miller at Capitol Fax looked at the numbers and it appears suburban Chicago sank Brady--and the downstate state senator struggled  mightily with suburban women. Outside groups painted Brady as a radical--and Brady, who didn't spend much time campaigning here, let those groups define him.

Also, the Dems and their enablers such as SEIU apparently had to triage, and apparently they put more resources into the governor's race--jobs--jobs--jobs--than the congressional contests, where the GOP did better than expected.

But the governor's race was Brady's to lose--and he lost it. Now we're stuck with union-whore Pat Quinn for four more years. This is a big defeat for taxpayers and Illinoisans who want fiscal restraint in the Land of Lincoln. Illinois' public pensions are expected to run out of money by the end of the decade.

Senator-elect Mark Kirk, who was thought to have the steeper hill to climb, collected more suburban Chicago votes.

Technorati tags: Election Democrats Politics Illinois illinois politics republicans republican 2010 Patrick Quinn pat quinn Blagojevich bill brady politics