By AP/KWMU
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-541265.mp3
Chicago, Ill. – Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich defeated Republican Judy Baar Topinka Tuesday to win a second term.
The Democrat won voters over by promising solutions to the state's social problems and by flooding the airwaves with ads portraying Topinka as clueless and corrupt.
Topinka had far less money for ads and failed to get voters to focus on a federal investigation of corruption in the Blagojevich administration.
Blagojevich failed to get a majority of the votes (49%), while Topinka had 40% and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney had 11%.
Blagojevich becomes the first Democrat to win back-to-back terms as Illinois governor since Otto Kerner in 1964. He celebrated his victory by thanking voters this (Tue) morning during a post-campaign stop in Chicago.
Meanwhile, Whitney is hailing his showing. The result for the Greens is good enough to keep the party on the ballot in future elections.
An upbeat Whitney joked last night that he's seen the farm report and that it indicates Green futures are looking good.
Illinois Public Radio's Sean Crawford prepared this report.
| Results (candidates in ballot order) | |
| Votes (%) | |
|
Judy Baar Topinka & Joe Birkett (R) | 1,234,313 (40%) |
|
Rod Blagojevich & Pat Quinn (D) | 1,516,630 (49%) |
 Rich Whitney & Julie Samuels (G) | 325,598 (11%) |