In addition to examining the gubernatorial and Cook County board president primaries, the Tribune also polled the U.S. Senate race and found that Democratic voters continue to favor Alexi Giannoulias over his rival candidates.  The poll found that 31 percent supported Giannoulias, 17 percent supported Cheryle Jackson, 9 percent backed David Hoffman, and 1 percent lined up behind Jacob Meister (with 35 percent undecided).  Here are the toplines (full results here):

As you can see below, these results more or less mirror the findings of several candidate-commissioned polls released in recent months.  The only noticeable shift is Jackson, who seems to be building more support as her name identification rises:

Meister Poll (December 3)
Giannoulias: 33%
Jackson: 10%
Hoffman: 7%
Meister: 1%
Uncommitted 49%

Jackson poll (November 10)
Giannoulias: 31%
Jackson: 13%
Hoffman: 8%
Meister 2%
Undecided: 45%

Hoffman poll (October 13)
Giannoulias: 26%
Jackson: 12%
Hoffman: 7%
Meister N/A
Undecided: 55%

In other news, Giannoulias continued to lock up the support of the state's major labor unions this weekend, as the AFSCME Council 31 announced that they are supporting him:

“Alexi Giannoulias understands that Illinois families are struggling,” AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said. “He knows we need a senator who will fight for jobs, health care and retirement security. He will work to rebuild our economy and make sure our prosperity is broadly shared.

Hoffman also received the support of the Democratic Party of Evanston and the Northfield Township Democrats.

Finally, Giannoulias released the fifth installment of his "Future Works" economic plan yesterday.  As we noted on Friday, his latest proposal includes renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  He also unveiled some ideas aimed at "crack[ing] down on China's trade practices":

In the Senate, Giannoulias will fight to crack down on China's manipulation of its currency. By pegging its yuan to the dollar, the Chinese government enables its exporters to flood the U.S. market with cheap goods. Hard working Americans who are making a living wage cannot compete, and the end result is millions of jobs lost at home. Giannoulias would push for Congress to impose tariffs on Chinese imports if China continues its refusal to float the yuan like every other major currency.

Giannoulias supports efforts to eliminate China's subsidization of weak domestic industries simply to drive American businesses into bankruptcy. China took this step with their steel industry and now aims to do the same with clean energy technologies. These uncompetitive actions discourage imports, and the U.S. cannot afford to allow it to impact industries that are critical for the future growth of American jobs. 

You can find the entire "Future Works" plan here.

Full Disclosure: The SEIU Illinois State Council, which sponsors this website, has endorsed Alexi Giannoulias in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

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