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IL-12
Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
2:39am
Wed Nov 7, 2012

Enyart Secures Win To Represent Southwest Illinois

Democrat Bill Enyart will take over for retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello in Illinois’ 12th congressional district.

As of 1:00 a.m. this morning, Enyart had a commanding 50 percent to 44 percent lead over Republican challenger Jason Plummer. Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw pulled in six percent of the vote.

While the AP gave the race to Enyart and the candidate declared victory, Plummer gave a speech at 10:20 p.m. where he did not concede. Read more »

Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
8:18pm
Mon Nov 5, 2012

Illinois Republicans Rake In Super PAC Cash, Dark Money

If tomorrow’s six extremely close (see recent polls here and our voter guide here) Illinois congressional races were solely determined by outside spending, that is money poured into the races that the candidates themselves did not raise, the Republican candidates would win by a landslide.

In the 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 17th district Congressional races, Republicans are getting millions of dollars more from Super Political Action Committees and “dark money” groups. Read more »

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
5:55pm
Thu Nov 1, 2012

Personal Bios, Coal Define 12th Congressional District Race

With five days left until the election, Illinois’ close 12th congressional district race has fallen into political mudslinging, with Republican Jason Plummer raising a fuss over the public pension of Democratic opponent Bill Enyart’s wife. Recent rhetoric aside, the race has focused on a Southwest Illinois economy long reliant on downstate’s coal basin.

PI Original
by Matthew Blake
12:20pm
Mon Nov 14, 2011

SW Illinois’ Post-Costello Plan

U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, a Democrat, said in October that he would retire next year after 24 years in Congress. Since Costello’s southwest Illinois district is socially conservative, Republicans smell an opportunity worth spending national GOP money on.