In recent years, Illinois has not usually been a harbinger of big Republican gains in midterm elections.
But two very recent polls suggest they may be up in the Prairie State and a Republican “red wave” may be in the making.
According to a just-completed Fabrizio Lee Poll of likely voters statewide, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker now leads Republican State Sen. Darren Bailey by 50% to 45%. This is a significant jump from a month ago, when the same poll showed Pritzker leading Bailey 52% to 42%.
Perhaps the most dramatic findings of this survey are that 48% of the state electorate feels liberal Democrat Pritzker “deserves re-election,” compared to 49% who believe it is “time for a change.”
The survey was conducted for the People Who Play By the Rules Political Action Committee, which is running an independent expenditure for conservative stalwart Bailey.
At the same time, a poll of the state’s 14th District (Western Chicago) and conducted by Cygnal a week ago showed Kendall County Board of Commissioners Chairman Scott Gryder actually leading Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood by 43.5% to 40.9%.
What makes these figures intriguing is that the Democrat-orchestrated redistricting actually made the 14th more Democratic to assist Underwood.
A registered nurse, Underwood scored a major upset in 2018 by unseating four-term Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren with 52.5%. At 32, she became the youngest-ever Black U.S. Representative.
Two years later, Underwood eked out re-election over well-known dairyman GOP Sen. Jim Oberweis by 1.34%.
“And these results come even after the Democratic remap dumped another 25,000 Democrats into the 14th,” veteran conservative activist and Ottawa, Ill. publisher Jameson Campaigne told Newsmax.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.