CHICAGO — Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes conceded Thursday morning to Gov. Pat Quinn in the Democratic primary to run for the governor’s office in November.
Quinn had declared victory following Tuesday’s primary election, but with just a 7,000 vote difference with 99% of ballots counted, Hynes initially refused to concede even as President Obama called Quinn to congratulate him on the presumed victory.
At a Thursday morning news conference, Hynes said he would not challenge the results and said he had phoned Quinn to congratulate him and offer his support.
“The people have spoken, and the votes have been counted … I’m here to report that we rose up but fell just a little short and if democracy means anything, it means that the campaign with more votes wins,” Hynes said.
Hynes — who has served as comptroller for three terms — put aside the nastiness of the campaign that often focused on who is better equipped to steer the state through its current fiscal mess and said he would support the incumbent governor. “To the victor goes our compliments and our support,” he said.
It remains unclear which Republican Quinn will face in the general election. State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington holds a slim lead of just 400 votes over Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale.
The general election — like the primary race — will likely focus on the state’s fiscal turmoil. Illinois faces a combined deficit in fiscal 2010 and 2011 of at least $12 billion due to ongoing economic troubles, faltering revenue collections, and the use of one-time measures to balance the fiscal 2010 budget last June.
Illinois has suffered several rounds of ratings downgrades. Fitch Ratings assigns an A to the state’s $22.4 billion of general obligation bonds and has the credit on negative watch. Moody’s Investors Service rates the state A2 and Standard & Poor’s rates it A-plus, both with negative outlooks.
Quinn last year proposed a 50% increase in the state’s income tax rate, but lawmakers refused. In his recent state of the state address, he called for a tax restructuring but offered no details. Both Dillard and Brady oppose any major tax increases.
At a news conference, Quinn praised Hynes for his years of public service and for his “gracious” concession call. He said he had met with House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, to discuss the budget and said both Madigan and state Sen. President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, had good ideas for dealing with the deficit and that tax reform remains an option.
