Rauner leads GOP primary, but Dillard, Brady could win, too – Blogs On Politics – Crain’s Chicago Business

With just a week to go until election day, the once ho-hum race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination has morphed into an absolutely fascinating contest — and one that’s too close to call.

A variety of public and private polls and the consensus of consultants on both sides of the aisle all strongly suggest that Chicago investment mogul Bruce Rauner has a solid, even big lead of up to 20 percentage points over his nearest rival. But Mr. Rauner appears to have topped out somewhere in the 30s, and an increasing number of indicators suggest that state Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale has begun to consolidate anti-Rauner forces.

That leaves the final outcome uncertain. In the end, who wins may be determined by whether large numbers of Democrats and independents cross party lines to pull GOP ballots in the March 18 primary. And whether Mr. Rauner dares to “go nuclear” on Mr. Dillard with a strong negative media attack. And, ironically, whether Republican primary voters dislike President Barack Obama more than Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“This is purely going to depend on turnout,” says pollster Mike McKeon, who did one recent survey for candidate Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington but otherwise has not been involved in the campaign. More…

via Rauner leads GOP primary, but Dillard, Brady could win, too – Blogs On Politics – Crain’s Chicago Business.