Primary results give voters a look at what they can expect in November.

In a state where Democrats have owned the governorship since 2003, many GOP are hopeful they now have a contender who will break the cycle.

Republican Bruce Rauner will face Governor Pat Quinn in the November general elections, having made off with 40 percent of the vote in the Republican primaries March 18 and defeated his three opponents, despite low voter turnout. Kirk Dillard, closing in on Rauner with 38 percent of the vote, finished second, State Senator and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady finished third with 15 percent of the vote and current State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, finished fourth with 7 percent of the vote.

With a campaign bank account that already includes $6 million of his own money, Rauner raised in excess of $14 million—more than any gubernatorial candidate in Illinois history. He then launched a parade of televised ads across the state that focused on the economy and claimed Rauner would run the state like a business, set term limits and “bring back Illinois.”

Although financially well-equipped, Rauner’s campaign faced multiple speed bumps, including his inconsistent stance on raising the minimum wage. Rauner had initially advocated for cutting the minimum wage but then said he would consider raising it under the right circumstances. In a re-election ad, Quinn says the minimum wage should be raised from $8.25 to at least $10 per hour.

Additionally, some unions are concerned that Rauner’s aim is to weaken organized labor, mirroring the administrations of other Republican governors across the country, especially after the political novice claimed his governorship would be crafted after Wisconsin Governor Scot Walker and former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, both of whom capped union power in an effort to attract business to their states and decrease costs.

Many union leaders seeking to defeat Rauner called on their members to support Dillard. Spending in excess of $6 million on ads in favor of Dillard, organized labor clearly transformed the governor’s race into a showdown between union leaders’ influence and those wishing to sever the ties between unions and the left.

A Republican Opportunity?

   Quinn, who served as Blagojevich’s lieutenant governor and then as governor after Blagojevich was arrested and imprisoned on corruption charges, defeated his only challenger, anti-violence activist and former director of Cease Fire Violence Interrupters Tio Hardiman, 72 to 28 percent, in the Democratic primary. Despite his sweeping victory, many voters perceive Quinn to be a vulnerable candidate in November as Illinois’ ongoing fiscal upheavals have attributed to his low popularity rating. Despite Illinois’ many left-leaning voters, Republicans are hopeful they will finally have a member of the GOP in the state’s top spot.

But after winning the primary, Quinn affirmed that Illinois is “making a comeback” in spite of the fact that the state still has “a lot of work to do.” Still, this hasn’t stopped him from taking his opponent seriously, hiring a strategist who managed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign.

Quinn’s Republican opponent has labeled the current governor a failure, which, he claims, will help give Republicans a much-needed boost in the general elections. If elected, Rauner says he will “work to restore the opportunity, the quality of life for every family in our state.”

Durbin’s Seat Up for Grabs?

     Illinois’ number two Democratic seat, currently held by United States Senator Dick Durbin, was challenged by Illinois State Senator Jim Oberweis, the owner of a dairy business, and Doug Truax, co-owner and managing partner of Oak Brook-based Veritas Risk Services, LLC, a risk consulting firm that empowers employers in controlling their healthcare costs, benefits, retirement plans and business risk. Oberweis defeated Truax, 56 to 44 percent.