IL-8: Open Thread

Tribune/WGN-TV poll:

In the northwest suburban 8th Congressional District, the survey found strong re-election support for freshman Democrat Melissa Bean, suggesting that her 2004 upset of 35-year Republican U.S. Rep. Phil Crane was no fluke. [..]

Crane's undoing two years ago was largely his own. Voters turned to Bean because they were fed up with being represented by a veteran lawmaker who increasingly seemed out of touch with the district and suffered a well-publicized alcohol problem.

Now Bean is enjoying the advantage of incumbency, which helps raise her profile and ability to raise campaign money. That, in part, can account for the survey finding Bean holding a commanding 19-point lead over McSweeney.

Illinois 8th Congressional District was one of the Republicans best hopes of knocking of a Democratic House member, now rubber stamp Bush Republican is down by 19-points to a Democrat in a seat that Republicans were winning by large margins in pass elections if this poll is to be believed.

It is going to be an ugly night on Nov. 7th for the GOP.