Just back from the polls here in Williamson County, things are slow here in small towns on a frigid day, but as Diane noted, we do have the Keyes/Obama race on. Although we know how it will end, it will be interesting to see where Keyes gets support from after the Jack Ryan debacle.

Also notable is the Karmeier/Maag race for State Supreme Court. Gordon Maag, a trial lawyer by trade, is considered by some to be partly responsible for the medical malpractice situation in Southern Illinois, one which widely roots in the Metro East judicial system, rated as one of the worst jurisdictions in America. His Republican opponent, Lloyd Karmeier, is a strong advocate of tort reform. An interesting quirk of this race is that Maag is running both to retain his old judicial seat and to win his new Supreme Court seat. This gave me, and other Southern Illinoisans, the unique opportunity to vote against him twice.

Also notable in my district is the State Senate race between appointed incumbent Gary Forby (D) and challenger Ron Summers ®, which has been a hotly contested battle waged with a great deal of negative campaigning. The attacks on Forby mainly consist of explaining the connections between him and our current governor, Rod Blagojevich (D-Chicago), widely reviled in Southern Illinois, while attacks on Summers attempt to attach Summers to our previous corrupt Republican governor, George Ryan.

Also in my district is our US Congressional race between longtime incumbent Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) and 28-year old challenger Erin Zweigart (D-Evansville). Our district (in a badly gerrymandered state) stretches from deep Southern Illinois up and across the Metro East. Ironically, while Zweigart opposes Costello’s Chicago stylings and collusion with the Governor, the Chicago Tribune has endorsed Zweigart, while local newspaper The Southern Illinois has endorsed Costello. Costello, as the longtime incumbent, is expected to win handily, but it’s been exciting.

Southern Illinois is widely considered a red zone in a blue state, so there are some strange dynamics at work. Most Southern Illinois voters tend to be “Zell Miller-style” Jacksonian/”Southern” Democrats, with conservative social values but liberal economic attitudes, which often leaves them deeply torn between voting for the “New” far-left Democrats like Rod Blagojevich and John Kerry, or caving in to vote Republican. It’s gonna be a fun night.