The Illinois AFL-CIO agreed in a vote today not to endorse a candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary for the state?s governor. In the running are incumbent Pat Quinn, State Comptroller Dan Hynes, Attorney Edmund Scanlan, and William Walls. The union was expected to endorse either Quinn or Hynes, but no two-thirds majority was reached for any candidate, meaning that the AFL-CIO will endorse no one. Quinn?s office was reportedly happy that the union did not endorse Hynes, who already has a number of union backings, and Hynes was reportedly equally happy that Quinn was not endorsed, saying that the Governor deserved a rebuke. Hynes has a number of strong union ties, but Quinn?s jobs and capital program has earned him significant support as well, though it is somewhat damped by his pension reduction plans.
See "Illinois AFL-CIO will not endorse candidate in Democratic primary", Abdon M. Pallasch, Chicago Sun Times, December 7, 2009