By Matt PresserThe Daily Northwestern

In less than a week, Illinois voters will go to the polls and choose whether to retain Gov. Rod Blagojevich or elect his Republican opponent Judy Baar Topinka, the Illinois State treasurer.

Whichever candidate is chosen, the Illinois Executive Mansion will be home to a Northwestern graduate for the next four years.

That’s because Blagojevich, Weinberg ’79, and Topinka, Medill ’66, both spent their undergraduate years at Northwestern.

Blagojevich held an 8 percent lead in the most recent polls by Rasmussen Reports.

But Republicans still hope Topinka, the only Republican to win a race for statewide office in 2002, can win an election in a blue state.

Communication sophomore James D’Angelo, co-publicity chair of the College Republicans, said the group has been helping Topinka in her campaign offices by “making yard signs and calling people and reminding people to vote, for Topinka specifically.”

“This weekend is kind of big crunch time,” he said. “A few of us are going down to the campaign office in Chicago and we’re going to call people up and say what the deal is.”

College Democrats have worked to help Gov. Blagojevich, said Sam Gilbert, treasurer of College Democrats, but most efforts have been on local races, like that of Tammy Duckworth, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ sixth district.

“We have done some phone banking for (Blagojevich) and we’ve probably done marginal amounts of canvassing, but we’ve been more focused on the Congressional race because our presence can be more strongly felt there than any other race in the local area,” said Gilbert, a Weinberg sophomore.

Blagojevich, who was elected to the position in 2002, supports gun control and traffic safety, proposed an initiative for “universal preschool” for Illinois 3- and 4-year-olds and supports a $1,000 tax credit for in-state college students.

Blagojevich was the first Democrat elected to the office of governor since Daniel Walker in 1973. As a result, Gilbert said Blagojevich’s re-election “would be seen as a significant development.”

Topinka, the former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Illinois, supports government reform, initiatives to cut the state deficit and incentives to attract teachers to public schools.

Rasmussen Reports’ October poll showed Blagojevich’s lead had fallen to 8 percent from 12 percent in September. The public opinion polling firm showed Green Party candidate Rich Whitney, who spoke at NU earlier this fall, had 9 percent of voter support.

Blagojevich has encountered recent criticism because of the October indictment of a key fundraiser accused of extortion, as well as a $1,500 check Blagojevich’s 7-year-old daughter received as a birthday gift from a friend of the governor’s.

Topinka has been cited for being part of the administration of former Gov. George Ryan, who was found guilty and sentenced to prison for giving government contracts to friends, taking payments and vacations in return and then lying about his conduct.

Chicago’s daily newspaper editorial boards are split on their endorsements.

The Chicago Sun-Times endorsed Blagojevich “because of his record of expanding health care and educational opportunity.”

The Chicago Tribune endorsed Topinka, who “is far more realistic about the state’s financial future” and recognizes that “the governor’s office desperately needs a change.”

The DAILY’s editorial board will announce its endorsements for governor and local races Monday.

Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].