The 2010 Illinois Democratic Primary for Governor was expensive, competitive, and downright nasty. Together, Governor Quinn and Comptroller Hynes spent almost $8.5 million dollars on television advertising over the course of four months. At the start of the campaign (in August of 2009), Hynes was polling 28 points down on incumbent governor Pat Quinn. By January 26 (the last public poll of the campaign) Comptroller Hynes was leading Governor Quinn by 1 point, and would go onto lose the race by that very margin.

In the intervening months, Hynes spent 4 million dollars, introduced himself to the voters, and engaged in a negative ad war with Governor Quinn. On January 16, 2010 Hynes registered a shock he was for the first time polling within four points of Governor Quinn. In the period between the last public poll (12/8/09) and the January 16th poll, Hynes had made a massive push spending $979k and almost tying Governor Quinn’s $998k buy. Hyne’s more efficient buying, however, (in the last week of the campaign Hynes out purchased Quin in the Chicago DMA 1317 to 1150), allowed him to reach a greater audience with his message than the incumbent governor. Additionally, Hynes use of controversial ads, allowed him to earn hundreds of points in earned media. If we compare the two graphs, one showing Quinn and Hynes’ spending, and the other their polling we can actually see that when Hynes began to spend, this race began shifting from a Quinn favored blow out to a neck and neck race.

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