Illinois summer primary election gives parties less time to forgive and forget

ROCKFORD — If you are a voter and wondering — no, you have not missed this year's primary election.

Illinois voters are accustomed to a spring primary to choose which candidates will represent political parties in the Nov. 8 general election. The primary this year was moved by the General Assembly from March 15 to June 28 because of delays in U.S. Census data needed to redraw Congressional and legislative district maps.

Rockford University Political Science and Economics Professor Robert Evans said the change could present political challenges for candidates. That goes especially for candidates who are on the same side of the aisle but become embroiled in tough primary battles.

 "In some states where there are late primaries it occasionally causes a problem if the primary was bitter and the sections of the party who fought it out have trouble forgiving and forgetting," Evans said. "It takes a while sometimes to get over harsh things. There is some experience elsewhere with late primaries where the winner and the loser have trouble reconciling."

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The change in primary to the summer is only temporary. 

According to information from the Illinois State Board of Elections, the state's primary will return to the third Tuesday in March in future years. 

Evans said this year's crop of candidates could face challenges including a shorter transition to adjust messaging from a primary to general election, a smaller window for general election fundraising and an electorate distracted by summer vacations.

'The nicest gift you could get'

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said candidates would be wise to treat the change as a blessing.

Primaries have notoriously bad turnout and the change will benefit "someone who is well funded and wants to work hard," McNamara said. 

Candidates willing to put in the work, and meet residents where they are will have the advantage, McNamara said. And the more voters meet a candidate and read his or her campaign material, the more a candidate is likely to earn those votes, McNamara said.

"The legislature gave candidates a gift: That gift is warm weather," McNamara said. "Going door to door, take advantage of it. For someone who has to walk for a primary and a general (election) in the middle of winter, this is the nicest gift you could get."

And a primary challenge that fails to produce lasting harm to a candidate would be another important gift, McNamara said. This year's candidates will "have to turn around and move really quickly into the general," McNamara said. 

"It takes a bit to get your engine going and once you get it going, it's easier to keep moving," McNamara said. "When you have a primary and no one is against you, people don’t want to donate and you don’t get as many volunteers. You dream of a lightly contested primary that gets you moving and lets you work out the kinks."

Jeff Kolkey: (815) 987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey