DIXON – For lunchtime voters at the Loveland Community Building, frustration over the economy was a common theme – regardless of their political affiliations.
And some voters expressed a growing impatience with the rancor coming from public officials.
As they left the polling place Tuesday afternoon, where incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey were atop the ballot, some voters stopped to share their thoughts.
Randy Tomkins, 44, who brought his young son along with him, said “social media has brought out the hatred.”
He said his hope is that everyone stops fighting.
But he also said Democratic control of the statehouse has produced policies that he believes only mean economic hardship for many.
“No one can afford to live,” Tompkins said. “Two parents working, and still nothing at the end of the week.”
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Lavonda Lane, 63, said she is sticking with the Democrats this time, but there’s no denying the fact that rising gas prices and an anticipated jump in heating costs this winter make for tough times.
“I hope the people who get elected do the right thing and think of the people and not themselves,” she said.
Jeff Johnson, 43, said he voted Republican in the governor’s race.
“I don’t like how my state’s being run,” Johnson said. “I hope to get back to how things were a few years ago.”
Ida Penn, 88, made no bones about her ballot: a straight Republican ticket.
“I want our country to be changed,” she said.
She was accompanied at the polls by her son, Don Penn, 63, of Grand Detour. He was going to vote later in the day at his precinct.
“We need to have our country straightened up,” he said, “and it starts with the governor’s race, then Congress and the Senate.”
Dan Bushaw, 47, voted in the midterm “to get Pritzker out of there,” he said, adding that he’s already looking to the 2024 presidential race.
“I’m a Trumpster,” Bushaw said. “But I like [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis. He might be what we need right now.”
Bushaw said he isn’t in lockstep with the Republicans on every issue, however.
“People should have a choice on abortion,” he said.
For Lisa and Greg Woods, they put a lot of thought into how they voted.
“The Democrats haven’t done a very good job lately,” said Lisa, 55. “I’m hoping there’s a change.”
Greg, 57, brought up his dislike for the SAFE-T Act, citing the cashless bail provision, which he said he believes hurts community policing.
The SAFE-T Act, portions of which are set to take effect Jan. 1, has become a political flashpoint in races across the state leading up to Tuesday’s general election. Among other things, the measure will eliminate pretrial cash bail, and Republican candidates have used it as an attempt to paint Democrats as soft on crime.
As someone who’s worked as a union electrician, Greg Woods said he felt it important to vote for the amendment question, which asks voters whether they support amending the Illinois Constitution to include a workers’ right to unionize.
“People should have the right to collectively bargain,” he said.
One thing not on the ballot that Greg Woods said he would like to see is a future amendment on term limits for public officials.