Gov. James Thompson is leading Adlai Stevenson in four swing legislative districts in a poll taken for the Illinois GOP Senate Campaign Committee, according to Republican sources.
The telephone survey of 1,600 Illinois residents in the four districts was taken from June 12 to 30 by Market Resource Group of Lansing, Mich. Roger Sweet, the top political aide to Senate Republican Leader James ”Pate”
Philip of Wood Dale, said the survey was conducted as a benchmark in four of seven legislative districts where the results could swing either way.
Respondents in the poll favored Republican Thompson over third-party candidate Stevenson 56 to 30 percent in the 24th Senatorial District.The district includes part of Chicago`s far Southwest Side and the western suburbs. Sen. LeRoy Lemke (D., Chicago) is in a tight contest for re-election against GOP challenger Robert Raica.
In the 47th Senatorial District that includes Peoria and Galesburg, respondents favored Thompson 49 to 39 percent over Stevenson. The candidates were were tied in March in the district, according to GOP sources.
State Rep. Carl Hawkinson (R., Galesburg) is opposing Democrat Jack Cassidy for the seat that was held by Prescott Bloom of Peoria, who died in a fire in his home last January.
Thompson is leading Stevenson by a 2 to 1 margin in the 38th Senatorial District that includes the LaSalle-Peru area in the north central part of the state. Thompson was favored 56 percent to Stevenson`s 28 percent. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Patrick Welch is considered vulnerable to Republican challenger Thomas Setchell, according to strategists in both political parties.
Thompson leads Stevenson 48 to 35 percent in the 48th Senatorial District that includes Quincy. In March, Thompson and Stevenson were running even in the district, GOP sources said. Republican State Sen. Laura Kent Donahue is viewed as a favorite over Democratic challenger Hubert Staff.
Although Thompson defeated Stevenson by a wide margin in Downstate counties in 1982, Democratic strategists have been optimistic about their prospects in November because of the state`s troubled farm economy.
In private polls taken for Thompson and Stevenson in recent months, the governor has been running 10 points ahead of his challenger. Democratic sources have indicated that Thompson has since widened his margin over Stevenson in polls taken for other candidates.
Sweet said that Market Resource Group soon will be conducting surveys in three other targeted senatorial districts, including the far south suburban 42d District that is being left vacant by Democrat George Sangmeister.
