In addition to Ohio, I’ll now also be covering Illinois’ senatorial and gubernatorial races, in addition to a wider helping of Ohio’s races–we just could not leave behind Battle ‘10′s favorite self-proclaimed socialist, Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy.

This morning, I bring to you a combined Ohio-Illinois roundup.

Ohio Gubernatorial Race

  • Hugh Hewitt ranks John Kasich as the #1 most important “free market candidate” to donate to by November.
  • Just in time for Kasich’s new ad bashing education bureaucracy:
  • Meanwhile, the Columbus Dispatch summarizes the entire Ohio gubernatorial debate and suggests that the results are dismal for Ted Strickland.
  • And an opinion writer over at the Dispatch thinks it’s boring either way.

Illinois Gubernatorial Race

  • The Quad City Times summarizes the differences between Republican Bill Brady and Democrat Pat Quinn on that least popular topic of all — social issues.
  • Fortunately for Brady, no one seems to care, since he was leading Quinn by 13 points in last week’s Rasmussen poll.
  • There’s still time for game-changing moments, however. Could those be the upcoming Gubernatorial debates?

Illinois Senatorial Race

Alexi Giannoulias’ Democratic Illinois Senate campaign is talking up a marginal Senate candidate — Libertarian Mike Labno — to try to drain conservative votes from his Republican rival, Mark Kirk.
The Giannoulias campaign tactic to try to erode Kirk’s base Republican vote comes as a major national convention of conservatives — “Right Nation 2010″ — takes place Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, with headliners including Glenn Beck, Andrew Breitbart and Dick Armey.

Ohio House Races