Since he Iowa caucuses, no Republican candidate has run away with the nomination which is now turning everyone’s eyes to Illinois’ upcoming vote.
In the world of presidential primaries, the State of Illinois has been generally seen as nothing more than flyover state. But the lack of an apparent GOP front runner has all eyes turning to the Land of Lincoln, where voters could very well have just much say in who’ll become the next President of the United States.
“We’re just as important as Iowa is now all the sudden,” says Bill Long, a local precinct committeeman, and candidate for local office.
Republicans on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities say it hasn’t been easy watching candidate after candidate breeze through their state enroute to Iowa. But with 69 crucial delegates up for grabs on March 20, Illinois Republicans are hoping to make up for lost time.
“They come down here and land at the airport and go across the bridge right here two blocks from our office, go over to Davenport and then come back. They don’t even throw a brochure to us off the bridge sometimes, but now all the sudden they want to see who we are and what we’re doing here,” says Long.
He adds that this drawn out primary fight between four republican Presidential candidates is good for the party on both the local and national level.
“It’s been enlightening and, quite frankly, it’s being a little bit greedy it’s brought the Republican party into the limelight more like we need to be.”
