A poll shows Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner has an edge on incumbent Governor Pat Quinn among older voters. But that partisan leaning may take a backseat to other issues seniors indicate as factors in the November election.
Seniors are a consistently reliable voting bloc, so winning their political favor is pretty valuable in any election. AARP's survey of Illinois voters over age 50 shows a lot of financial anxiety, especially when it comes to having enough money to pay for taxes, cost-of-living and health care expenses.
Ryan Gruenenfelder, with AARP, says older voters are fed up with partial fixes, and the sentiment showed through on the survey.
"They don't just want to see support for utilities or support for improving jobs or the economy. They want to see solutions put forward."
Two of those fatigued voters are John and Ida Ryan of Springfield. John is a retired state worker. He says after years of pension talk in Springfield, he still doesn't see a solution, and struggles to get by on $1,000 a month. Asked who the Ryans might vote for in November:
John: "It's not going to be Quinn." Ida: "It's not going to be Quinn."
The poll shows 48 percent of older Illinoisans agree and back Rauner while 39 percent support Quinn.
