Political analysts are predicting Republicans will take over the U.S. Senate this election. Alan Gitelson is a political scientists at Loyola University in Chicago. He and a lot of national experts are among those saying the Senate will change hands.
He also thinks Dick Durbin, Illinois’ Democratic Senator will win re-election over Republican challenger Jim Oberweis. Right now Durbin is the majority whip. Gitelson says the Democrats losing the Senate could dim Durbin’s Washington light a bit.
"But he’s going to continue to have considerable influence and bring things to Illinois if the Republicans win the Senate as the minority whip."
As for Illinois’ other Senator, Republican Mark Kirk, Gitelson says he might go for a leadership position in a Republican Senate.
And he says whichever party is in charge, Illinois is in pretty good shape because of the effective working relationship between Democrat Durbin and Republican Kirk.