Illinois 2010 Republican Primary-Governor: Poll Says Andy McKenna, Jim Ryan and Kirk Dillard Lead GOP Governor Race; Bill Brady, Adam Andrzejewski, and Dan Proft Lag

(Chicago, IL) — January 24, 2010. Money may not be able to buy happiness, but it may be able to buy an election–which would be happiness for the winner.

Perhaps.

Given the financial collapse that is Illinois, the winner may just end up with the booby prize.

Anyway.

Former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna has leveraged his enormous financial muscle into a lead–albeit slim–in the 2010 Illinois Republican primary for Governor, according to a new poll, by the Chicago Tribune, closely followed by former Attorney General Jim Ryan and State Senator Kirk Dillard.

Here’s how the Chicago Tribune breaks down the GOP race:

[McKenna has support] …from 19 percent of Republican voters compared to 18 percent for Elmhurst’s Ryan and 14 percent for Dillard, of Hinsdale.

Another 9 percent backed state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, while Hinsdale transparency advocate Adam Andrzejewski had 7 percent and Chicago political pundit Dan Proft had 6 percent. Another 17 percent were undecided in the survey of 592 likely Republican primary voters.

DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom of Naperville, who had 2 percent support in the survey, dropped out of the race Friday and announced he’s backing Ryan.

Though Ryan is ostensibly in second place, the real contest now is between McKenna and Dillard. The former two-term attorney general, who has little money and little organizational support, has been coasting on name identification, and is now, well, fading.

McKenna’s money and Dillard’s credentials are propelling them to the top of the GOP heap. Brady, if he had the money, could have been more of top-tier contender. Ditto Schillerstrom.

In fact, Brady has a strong TV ad on the air waves, but has too little money to support it. In fact, it has attracted only 506 views on YouTube.

Andrzejewski and Proft have been bit players and good for only comic relief if one tilts toward the macabre.

Dillard will need regular GOP organization muscle to overcome McKeena’s money and momentum. Whatever DuPage muscle the lame-duck County Board chief Schillerstrom may command is now behind Ryan.

It may amount to piffle, but in a close race even piffle matters.

However, with the exception of McKenna, the financial resources at the command of the other candidates to communicate their messages to voters amounts to less than piffle. And less than piffle is not a game-changer.

On election day, don’t be surprised if the GOP line-up looks a lot like this:

1. Andy McKenna–Winner
2. Kirk Dillard
3. Jim Ryan
4. Bill Brady
5. Adam Andrzejewski
6. Dan Proft
7. Bob Schillerstrom

Of course this prediction may unleash a full-fledged cyber kerfuffle.

And that won’t be piffle.