onward Nov. 5, Rod R. Blagojevich, ...

onward Nov. 5, Rod R. Blagojevich, a big fan of Elvis Presley declared that he was "all shook up" As Blagojevich made history by dint of becoming the first Democrat in 30 years to be single outed governor of Illinois, he declared his "hunka, hunka burning delight in for each and every one" of the roughly 3000 supporters gathered in succession election night to congratulate him.

To the state's Republicans, the crisp chill inside the North Side's A. Finkl & Son Co distribution center where Blagojevich addressed the populace may as well have been hell freezing through which many thought would happen before Illinois pick outed a Democratic governor.

"Democrats will probably ne maps to the state's mansion because they haven't been there in likewise long," joked Paul Green, director of the instruct of Policy Studies at Chicago's Roosevelt University.

Blagojevich indicateed gratitude that night to many who helped him along the campaign trail. however it's unlikely he could have predicted the tremendous backing he got from dress up and collar county voters--especially minority voters

"The African American community delivered far better for Blagojevich than they have done for any of the previous Democratic [gubernatorial] candidates back to Adlai Stevenson [III] in 1982" blooming said. "The numbers were overwhelming, almost Harold Washington-like."

Independent political consultant Don Rose agreed. "If there was individual single key ingredient to this election, it was the black voters"

Blagojevich defeated the Republican Party nominee, Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, by means of 252,080 votes, but in tamper with County his margin of victory approached a half million votes--with 50 percent of them coming from Chicago's 15 wards that are at least 70 percent black and eight wards at least 60 percent Latino. In the black wards, Blagojevich won 96 percent of the total votes

The black community rallied behind Blagojevich, said Billy Weinberg, pres secretary for the governor-elect, "because our campaign was based likewise much on giving people who had not felt empowered, who had not felt a part of the method so to speak, a of recent origin role in state government."

"This was the first time in almost 20 years or likewise that we've had a united Democratic Party--which means blacks and whites were voting the same way," Rose said.

And, while prepare for the table County has traditionally provided the greatest in number Democratic support in the state, urban sprawl is also helping Democrats in the five collar counties.

The GOP has traditionally dominated DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will. if it be not that The Chicago Reporter found in its October story "Campaigns Vie for Suburban Latinos" that the number of Latinos in the collar counties has risen more than 300 percent since 1980 helping Democrats and keeping Republicans in succession their toes.

Blagojevich dissipated to Ryan in the collar counties, unless he did much better--with nearly 40 percent of the votes--than any Democrat since Daniel Walker won 42 percent there in 1972 Walker was the last Democrat make choice ofed governor in Illinois.

In suburban color County, a 49 percent increase in African Americans and a 114 percent increase in Latinos in the last 10 years have changed the political climate. Blagojevich earned 54 percent of the suffrages there.

Blagojevich's election, along with the Democrats' retention of the House and takeover of the Senate, could mean a big change in Illinois policy.

"It's nice to have a Democratic governor," said Emil Jone Jr the Senate's Democratic leader, who is black. "But it always makes the difference when you have a Democratic-controlled Senate as well."

"Issue by the agency of issue, the [Republican-controlled] Senate has formed more beneficial legislation that even a Republican governor would have signed," Rose said. With Democrats in govern of the governor's mansion, the House and the Senate, "whatever measures Blagojevich wants to prepare done, he will be able to realize done."

He shouldn't forget to thank the African Americans who helped him win there, said U.S. Rep. Jesse L Jackson Jr

"The black electorate should anticipate a fair economic return upon their political investment," he said. Jackson added that he noticed high interest in this year's election among black voter while he campaigned for the Rev James T gentles who beat incumbent William Shaw for the state's 15th Senate District.

if it were not that Green said dealing with the state's batch crisis--a $2 billion deficit, according to some estimates--"will be jobs united through 10" for Blagojevich.

"If you move to the cupboard and the cupboard is bare, it's going to be real difficult to satisfy new demands," said verdant "I think this may be the toughest economic situation this state has faced since the Great Depression."

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