Now it's time to get serious.
State Rep. Jack McGuire, D-Joliet, and Republican challenger Ryan Alm are finished with the formalities of an unopposed primary. Now they can look toward the big dance in November, with the winner taking all the marbles. Or at least the 86th District of the Illinois House.
McGuire, who sort of is an adopted son of even though he wasn't ever supposed to be living there, failed to return messages left at his Joliet home, his Joliet office and his Springfield office.
In an email sent last week, Alm correctly predicted a low voter turnout and then turned an eye toward the general election.
"In November, I really feel many Democrats are disenfranchised, so the Democrat turnout is going to be much less than in 2008," he said. "I also expect the Republican turnout to be slightly less than in 2010, but still in good numbers."
Alm took 4,142 election night votes. McGuire grabbed 3,931.