Wins For GOP Doesn't Mean State Turning Red

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois voters have given a purple tinge to a state that had gone increasingly blue in recent years. But there is little evidence from Tuesday's election to suggest it will turn red any time soon.

Results and exit polls indicate Mark Kirk's Senate victory was more a referendum on the economy than a significant shift to the right.

The voters' verdict based on key races was mixed.

Democrat Pat Quinn maintains a slender lead in the governor's race. Democrats retain control of the Legislature. And less than one-third of Illinois voters identified themselves in exit polls as Republicans.

Political analyst Christopher Mooney of the University of Illinois at Springfield says the election results do not mean that Illinois is trending significantly more conservative.

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