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State GOP Leader Unsure How Donald Trump Will Affect Legislative Races

(CBS) -- The top GOP lawmaker in the Illinois House says he can't predict how having Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket will shape state and local races here, reports WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore.

House Republican House Leader Jim Durkin says his focus is on trying to get lawmakers out of Springfield by the end of the month with a budget. But he admits he is thinking about how presidential politics might play into the legislative contests.

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"The air is different," he said. "There is a lot of volatility out there and I'm not going to predict how things are going to end up in November and how they are going to work in the suburbs or in the north part of the state or the southern part of the state but this is going to be a more unique election than the one that I was involved with Senator McCain and then-Senator Obama so I was very involved in that."

In fact Durkin led John McCain's campaign in Illinois in 2008. Barack Obama won big here.

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