Kay
Hoffman
Having walked precincts the entire pre-election weekend, state representative candidate Dwight Kay of Glen Carbon said he feels good going into tomorrow's election.
Kay, a Republican hoping to upset incumbent Democratic State Rep. Jay Hoffman of Collinsville, said he received "very favorable" responses from voters even in areas known to be strong Democrat turf, such as Granite City and Collinsville.
He said about 95 percent of the voters he's met with have seen his television commercials.
"I walked all weekend long. I haven't stopped," Kay said.
Combined, Hoffman and Kay have raised more than $750,000 this year.
Hoffman, who over the years has not had to fight very hard to keep the seat he won in 1990, has been spending big on counter-attack television ads.
Kay's advertising has linked Hoffman to very unpopular Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
His campaign has been blasting Hoffman and Blagojevich in an advertising theme "Thick as Thieves."
Kay also has accused Hoffman of unethical fundraising because he has received over time approximately $440,000 in campaign donations from contractors who do more than $50,000 in annual business with the state.
He calls it a "major conflict of interest" because Hoffman chairs the House Transportation Committee and many of his contributors are major IDOT and state tollway contractors, Kay says.
Kay, who is vice president of Cassens Transport Inc. in Edwardsville, has been attacked by Hoffman for fostering unsafe workplaces.