Middendorff
Gruenke
Despite a strong GOP showing in Clinton County, atttorney Doug Gruenke, a Republican from New Baden, was defeated by Associate Judge Dennis Middendorff, a Democrat from Carlyle, to fill a vacancy in the 4th Judicial Circuit.
Middendorff received 8,176 votes, or 64 percent, over Gruenke who received 4,635 votes, or 36 percent of the vote.
Voters in Clinton County supported Republican Mark Kirk for U.S. Senate over Democrat Alexi Giannoulias 68 percent to 27 percent.
In the governor's race, Clinton County voted for the Republican Brady-Plummer ticket over the Democratic team of Quinn-Simon, 66 to 29 percent.
Gruenke won a spot on the November ballot by mounting a successful write-in campaign in February's primary.