Top journalists were at the Campus Life Building Saturday to discuss the upcoming election and issues impacting Illinois.

Mark Brown of the Chicago Sun-Times, Bruce Dold of the Chicago Tribune and Bernie Schoenburg of the Springfield State Journal-Register sat on the panel moderated by Jason Schaumburg of the Daily Chronicle. A main topic of discussion was panel’s predictions for the upcoming presidential race.

Dold, Schoenburg and Brown agreed that Mitt Romney would most likely do well in Illinois.

“I think Romney is an Illinois kind of Republican,” Brown said. “Certainly the whole traditional party apparatus, I think, is going to be behind him. He’s their kind of guy.”

Another point discussed by the panel was the influence of the Tea Party on the recent elections. While Brown said the Tea Party is active, organized and enthusiastic and will be a big factor in the primary, Dold said recent statistics state thirty five percent of state general electorate are less likely to vote for Tea Party candidates.

“The candidates that are getting in there with Tea Party support are not likely to do well state wide,” Dold said.

Other topics of discussion included current President Barack Obama, the recent district redraw as well as newspapers’ decisions to continue or stop endorsing candidates.

For more information on the panel, visit northernstar.info/multimedia.