Name: Pat Quinn

Hometown: Hinsdale

Political Affiliation: Democratic Party

Platform: Jobs and economic growth

Pat Quinn’s plan for recovering jobs is based on public and private investments. He hopes to increase the number of jobs through tax credits, encouraging small businesses to grow, and investing in the infrastructure.

Recent voting records: Pat Quinn signed The Campaign Finance Reform bill, SB 146, which is designed to reduce pay to play deals by requiring public disclosure of contributions over $1000 and quarterly financial reports from political committees. He has also worked to add restrictions on lobbyists and to toughen the Freedom of Information Act to allow for more transparency.

Political science professor Barbara Burrell said she believes Quinn will need to step up his game in order to get the votes needed to win.

“Pat Quinn hasn’t shown he has the leadership or the decision making skills that Illinois needs right now,” Burrell said.

Name: Bill Brady

Hometown: Bloomington

Political Affiliation: Republican Party

Platform: Jobs and Growth

Bill Brady wants to get people more jobs by lowering taxes so businesses can hire more people. He also wants tax credits that rewards businesses for hiring new employees.

Brady wants to protect taxpayers by taking apart the budget and rebuilding it to 90 percent of what it currently is, and vetoing all tax increases. He also wants to balance the budget without having to borrow more money.

Recent Voting Record: He recently voted against the Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011. He voted to approve the Temporary Sales Tax Holiday. He also voted against the Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations and Budget Amendments.

“There’s a big budget deficit, and Bill Brady has not said what his plan is to fix the financial problems,” Burrell said.

Overall, Burrell said she doesn’t feel too confident about either major candidate.

“Neither one has shown great leadership abilities.” “Neither is projecting that they have a plan or the leadership needed for the job.”