Ill. Dems, GOP say economy is country’s most important issue

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHICAGO (AP) – Exit polls in Illinois show both Democratic and Republican voters say the economy is the most important issue facing the country.

Five in ten Democrats cited the economy as the most important issue, while four in ten Republicans did. About twice as many voters in both parties chose the economy over the war in Iraq.

Democrats chose health care third, while GOP voters chose illegal immigration third.

Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International conducted the polls in 30 precincts across the state. The margin of error was 5 percentage points for the Democratic primary and 8 percentage points for the Republican primary.