PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY:

—DEMOCRATS: This one was always a potential dogfight between homestate favorite Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, who grew up in suburban Chicago.

—REPUBLICANS: A recent poll suggested John McCain had picked up steam, though Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani were expected to draw votes.

—DELEGATES: There are 153 Democratic delegates up for grabs and 57 for Republicans. Even losing candidates can pick up delegates, depending on results in each congressional district. Statewide results determine how many delegates each Democratic candidate gets, while district-by-district voting decides who goes to the convention. Republican delegates are determined solely by how many votes each delegate — not a presidential candidate — receives in each district.


U.S. SENATE:

—Physician Steve Sauerberg, former trucker Mike Psak and Internet freelance writer Andy Martin, all political neophytes, sought the GOP nod to take on Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin this fall.


U.S. HOUSE:

—3rd District: Democratic Rep. Daniel Lipinski faces three primary challengers — Jerry Bennett, the Palos Hills mayor and Illinois Municipal League president, and attorneys Mark Pera and Jim Capparelli. Arthur Jones and Michael Hawkins are seeking the GOP nomination.

—6th District: Retired Army Reserve Col. Jill Morgenthaler faces businessman Stan Jagla for the Democratic nod to challenge GOP Rep. Peter Roskam — who narrowly defeated Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth in one of the nation's most hotly contested races in 2006.

—8th District: Three Republicans — businessman Steve Greenberg, businessman Ken Arnold and marketing executive Kirk Morris — all seek the nomination to take on first-term Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean, who had a primary challenger in activist Randi Scheurer.

—10th District: Former Bush adviser Karl Rove has suggested GOP Rep. Mark Kirk's seat is vulnerable. Dan Seals, who lost to Kirk in 2006, squares off against former Clinton White House aide Jay Footlik battle for the Democratic nomination.

—11th District: Seven-term GOP Rep. Jerry Weller is retiring amid questions about foreign land deals and his wife's finances. Timothy Baldermann, who is both New Lenox Mayor and Chicago Ridge Police Chief, former White House official Jimmy Lee and airline pilot Terry Heenan sought the GOP nomination to face Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson this fall.

—14th District (includes DeKalb): GOP former House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert stepped down in the middle of his 11th term, leading to an unusually busy primary day: Voters will choose a candidate to fill the rest of Hastert's term and another in the general primary to replace him. Hastert endorsed millionaire businessman Jim Oberweis over state Sen. Chris Lauzen, while Democrats in the special primary included carpenter John Laesch, attorney Jotham Stein and businessman Bill Foster. All five, plus Democrat Joe Serra and Republican Michael J. Dilger, are also on the ballot in the general primary to replace Hastert.

—18th District: Seven-term GOP Rep. Ray LaHood is retiring, sparking a three-way Republican primary among state Rep. Aaron Schock, former Peoria City Council member John Morris or economic development executive Jim McConoughey. Democrats have promised to have a fall election opponent for the winner.

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