Obama, Ryan Win Ill. Senate Nominations

"CHICAGO - State Sen. Barack Obama, a former civil rights lawyer seeking to become just the third black U.S. senator in a century, easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday, setting up a high-stakes fall race with Republican Jack Ryan that could decide who controls the Senate."

Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican elected to the Senate in 1994, is retiring. While Illinois has historically been a moderate swing-state, it's leaned Democratic recently. The state's senior senator Dick Durbin is a Democrat, the governor Rod Blagojevich is a Dem, and the legislature is also controlled by the party. This is a seat the Democratic Party should be able to pick up in the fall.