Physicist vs. ice cream man in rare Saturday election

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http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/832711,CST-NWS-Cong0...

March 8, 2008
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH AND DAN ROZEK Staff Reporters

How many west suburban voters realize today is the big day -- the ice cream man versus the physicist?

It is believed to be Illinois' first election on a Saturday -- a special election to fill the term of former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert -- probably the second-most closely watched race across the country today after Wyoming's Democratic presidential primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In the 14th Congressional District, Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis and Democratic former particle physicist Bill Foster have each spent a million or more of their own money, combined with millions from outside sources.

Because the election is on a Saturday, some schools, churches and other usual polling places may not be available, so voters will have to visit their county clerk's Web sites to find their new polling places.

Hastert's district has traditionally been Republican, but polls show today's election is a tossup.