2010 United States gubernatorial elections in 2010. He was elected with 55% of the vote in 2006. In March 2009 Beebe's approval rating was 68%, according to Public Policy Polling. Jim Keet, a former State Senator, was the Republican nominee. Beebe defeated Keet in a landslide election. Governor Pat Quinn sought a full term in 2010. On January 29, 2009, by succession, Quinn became governor when Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached, convicted and removed from office by the Illinois State Senate. Quinn was challenged for the Democratic nomination by State Comptroller Dan Hynes. On February 2, Quinn defeated Hynes by a narrow margin in a
2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis since Senators Smith and Espada both claimed to be Senate president, the tie could not be clearly broken. Special elections for lieutenant governor were forbidden by an amendment to the State Constitution after the death of Thomas W. Wallace and subsequent election of Joe R. Hanley in 1943, and according to traditional interpretation of the statute, there is no provision in state law that allows the governor and legislature to appoint a replacement, as there is with other statewide positions. On June 17, Espada asserted that because he was Senate president, he would effectively get to vote twice: once as