With Democratic Party State Senate candidate Bill Gentes having had big money flow into his campaign last week, I’ve been musing on what it means for every Democrat possible to vote in the 26th state senate district.

The obvious potential consequence is that Republican Dan Duffy will not have enough of an election day ground game to turn the traditionally Republican stronghold into a November victory.

But, think about the county races.

The 26th District has 18% of the county’s registered voters.

With Republican candidates being as nervous as a hog at the entrance to a slaughter house (and, yes, I have seen the whole process at Pork King in Marengo), how will the Gentes effort to get every possible Democrat to the polls affect the rest of the ticket.

There is no longer straight party voting.

Each candidate stands on his or her own.

Will those drawn to the polls to vote for Barack Obama and Gentes (remember that Gentes is running a joint campaign) continue voting for countywide Democratic Party candidates, not to mention the county board races? Newly elected Democratic Party Chair Kathy Bergan Schmidt, is running for county board in District 3,much of which is in the Gentes state senate district.

Beats me, but I’ll surely be watching.