Just as in the gubernatorial race, the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate has seen a bunch of new endorsements in recent days.  Along with their support of Gov. Pat Quinn, Citizen Action/Illinois threw its weight behind Alexi Giannoulias' candidacy over the weekend.  From a press release:

"Alexi has a proven record of standing up for the working families of Illinois," said Lynda DeLaforgue, co-director of Citizen Action/Illinois. "He is an experienced statewide campaigner who has built a base of support across Illinois, and will be able to hit the ground running when he is elected to the US Senate. Citizen Action is confident in Alexi's ability to fight for a progressive agenda. He will approach this job with the determination and innovation that is much needed during these challenging economic times for our state and country."

You can peruse the organization's full list of endorsements here.

Giannoulias also received the support of the Illinois Federation of Teachers on Friday:

"Alexi Giannoulias is an advocate for public education," said Ed Geppert, Jr., president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which represents 103,000 members statewide. "He understands the importance of additional revenue and a strong system of public education, spanning from pre-K to higher education, and he has a strong record as an employer of public workers." 

Meanwhile, the New Trier Township Democrats endorsed David Hoffman.  From a press release:

"Those who know Mark Kirk best, the active Democrats of the 10th Congressional District, understand that David Hoffman is the only candidate with the maturity, experience, and record of independence needed to defeat Kirk in November," said Michael Powell, campaign manager, Hoffman for Illinois.

Speaking of Hoffman, he will be blogging live on Daily Kos this evening at 6 p.m.  You can find his diary here.

Over the weekend, Giannoulias also posted a new entry at Daily Kos, reiterating his support for judicial mortgage modifications -- a policy that Sen. Dick Durbin has championed but that the White House has tiptoed around.

Finally, with the Senate health care debate revving up, Cheryle Jackson spoke out in opposition to Sen. Ben Nelson's (D-NE) amendment to limit elective abortion coverage.  As we noted in an earlier post, the measure is intended to mirror the controversial amendment put forth by Rep. Bart Stupak in the House. Here's Jackson's response:

“The Senate bill is a step in the right direction for comprehensive health care reform that protects women’s access to essential health care services. But the Nelson amendment takes women’s rights to essential care backwards. All Americans must have access to the health care they need if we are to claim true reform and universal access. We must ensure that the final bill out of the conference committee provides full access to care for all women,” said Jackson.

Jackson said that as a U. S. Senator she would fight to achieve health care reform and to protect women’s rights.

“If we had more progressive women in the Senate, this might not even be a debate. We need more than a vote for women in the U. S. Senate – we need a voice,” said Jackson.