Attorney General Jim Ryan will face off against U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich in the race for the next Illinois governor.

While most contests were counted and finished early Wednesday night, the Democratic primary remained an extremely close race as poll numbers poured in.

Early counts had Paul Vallas in the lead by several percent, but towards the end Blagojevich pulled out a lead by only a couple percentage points. Burris continually ranked a close third.

The Democratic race has been close throughout the primary contest with Blagojevich taking the lead in most polls, but with Vallas, former Chicago schools chief, and Burris, former attorney general, close behind. For the Republican primary Ryan took about 45 percent of the vote and O’Malley and Wood followed with 29 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Jim Ryan greeted a crowd of supports at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel Tuesday night as the final numbers from the primary rolled in.

“The voters have spoken,” Ryan told the cheering crowd. “The Republican primary is over.

“With your help tonight I’m the Republican nominee for governor,” the current Attorney General said. “It is my great honor to lead this party to victory in November.”

Ryan held a comfortable lead in the polls against competitors State Sen. Patrick O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood. That comfortable lead has allowed him to miss several televised debates and still when the primary contest.

O’Malley was charged during his comments before a excited crowd Tuesday night.

“This is but the beginning,” he told his supports. “When you run on principles you never lose.”

In Coles County, Jim Ryan took 44 percent of the vote, O’Malley captured 29 percent and Wood took last with 25 percent.

For the Democratic primary, county voters gave Blagojevich 51 percent, Vallas came in second with 30 percent and Burris brought home 18 percent of the votes from Coles County.

In the Illinois U.S. senate race James Durkin won the Republican nomination, current U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin ran unchallenged for the Democratic nominee.

For Lt. Gov., Carl Hawkinson, a current state rep., won the Republican nomination and Pat Quinn, former state treasure, won the Democratic nomination.

– Associated Press contributed

to this report