Until former state attorney general Jim Ryan jumped into the GOP gubernatorial race, political bloggers had been making much of the fact that only one of the then-six candidates running in the Feb. 2 GOP gubernatorial primary is from "downstate" -- and so held a political advantage.

Adam Andrzejewski, 40, of Hinsdale, uses a campaign theme built around his plan to publish state spending online: "Every Dime. Online. Real Time." If Ryan has the most recognizable name, Andrzejewski gets the prize for hardest to spell. He resigned from the "For The Good of Illinois" organization, which he founded, when he announced his run for governor. According to his bio, he is the oldest of seven children, who was raised in the "close-knit, farming community of Herscher, Ill., in Kankakee County. Before politics, he owned a phonebook publishing business headquartered in DeKalb, a $20 million business.

http://www.adamforillinois.com/

Bill Brady, 48, of Bloomington, a state senator since 2002. He identifies himself as a "downstate mainstream conservative'' who will be a governor "for all of lllinois.'' Brady and his brothers own and run a successful home construction and real estate development company.

http://bradyforillinois.com/

Kirk Dillard, 54, a state senator from Hinsdale, says he wants to make Illinois a "destination economy" to help attract and keep jobs. He is a former chief of staff for Republican Gov. Jim Edgar. He also served as a judge for the Illinois Court of Claims and was director of legislative affairs for Gov. Jim Thompson.

http://www.dillardforgovernor.com/

Andy McKenna, 52, the president of a paper company, refers to himself as an "honest outsider" with no ties to Springfield, though he was chair of the state Republican party for four years; he resigned in April. He said his first act as governor will be to convene a jobs summit for the state's "best job creators.'' He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and has signed an Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to raise taxes. McKenna is a Chicago native; his dad is chairman of McDonald's restaurants and a board member of Aon Insurance and the Chicago Bears.

http://www.mckennagov.com/site/c.swL1KeNZLvH/b.5550749/k.BF5A/Home.htm

Dan Proft, 37, who will be downstate Sunday for a meet-and-greet with voters in Belleville, has the slogan: "Illinois Isn't Broken. It's Fixed." (And not "fixed" in a good way.) Proft, a small business owner, is from Wheaton, Ill. He is a political commentator for WLS-AM 890 radio in Chicago and writes for conservative publications. Proft worked for yet another Ryan -- Jack Ryan, who pulled out of the 2004 U.S. Senate race after a publicized sex-scandal involving his ex-wife, Jeri Ryan. Proft then worked for Alan Keyes who moved to Illinois to run against Democrat Barack Obama.

http://www.Proft2010.com/

Jim Ryan, 63, a two-term attorney general, is a Chicago native. He has published a 10-step plan that he says will restore fiscal discipline and efficiency to Illinois government -- and he says it will be implemented within 30 days of his election. Ryan now teaches at Benedictine University in Lisle, where he earned a degree in political science. He established the university's Center of Civic Leadership and Public Service.

http://www.jimryan2010.com/

Bob Schillerstrom, 57, of Naperville, has pledged to serve only one term if elected governor because he says Illinoisans need a leader who will focus on getting the state back on track -- and not be concerned with re-election. Schillerstrom is chairman of the DuPage County Board.

http://www.bobschillerstrom.com/