In the fight for the US House, one of the most important battles is in northwest Illinois – Chicago Tribune/MSN

But on the streets of Rockford and Rock Island, the face-off for the open seat between Democrat Eric Sorensen and Republican Esther Joy King is being met by voters with stony silence. The low-key nature of the high-stakes contest playing out in their towns comes despite the fact that national politicians are paying close attention to the election, which is considered one of a handful of races that could go either way among the 435 House seats on the ballot in midterm elections across the country.