Thank you IL, thank you for choosing Juliana and me together take your fight to the general election in November. He will face the victor of the GOP primary between Gov. Bruce Rauner and state Rep. Jeanne Ives in November. That makes the typically Democratic-leaning state a top target.
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“This election isn’t really about liberals versus conservatives or Democrats versus Republicans”, Rauner said. “Now is the time for us to unite, to come together on the things we agree on”, Rauner said.
Despite his unpopularity, Rauner’s personal wealth means he can not be counted out just yet.
“The Democrat, Pritzker, and the Republican, Rauner, are two wealthy men who are going to spend a lot of money to win the governor’s race”.
$4 million fundraising total is a shoestring when compared with that of multimillionaire Rauner, who gave his own campaign $50 million previous year.
With 94 percent of precincts reporting, 1.2 million Democratic votes had been cast in the governor’s race, compared to 655,000 for Republicans – an advantage that feeds Democratic hopes of a national wave election in November. Three candidates have been leading a crowded field: venture capitalist and billionaire entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker, who has led infrequent polls; progressive state Sen. Daniel Biss, to win the nomination. Pritzker had vastly outspent both his main rivals, though he failed to separate himself from either of them in the days ahead of the primary.
Billionaire J.B. Pritzker has won the Democratic primary for IL governor, setting up a general election that could be the most expensive governor’s race in US history. “You have to be one of the worst investors on the planet to only generate $16 million of income on $3 billion of assets”, said Rauner. Fifty-five percent of IL residents disapprove of Rauner’s performance compared with 31 percent who approve of it, according to a Morning Consult poll. Ives far outpaced Rauner in the suburbs and won more than a third of counties, including La Salle and Livingston. More 12th District Democrats turned out to back the nomination of Brendan Kelly, the St. Clair County state’s attorney, than Republicans to endorse Bost in his own contested primary. “He’s in a Democratic-leaning state with an anti-incumbent mood hitting the nation”.
The governor blasted the almost half-million-dollar ad buy as an attempt by Washington liberals to “interfere” in the primary, contending it was a sign that the other side had identified him as the tougher candidate to beat in November. She says she will push for health care for all, a $15 minimum wage and a path to citizenship for immigrants brought to the USA illegally.
The Republican Governors Association made no mention of Rauner in its statement responding to Pritzker’s projected victory, instead seeking to cast the Democrat, heir to the Hyatt hotel riches, as a tool of the IL political machine. Notwithstanding his own offshore investments, Rauner has already slammed Pritzker and his family for hiding “hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars”.
Democrats turned out for Illinois’ primary in higher numbers than the left-leaning state has seen for a midterm election in more than a decade, deciding several hotly contested races and signaling the November election could be even tougher-than-usual for the GOP.
It hasn’t even been 24-hours since voters declared Governor Bruce Rauner (R) and J.B. Pritzker (D) winners and they’re already out slinging mud.
As ABC 7 Chicago reports, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia won the state’s 4th district against community organizer Sol Flores and Chicago police officer Richard Gonzalez in a race with a wider margin.
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The dust again has settled on primary season in IL, but things are much different.
