6 Republicans vie to unseat Pritzker

6 Republicans vie to unseat Pritzker

By PETER HANCOCK
& JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD – Republican voters in Illinois will choose from six candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the upcoming June 28 primary.

The field includes a conservative farmer and state lawmakers who is the recent polling frontrunner, the mayor of Illinois’ second largest city, a former state senator and three political newcomers.

Darren Bailey, 56, is a conservative state senator from Xenia, a small town in southern Illinois about 40 miles northeast of Mt. Vernon, where he owns and operates a farm.

Bailey was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and served one term before deciding to run for an open Senate seat that was vacated by the retirement of former Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon. Not including ceremonial resolutions, Bailey has been the chief sponsor of just two bills that successfully became law in his time in office, one doubling the fines for passing a school bus and another amending requirements for becoming a firefighter.

In 2019, while still in the House, he joined a group of six other Republicans in cosponsoring a resolution, which never received a vote, that would have urged Congress to make the city of Chicago a separate state. He’s since referred to the resolution as a “warning shot” meant to show his displeasure with the policies in Chicago, and he said he no longer favors separating the city from the state.

During one debate in this year’s gubernatorial race, Bailey repeated his criticism of Chicago, referring to it as a “crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole.”

He is perhaps best known for filing lawsuits challenging Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigation orders. His attorney through that litigation was Thomas DeVore, who is now a Republican candidate for attorney general. The pair achieved brief success in a Clay County circuit court before a Sangamon County appellate court overruled the decision that would have freed Bailey from the orders.

In May 2020, his colleagues voted to remove him from the House chamber for refusing to wear a mask in compliance with COVID-19 mitigations. The House vote was 81-27 in favor of removing him from the remainder of the day’s proceedings.

On the campaign trail, Bailey has stressed his opposition to abortion, his support for Second Amendment gun rights, his conservative approach to taxes and spending, and his strong support for law enforcement and cracking down on crime.

Opponents, however, have pointed to his frequent votes to raise property taxes while he served 17 years on a Clay County school board.

He planned to attend a weekend rally in which former President Donald Trump will be in Quincy to endorse Congresswoman Mary Miller in her 15th District primary, and he’s been courting Trump’s endorsement for months. It was unclear Friday whether the former president would give it to him, however.

His largest financial backer, Richard Uihlein who founded the shipping supply company Uline, has given Bailey more than $9 million and spent another $8 million with political action committees that have attacked Bailey’s opponents.

Bailey’s running mate is Stephanie Trussell, a former radio talk show host from Chicago.

Richard Irvin currently serves as Mayor of Aurora, Illinois’ second-largest city, where he was first elected in 2017. He was reelected in 2021.

Irvin, 52, had previously run for that office twice before, in 2003 and 2009, losing both times. But in 2007, he was elected alderman at-large on the Aurora City Council, the first Black candidate to hold the post.

Irvin enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduating high school and served in the Gulf War. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Robert Morris College in Chicago and a law degree from Northern Illinois University.

After law school, he worked as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County. He has also worked in private practice.

In his bid for governor, Irvin is part of a “slate” of candidates endorsed by billionaire businessman Ken Griffin, founder of the hedge fund company Citadel, who has contributed $50 million to Irvin’s campaign. Griffin, Illinois’ most prominent conservative political donor, told employees this week that he was planning to move Citadel’s corporate headquarters to Miami.

Irvin’s campaign so far has focused largely on crime. He has been harshly critical of Pritzker for signing a criminal justice reform bill, known as the SAFE-T Act, which, among other things, will eliminate the use of cash bail starting next year. He has also criticized actions of the Prisoner Review Board under the Pritzker administration as well as Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

He has also touted his conservative approach to taxes and spending, as well as his support for ethics reform in state government and his criticism of the so-called “Madigan machine.”

The early polling frontrunner who has since faltered, Irvin has more recently faced a barrage of criticisms from Democrats and Republicans alike. The Democratic Governors Association has spent millions on attack ads against him, as has a political action committee tied to Uihlein.

His latest response to the Democratic money being spent in the GOP primary is that Gov. JB Pritzker is trying to trick voters into giving him an easier primary opponent, repeating several times that “a vote for Darren Bailey is a vote for JB Pritzker.”

On abortion, Irvin has called himself “pro-life,” with exception for rape, incest and life of the mother. He also said he would look to reinstate parental notice of abortion requirements.

His running mate is state Rep. Avery Bourne, a Republican from Morrisonville, one of the most outspoken opponents of abortion in the General Assembly.

Jesse Sullivan is a political newcomer in Illinois. He is the founder and CEO of the venture capital firm Alter Global. He now lives in Petersburg, a small town in Menard County that is about 25 miles north of Springfield.

His campaign has tried to push the narrative that he’s surging in recent weeks, rolling out endorsements such as state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, who had previously backed Irvin.

Sullivan has campaigned primarily as a religious conservative who supports a plan called “universal school choice,” which would offer parents “backpack scholarships” to send their children to any school they choose, whether it be public, private, religious or charter.

He said when a leaked draft of the supreme court decision overturing the landmark Roe v. Wade was published, he dropped to his knees and prayed.

He also says he wants to ban political contributions from teachers unions, limit the kinds of materials that can be used in sex education and forbid instruction in sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3. That’s part of his “Power to the Parents” agenda which has been the backbone of his late push for publicity in an effort to gain ground in the race.  

Many of the problems facing society, he has said, stem from a lack of “faith and fatherhood.” 

His running mate is Kathleen Murphy, a former communications director for Jeanne Ives, the former state representative who unsuccessfully challenged then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 GOP primary.

Paul Schimpf is a former state senator from Waterloo, in Monroe County, about 30 miles south of St. Louis. He was elected in 2016 and served in the state Senate for four years.

Born at Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East area, Schimpf, 51, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Marine Corps from 1993 to 2013. While in the Marine Corps, he earned a law degree from Southern Illinois University and served for a time as a judge advocate, or military attorney.

In 2005, he was deployed to Iraq and served as the chief American advisor to prosecutors in the trial of Saddam Hussein.

In 2014, Schimpf ran unsuccessfully for attorney general, losing to incumbent Democrat Lisa Madigan. Two years later, he ran successfully for the state Senate, defeating former Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon.

On his campaign website, Schimpf primarily touts his promise to fight political corruption in state government, criticizing Pritzker for not standing up to former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was indicted earlier this year on corruption charges.

Receiving the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune, Schimpf has talked about empowering local school boards and making homeschooling and private schooling more accessible as part of his “Parents Bill of Rights” platform.

His running mate is McHenry County Board member Carolyn Schofield.

Gary Rabine is the founder and owner of the Rabine Group, a network of companies that specialize in paving, roofing and other kinds of exterior work.

His pitch has been that his business experience makes him the candidate to “turn around” Illinois, and, along with Sullivan, he has pushed for creating an option in state law to allow Chicagoans and Cook County residents to recall State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

Rabine has touted unspecified pension reform as a remedy for high property taxes, which are levied by local governments and not the state, noting he’d like to “crush” them to the national average.

His running mate is Palatine Township Highway Commissioner Aaron Del Mar.

Max Solomon is a Hazel Crest attorney and immigrant from Nigeria who has taken some of the most conservative stances in the GOP field, such as saying he would call in the National Guard to Chicago “yesterday,” that he believes “life begins before we were formed,” and he does not believe Joe Biden was rightfully elected president in 2020.

He hasn’t reported much fundraising, with his last two disclosures including loans from American Express and Capitol One amounting to $7,500.

His running mate is Latasha Fields, a Chicago resident who is active in a number of home schooling and parental rights organizations.

 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

 

Leave a Comment





Local News

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Fire II tops Chicago City, advances to to second round of Hunt Open Cup

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Fire II picked up a late invitation to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and beat Chicago City, 6-0, on March 20 in front of an announced crowd of 810 at SeatGeek Stadium. Defender Giovanni Granda and midfielder Vitaliy Hlyut each made their professional debut and scored…

Julia Bianchi heads back on defense shortly after delivering a first-half goal for the Chicago Red Stars on March 23 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars top Seattle, open season with two wins for first time in franchise history

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Last year’s last-place finish notwithstanding, the Chicago Red Stars have had a pretty rich history of success. The franchise has seven NWSL playoff appearances and has finished runner-up twice (2019, 2021), and prior to 2022 had finished no lower than fourth in the league ‘s regular season standings for…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

College Football | Marian (Indiana) and St. Francis highlight Saint Xavier 2024 home slate

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Saint Xavier has released its 2024 football schedule, which has the Cougars opening the season in Michigan. SXU will travel to the Detroit suburb of Southfield to play Lawrence Tech on Sept. 7 in a Mid-States Football Association crossover. The Cougars’ home opener kicks off at noon on Sept.…

Morton's Nariah Clay was named to the NCJAA Division II all-tournament team as the Panthers finished fifth in the nation. Photo courtesy of Morton College Department of Athletics

Morton College women’s hoops takes fifth in nation

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For the second year in a row, the Morton College women’s basketball team finished fifth in the country. The Panthers closed out the 2023-24 campaign in Joplin, Missouri, with a 75-67 victory over Iowa Western on March 23 in the consolation championship game at the NJCAA Division II National…

Marist's Jack Meader (left) and Nathen Toth face each other during a block attempt against Downers Grove North in the semifinals of the Marist Invitational on March 23. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Lockport for Gold at RedHawks Invite

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist enjoys getting its season going by hosting a tournament that is now in its 20th year. They had a good time again this season, going unbeaten over five matches in two days to win the Marist RedHawks Invitational for the sixth consecutive time. The RedHawks ended the tournament…

CRRNH_CosmoPhotoMDWArmory_032724

City wants to buy armory at MDW

Spread the love

Spread the love. Has been vacant since 2017 .  By Tim Hadac For decades, it served military purposes, as well as Chicago’s gateway for Presidents stopping off in the city. But the Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., has been mostly vacant since 2017, when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations…

summit police logo

2 charged in Summit junkyard burglary

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two men have been charged in connection with a break-in last month at the Pick-n-Pull used auto parts store and junkyard in Summit. George Ainalakis, 39, of Carol Stream, was arrested February 26 at the business, while Chad Wickert, 40, of Brookfield, was arrested March 13 by Hodgkins police. Police…

Mary Ellen Fox --Photo by Cosmo Hadac

A successful career serving thousands

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Most folks work for years at their jobs, expecting and receiving little fanfare, then retire quietly. Garfield Ridge resident Mary Ellen Fox planned to retire from her 30-year job in the City Clerk’s Office quietly; and she did, earlier this year. But…

Priscilla Steinmetz, of Orland Park's Bridge Teen Center, has fun March 7 at Congressman Sean Casten's desk in Washington. (Bridge Teen Center photo)

Casten secures $11M for district; invites Bridge Teen founder to State of Union

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Congressman Sean Casten is bringing some big bucks home. Casten (D-6th) announced that he helped secure more than $11 million in federal funding for local community projects. Included in that bounty is: $1.28 million to Evergreen Park for water main replacement. $500,000 to La Grange for storm and sanitary sewer…

Forest View Village Clerk Laura McGuffey (left) swears in Maria Guzman as a full-time police officer while Chief Bianel Zarate looks on. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Forest View swears in new police officers

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez…

Neighbors

Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer rides in the Fourth of July parade in 2022. (File photo)

Oak Lawn seeks participants for Fourth of July parade

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle It may be spring, but it is not too early to talk about a summer parade. The Oak Lawn Village Board approved a resolution Tuesday morning authorizing the submission of a permit request to the Illinois Department of Transportation for the 2024 Fourth of July Parade. The resolution approves the…

Veronica Shaw

Sandburg welcomes new associate principal of instruction

Spread the love

Spread the loveConsolidated High School District 230 Board of Education is welcoming Dr. Veronica Shaw to Carl Sandburg High School as its new Associate Principal of Instruction. She begins July 1 and replaces Anita Huffman who was recently appointed as District 230’s Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. With ample education leadership experience, Shaw is currently…

Sheri Cannataro, of Cannataro Farms, demonstrates the gear she wears to extract honey from a bee hive for visitors who stopped by to see her products at the Hills Chamber of Commerce Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside…

Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters speaks about zoning codes at the March 25 council meeting. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)

Palos Park to tweak outdated village zoning codes

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The village of Palos Park has no grand plan to change the village landscape. But officials want to modernize some of its zoning codes. “The village has not comprehensively updated its development regulations since 1960,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said at the March 25 village council meeting. “Due to this, there…

Ridgeland sd122 logo

SD122 psychologist resigns over Islamophobic posts

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam A psychologist for Ridgeland School District 122 has resigned after hundreds of parents demanded she be fired for social media posts that were pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian. District Supt. Joseph Matise announced at a schoolboard meeting last week that Dr. Laurie Hoke had resigned. “Dr. Hoke will no longer be working…

CRR_NH

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound March 27, 2024

Spread the love

Spread the love

Mary Stanek

Will the month of March leave like a lion?

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 517-7796 . The days are getting longer and slightly warmer. But my prediction of a few weeks ago–March is certainly not leaving like a lamb–may prove to be correct. A sure sign of spring in…

Peggy Zabicki

Robin sighting a sign of new beginnings

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 . I saw a robin the other day. This was the first sighting of the season for me. I remember my mom saying that the first robin of spring is a promise of new beginnings. May it be so. Is…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Thome sweet Thome: Nazareth baseball defeats Hall of Famer Jim Thome’s alma mater

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Nazareth baseball team took a road trip to the middle of Illinois and improved its record to 7-0 on March 23 by beating Limestone, 6-0. Limestone is the alma mater of former White Sox player and Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim Thome, who is an assistant coach…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Chicago Catholic League greats headed to Hall of Fame

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent A handful of area stars will be inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The list features Kevin Bracken (St. Laurence, wrestling), Kevin Carberry (St. Rita, football), Matt Macievic (De La Salle, cross county and track), Mike McGrew (Mount Carmel, football), Dan Nicholson (Brother Rice,…