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* We talked about Greg Hinz’s interview with Kirk Dillard the other day about a possible run for governor. Since then, he’s talked with Rachel Hinton…
Kirk Dillard, who is currently the chairman of the Regional Transportation Agency’s board of directors, said in a statement Wednesday people “whom I respect and whose opinions I value reached out to me” and asked him to consider running to “restore political balance to Illinois and make it safe and function well again.
“They also believe I am a Republican who can win a general election as the ‘Sun Times’ once opined,” Dillard’s statement continued. “I owe it to them, the people of Illinois and to my family to carefully listen. Currently, I am laser focused on getting the northeastern Illinois transportation system through a pandemic.” […]
“With all due respect, what Illinois needs is not yet another member of the political class running our state,” Rabine’s statement continued. “We know what the failed policies of the political class has done to this state and voters are tired of it. […]
“The political establishment will have their choice and the regular people will have theirs,” Joe DeBose, Bailey’s spokesman, said. “If [Dillard] decides to join the race, I have a feeling the result will be the same as the last two times he ran.”
* He also spoke with Marni Pyke…
“People whom I respect and whose opinions I value reached out to me,” Dillard told the Daily Herald Wednesday.
“They asked me to consider running to give Illinois political balance and to make it safe and work again. These leaders think I am a Republican who can win a general election and govern effectively. I owe it to them, the people of Illinois and my family to carefully listen.” […]
It’s early in the game, but “I think our state needs governance,” said former Republican state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville. “Personally, I think, right now, we have somebody who’d rather be king than governor.”
But “I don’t think there’s a candidate out there right now I’m ready to rally behind,” although “I’m intrigued by Kirk Dillard’s name.”
Wehrli seemed far more interested in picking fights than governing when he was in the House, but maybe he’s changed. I dunno.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:33 am
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Dillard, this ain’t the ILGOP you remember. It’s not even the ILGOP you couldn’t win over in 2014.
Those people who have reached out to you aren’t doing you any favors. You’ll wear a RINO coat and get shredded.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 7:59 am
“’I think our state needs governance,’ said former Republican state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville.”
Who?
Comment by The Opinions Bureau Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:11 am
Regardless if he would run and lose, moderate R’s can’t be adraid to run for office(s). At 66, I’m surprised KD is interested.
Comment by BTO2 Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:15 am
= but maybe he’s changed. I dunno.=
I love your optimism Rich.
=“With all due respect, what Illinois needs is not yet another member of the political class running our state,”=
So he wouldn’t support Dillard if he wins? Rabine is polling at what can be best described as a non-zero number.
Other than the Ives vote, none of the current ILGOP candidates is going to win anything in Chicago or the burbs. Dillard would be successful there.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:20 am
==“People whom I respect and whose opinions I value reached out to me,”==
Let me guess, was Edgar one of them?
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:25 am
@FakeGrantWehrli - Not only am I relevant I think Mautino should step down #HowCanYouMissMe
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:35 am
I wish that things would have worked out differently for Dillard in 2014. But we’re a world a way from that time. If there’s no place for Adam Kinzinger in today’s Republican party it’s hard to see where Dillard fits in. I understand that he doesn’t have the baggage of the former President to deal with but I’m not sure how much that helps him. His loyalty to today’s “true” Republican values would certainly be a litmus test.
And Wehrli’s comments should have him running for the hills. The ILGOP wants to label him as a king because he acted decisively and ignored the reckless behavior and advice of Don Tracy, Darren Bailey, Chris Miller and the rest of the Eastern Bloc who’s alternative was that we do nothing about the pandemic. How do you navigate through that? Dillard’s stories about his time in office and bringing people together might sound quaint, but that doesn’t play in the ILGOP today.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:36 am
To the post,
I’m calling this the “Dillard Curiosity Tour”.
Dillard has my curiosity, but my curiosity can be quenched. Dillard would need to get my attention.
Where is the famous (with respect I ask) - Cincinnatus -, the Dillard stalwart of days gone by.
Dillard needs “cash and a crew”… that would be a big step for my attention
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:40 am
Looking back at the 2010 GOP primary. If there had been one fewer DuPage county candidate in that race, Dillard probably wins. That win would have saved us 8 years of “governance” by Quinn and Rauner. I am not a big fan of playing what if, but that race wound up being a major inflection point for Illinois.
Comment by IfOnly Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 8:49 am
“They”
“They” say lots of things.
Chatter is Cheap when Cheddar pays the bills.
“They” know that too.
Get half what “they” promise up front, in cash, otherwise “they” know where to go with the chatter.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:01 am
A Dillard campaign along with Ken Griffen’s checkbook could be disastrous for JB.
Comment by Frumpy White Guy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:40 am
=== A Dillard campaign along with Ken Griffen’s checkbook could be disastrous for JB.===
Not agreeing or disagreeing. Help my curiosity.
How so?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:41 am
===the Dillard stalwart of days gone by===
Dead, long retired or still owed money, which is where most of Dillard’s former crew is. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:42 am
His resume of very narrow defeats may work very positively in his favor. Especially for those “what if” type of voters in the middle who might relish another shot at it.
Comment by A Guy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:42 am
===Dead, long retired or still owed money, which is where most of Dillard’s former crew is. lol===
Sometimes “Memory Lane” is full of cracks, weeds, and potholes.
That’s what “they” say.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:46 am
Although the parallels are different because he never got the brass ring, Dillard seems to be in the same spot as his political mentor Jim Edgar. And for a few years there Edgar’s name was floated as a candidate. And it usually meant a weak field or a longing for times past. But nostalgia doesn’t play well in the GOP these days unless we’re going way way back.
And as far as Ken Griffin helping out here? Maybe that happens. But that’s not without expectations and strings attached. IF Dillard were to jump in and IF he were to survive a primary AND it was due to Ken Griffin money then he would be saddled, right of wrong, with the label of being Bruce Rauner part two. And I don’t see Ken Griffin’s checkbook overcoming the serious brand issues that the ILGOP is facing these days. If you haven’t been paying attention they aren’t too keen on moderate types. The rhetoric of Durkin and McConchie over the last couple of days tells me so.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:51 am
How long before this starts making the rounds again.
https://www.politico.com/story/2008/07/barack-obamas-accidental-surrogate-011853
Comment by SportShoz Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 9:57 am
=== How long before…===
Y’all are all “Obama Mistake” or whatever it’s called now…
… its like “they” think being a Trumpkin will mean victory.
All this circular firing squad silly means… “we know”
At this point, deciding a two term president from Illinois is something not to like is why the ILGOP can’t grasp what “shrinking the base means”…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:04 am
Dillard is a has been that never really was. Anyone that thinks he’d give JB a tough race is just someone that never got over their crushed dream of an agency director appointment when Brady won the primary.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:07 am
Since Edgar left the Republican party in 2016, pretty sure it wasn’t him calling Dillard to run.
Comment by Soapbox Derby Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:33 am
Dillard’s will be short-lived if media pressed him on how he’d respond to Covid and his views on Kinzinger. Doubtless he’ll try the old political two-step non-response response. This is not his old GOP. He realized that during his last run when he tacked further right to try and win. The party is more extreme and crazier than before.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:38 am
I remember way back when Kirk Dillard…never mind.
Comment by Dotnonymous Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:48 am
Most Dems seem pretty happy with JB, or at least satisfied. Quinn didn’t have that situation, which is much of why he lost.
JB is pretty much a lock barring a major scandal, which is why the Republicans are trying to make one out of LaSalle, but even that is not enough to outweigh the baggage of all the far right candidates.
Comment by Jibba Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:48 am
@ Jibba You might want to talk organized labor folks, they aren’t happy with JB.
Comment by Soapbox Derby Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:50 am
=== You might want to talk organized labor folks, they aren’t happy with JB.===
Where they gonna go?
Sincerely.
Then they learned ZERO from Rauner and deserve whatever happens to them… like (gasp) mandatory vaccinations.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 11:53 am
Don’t get all hyped up people. I know Sen Dillard turned down multiple electronic media requests yesterday. He isn’t on a media tour and “statements” posted in the news story are just returning texts from media folks he knows.
Comment by Kirk Buddy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:12 pm
Anyone know what Wehrli is doing to make a living these days?
Comment by Payback Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:14 pm
=== You might want to talk organized labor folks, they aren’t happy with JB.===
Indeed. Please list the “organized labor”groups that will line up with a Ken Griffin-backed Dillard.
Comment by HCMcB4 Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:19 pm
Griffin hasn’t backed anyone, and Dillard isn’t Rauner.
Comment by Soapbox Derby Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:22 pm
===Griffin hasn’t backed anyone===
You think Griffin is gonna dump $100+ million for a candidate labor sees as friendly?
Starting the weekend off early?
And… what does Dillard offer labor that Pritzker has failed to do? The Energy Bill? It’s not even thru the Senate…
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:25 pm
**Wehrli seemed far more interested in picking fights than governing when he was in the House, but maybe he’s changed.**
Not if his twitter feed is any indication.
Comment by SaulGoodman Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 12:36 pm
I was wondering if Griffin would be willing to bankroll Davis?
Comment by IllinoisVoter Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 1:11 pm
==You might want to talk organized labor folks, they aren’t happy with JB.==
Yeah. How’d that work out for them when they abandoned Quinn. Rauner was great for labor wasn’t he?
Comment by Demoralized Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 1:47 pm
Bailey, Rabine and Schimpf isn’t exactly the ‘27 Yankees. Dillard can attract votes from independent professional suburban women. The others can’t. If he was such a has been, you’d all be welcoming him to the race.
Comment by SuburbanR Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:19 pm
===If he was such a has been, you’d all be welcoming him to the race.===
No.
It’s a wonder why Dillard would want to run in a race, first with science deniers and Trumpkins, only to then face a guy who will likely spend a quarter of a billion dollars to a ruinous end to Dillard.
Dillard ain’t no juggernaut, right now can’t boast $100 million to be credible, and hasn’t ever won statewide… even in a primary.
How’s that?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:26 pm
In my humble opinion Dillard is the only candidate that could possibly win and that includes Davis. No way does Davis come near the number needed in Suburban Cook to win. He is tied to Trump and probably has a Zero name recognition in Cook County. JMO
Comment by Hard D Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:56 pm
=Dillard can attract votes from independent professional suburban women.=
If independent professional suburban woman held that much sway in today’s Republican party we probably wouldn’t be talking about Bailey, Rabine and Schimpf.
Comment by Pundent Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 2:58 pm
=== If independent professional suburban woman held that much sway in today’s Republican party we probably wouldn’t be talking about Bailey, Rabine and Schimpf.===
This is a correct take.
But… the party got Ives and Mary Miller.
So… anything else?
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 3:01 pm
HEY! Leave me outta it…
Comment by Cincinnatus Saturday, Aug 7, 21 @ 7:15 pm