Dillard to announce Monday
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Another one makes the expected jump…
State Sen. Kirk Dillard told the Sun-Times today he will announce his bid for governor on Monday, in a two-day fly-around that will kick-off that morning outside of his Northwest Side childhood home.
Dillard (R-Hinsdale) will become the fourth Republican to compete in the gubernatorial primary. After the Chicago announcement, Dillard will head to Decatur, Peoria, Carbondale, Rockford, Rock Island and will conclude with a rally back on Dillard’s home turf in DuPage County.
* Meanwhile, a reader pointed out something to me the other day. James Liautaud, the Jimmy John’s founder who’s threatened repeatedly to move out of state, contributed $1,000 to Bruce Rauner’s campaign late last month.
Liautaud has been a supporter of both Bill Brady and Dan Rutherford in the past.
Treasurer Rutherford regularly touts his friendship with the submarine sandwich kingpin, but so far Rauner has been the sole recipient of Liautaud’s cash this year.
* And speaking of money…
Don’t count out Gov. Pat Quinn in the Dem primary race that reads like a dust-up with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Bill Daley.
† To wit: Sneed hears that Quinn out-raised both potential opponents this last quarter.
† The numbers game: Sneed is told Quinn raised more than $1 million, while Madigan raised more than $600,000 and Daley raised more than $790,000.
Quinn also outraised Rauner in the second quarter.
So far, only Sneed and myself have highlighted this fact. The governor is truly getting no respect, perhaps deservingly so.
- fact checker - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 9:46 am:
Dillard? Isn’t he the one that endorsed Barack Obama?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 9:49 am:
===So far, only Sneed and myself have highlighted this fact===
Yeah but you were first. I love it when she puts it out there as a scoop when obviously she read it on here first.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 9:53 am:
Senator Dillard,
Best of luck, I will give you a “fair shake”, the rest is up to you.
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:00 am:
Dear GOP–if you nominate this guy I wouldn’t feel it necessary to vote for the dem just because I really hate your nominee.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:01 am:
Good on Dillard. It’s about time Illinois had a candidate who announces with a traditional state fly-around.
And I mean absolutely nothing by the word “traditional.”
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:08 am:
Glad to see Dillard jump in…welcome to the fray Senator…
- Fiercely Independent - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:15 am:
If he announced today that he was going to announce on Monday, didn’t he just announce it today?
- Loop Lady - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:18 am:
FC: The guy?
He’s a State Senator that is respected and worked well with the POTUS when he was in the IL Senate…unfortunately Dillard will not represent or be supported by the righties that rule IL GOP politics…hope I’m wrong on that last assertion…but probably not.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:28 am:
Run a better campaign this time, Senator. Please.
- Whatever - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 10:31 am:
Dillard has “announced” about five times already, repeatedly telling the media that he’s running. I hope they don’t give him yet another bite at the apple! Just run already.
- 1776 - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 11:30 am:
Good Luck Kirk. I think he’s the best choice for Governor but no doubt has tremendous work ahead of him.
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 11:56 am:
Dillard is the most technically qualified to address the state’s real financial problems. He appears to be a good person, too.
That’s not all it takes to win and govern, however.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 12:02 pm:
–Dillard is the most technically qualified to address the state’s real financial problems.–
What do you base that on? All I’ve heard him say is that he wants to let the income tax increases sunset.
If he’s such a “technical” whiz kid, maybe he can give us a broad strokes budget — major spending categories, on a sheet of paper — that accounts for that loss in revenue.
A technician can’t pull that off. Neither could a magician.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 12:54 pm:
Jimmy John also gave a bunch of money to Rahm, so it seems he fits right in with the Rahm/Rauner neoliberal corporatocracy set.
- shore - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 1:10 pm:
If it’s Brady, Rauner, Rutherford, Dillard. I will go with Brady, I just think the other 3 will bring back the old gop the edgar/ryan ect gang. I don’t trust Rauner, Rutherford, and Dillard to stand up to Madigan, Cullerton, Rahm ect.
- Joe M - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 2:28 pm:
Who is Kirk Dillard?
- come on - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 2:50 pm:
Dillard ran a fairly good campaign last time on maybe $3 million and came within 200 votes with McKenna’s money against him and other DuPagers. I’m sure this time he will have a much better grass root set up this time and hearing even some Brady supporters are now for Dillard.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 3:17 pm:
I think Dillard is the right man both for the Republican party and the best potential Governor from either party including an unproven and over-rated Lisa Madigan.
- walkinfool - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 4:18 pm:
Wordslinger: You’re right about needing to be more than a technician or a wizard to manage to fiscal health without extending the current tax rates. There is no reasonable spending plan from anyone to cover that loss in revenue in the next few years.
You don’t really expect that from any potential candidate now, do you?
My standard is a little lower — no candidate will step up right now and propose extending the higher tax rates — but at least Dillard has the ability to face and understand fiscal reality when that time comes. We have a chance with him, if he gets past the ideologues in the primary process.
My support is for his financial experience and understandings. It remains to be seen whether his personality will translate to effective leadership.
- Samurai - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 11:04 pm:
=Dillard? Isn’t he the one that endorsed Barack Obama?=
Wow fact checker, I think you are absolutely correct. Got Dillard on that one. You, sir (or madam) have a mind as narrow as dental floss.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 10, 13 @ 11:36 pm:
=Dillard? Isn’t he the one that endorsed Barack Obama?=
He didn’t endorse him, but he did cut a spot saying nice things about him back in a day when the Auto-de-Fe wasn’t running the GOP.
He had selfish reasons for doing it, as he thought it would help him among Independents in a future statewide general election.
If you’ll recall, Rep. Roskam had ObamaVotersforRoskam.com back in the day. You might find that now on the Wayback Machine.
It will be interesting to see if any of the other GOP candidates put some money into a negative spot on Dillard’s spot. I suspect Obama is much more unpopular among GOP primary voters today than he was four years ago.
- votecounter - Thursday, Jul 11, 13 @ 12:54 am:
And the bank account was bare. So he is done