Today, I am ending my campaign for Governor. Briefly, I want to explain why: we simply don’t have the money to meaningfully scale this campaign statewide. Without more resources, the only choices for expanding the campaign to a scope that could earn the nomination were to take on more personal debt or to cut staff. I have a young family, and we decided not to take on more personal debt right now. As to cutting staff, I simply refuse. We raised $828k from 2,526 donors; that is amazing. But as you know, the race for Illinois governor will set a record as the costliest race in American history. For democracy’s sake, I hope we see this as a troubling trend. My donors did the best they could, I’m the one who came up short, but I am not ashamed. Just know that while we didn’t have the most money, we have the volunteers (3,200), the signatures (10,000), and the right message. I’m sorry for the people who have stood with me that I don’t have the extraordinary wealth or extraordinarily wealthy connections to make up the difference.
We’ve all heard Winston Churchill’s famous line, “never give in, never, never, never, never.” Less often quoted is the rest of the sentence: “except to convictions of honour and good sense.” I think both suggest that this is the right time for this campaign to come to an end. I wish there was a sensible path forward, but we have always been playing a long game, and this is more of a beginning than an end. At this time, I will not be endorsing a candidate. That said, I urge you to get to know the other Democratic candidates. They are good people, and any one of them will make a fine governor.
Today, I am launching One Illinois, a political action committee to organize young people around progressive issues and fight the false and bigoted divides around race, class, and geography. We all want to see progressive change and policies, but to achieve our goals we must take on the politics that are used to keep communities fighting one another over scraps. I hope that you will join me in this new effort. More on this in the coming weeks.
We all want to see progressive change, but we must organize and attack the false divides around race, class, and geography. If we don’t, we won’t realize the changes we all seek.
Enough about the primary campaign’s end, now I want to talk about a beginning. I began my public service career with, quite frankly, a pipe dream. I decided to knock on every door in the 47th Ward to listen to the ideas of people who had lived there for years, in some cases, more years than I’ve been alive. My backup plan if I lost — and I was almost certainly going to lose — was to join the military. My chances of winning were roughly somewhere between zero and the Cubs winning the World Series. But as we know, these things can happen. My experience in city council convinced me that, as intransigent as politics can be, a normal guy with authentic passion can make a difference. One of the blessings of getting into politics as a no-name with no affiliation was that I didn’t have to play a character. I got to be myself from the very start. And that was the same for this race. I knew that speaking about my own progressive ideas and policies was a risk. When billionaires who own football teams are so afraid of public opprobrium that they say nothing while national politicians vilify their employees for unobtrusively exercising their rights, believe me, I realize that condemning the War on Drugs as a war on black and brown families is going to raise some hackles. But I got into public service speaking my mind when nobody cared what I had to say, and by now all I know how to do is be myself.
The reason I got into this race, honestly, is that I was afraid. Afraid of the society my daughter might inherit if the American ship stays the current course. She’s only one-and-a-half, but America is not a small ship. It is a giant tanker, the kind you need to start steering miles out from shore if you want to dock without crashing. We are not on a safe course right now, and we know it. If from nothing else, that should be obvious when nuclear diplomacy occurs on Twitter. (Threatening nuclear annihilation on Twitter really seems like it should be a violation of the terms of service.) And if we don’t address inequality across race, class, and geography, I believe we are headed to a very scary place. Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump are targeting communities and turning them into ‘the other.’ We have seen before the brand of fear mongering that Bruce Rauner and Donald Trump wield to pit people against their fellow citizens, to divide us by geography, or race, or class, or absolutely any other difference that can be wielded for political expedience. It never ends well.
One of my goals was to force a conversation on progressive values and shine a light on how race, class, and geography are used to drive a wedge between communities and prevent progressive change. That’s why I declared for the race first, so that I could plant the conversation firmly in progressive ideas. We hit the road with our message – a message that included progressive income tax, mass commutations of low-level nonviolent drug offenses, calling out the War on Drugs for the racist failure that it was, universal childcare, and single-payer healthcare. We also listened, a tactic in too-short supply among public officials. Today, I am so tremendously proud and so deeply heartened to see the other campaigns talking about race and class and geography. As the first entrants to the race, I believe we pushed the public discourse to the left, toward a more progressive Illinois. I may have come up short, but together, we made progress. I urge all candidates to continue those vital discussions in the fight against the plainly bigoted agendas prosecuted by the chief executives of both our state and our nation.
While fear got me into this race, as I leave it, it is the shared humanity I experienced on the trail that I’ll take with me. Beyond giving me hope, it literally makes my skin tingle when I remember the love and compassion people expressed, often people in desperate circumstances who were worrying about everyone but themselves. A moment that I can’t wait to tell my daughter about, when she’s old enough to understand, occurred at our campaign stop for a parade in Eldorado. My running mate, Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman, was traversing southern and central Illinois as part of our Don’t Close Our Communities Tour, and he was anxious about this visit. Whereas Cairo was the final stop on the Underground Railroad, Eldorado was once a “sundown town.” That is, in the 1960s people of color were required to leave by sundown. As a pastor, a man who came of age during the Civil Rights Movement, and founder of a southern Illinois chapter of the NAACP, Mayor Coleman knew that history well. As he and his wife, Mary, marched in the parade, a woman stopped them and shared how decades of disinvestment from Cairo reminded her of the disinvestment from Saline County and Eldorado. Specifically, she recounted how the decline of jobs ushered in the opioid crisis. Then she said: “We all want the same thing. We’re neighbors.” A town that black people once fled to and one they once fled from, but today they are neighbors in search of the same things.
Memories like that will continue to fuel me.
As will memories of the devotion of my incredible team. Sam, Will, Tom, Kayley, Charissa, Lindsay, Heather, Spencer, John, Maggie, Mica, Zach, Katie, EJ, Maria, Jordan, Morgan, Mary, Anjali, Jenn, Steve, David, Leslie, Stacy, Brian, Kyle, and Collin. Thank you. You are family to me and Charna. We did something amazing. We will be forever grateful for the time and energy you put into this campaign, and we hope you know we will always have your backs, personally and professionally.
To our volunteers, it has been the honor of my life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the most talented and hardworking people I ever had the pleasure to fight alongside. Your commitment, your energy, and your steadfast support kept me going. I hope you will stick with me because this is just the beginning.
To Mayor Coleman, thank you. Mrs. Coleman, thank you. Charna and I are so honored to call you our friends. Cairo captured a piece of my heart, and I look forward to working together to put a spotlight on Cairo and communities all over the state as they fight for investment. I hope to join you and your community as you fight for affordable housing, the port authority, and jobs. I urge every campaign for governor to meet Mayor Coleman and his constituents. Cairo deserves all of our attention.
Finally, I want to thank my wife, Charna. Our daughter Sigalit was 10 months old when I got into this race. I’ve missed so much, and Charna took everything upon herself so that I could run. She has sacrificed over the last eight years to support me. I am looking forward to sacrificing for her and what she wants. (Imagine that, a gubernatorial campaign wasn’t a new mother’s first choice!)
I wanted to be your nominee for governor. I gave it everything I had. But I don’t have the resources to continue in a manner that I think would both be fair to the people who work with me and would set us up to win, and I require both. But I feel the same way about the inspiration I’ve acquired to make positive change as the Greek philosopher Plutarch did about education: It is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
I will keep organizing around the principle that we are stronger together and that we must defeat the politics of divide-and-rule. For you. For us. For my daughter. After all, we all want the same thing. After all, we are neighbors.
Onward,
- Grand Avenue - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:13 am:
If John Cullerton decides not to run for re-election as had been rumored a year ago, I think Pawar goes for that seat.
- Grand Avenue - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Daiber has no running mate & now has 7 weeks to get 5,000 good signatures with an upper limit of 10,000 to turn in.
Paid signatures are rarely 50% good, so he drops out when?
- Ravenswood Right Winger - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:15 am:
So is he going to run for a 3rd term as Alderman? I thought he had promised to run for only two terms.
Now he has time to address the uptick in crime in the 47th Ward.
Is he going to return the $250K donation from the father of his campaign manager?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:15 am:
The “CFE” Funding Rule is the best measure.
Pawar couldn’t have more money on hand than CFE at September 30. That was really the end… of the end.
Good luck, Alderman.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:17 am:
Pretty good statement.
- Austinman - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:18 am:
Very good statement
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:21 am:
“We also listened, a tactic in too-short supply among public officials.”
Alderman Pawar has never addressed how “progressive policies” that demonize private sector business do not help middle class families who rely on those companies for their income.
Residents who don’t have jobs frequently turn to a life of crime and drugs. All of Alderman Pawar’s economic development plans involved higher government spending and class and race warfare.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:23 am:
The looming question now is, who will his dozens of supporters migrate to?
- City Zen - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:25 am:
“Briefly, I want to explain why”
1,723 words later…
- Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:25 am:
==Alderman Pawar has never addressed how “progressive policies” that demonize private sector business do not help middle class families who rely on those companies for their income.==
Yes, clearly his biggest problem in a Democratic Primary was his failure to blindly accept and parrot the spin-iest of right wing spin.
- JJJJJJJJJJ - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:26 am:
@Lucky Pierre
Class? Maybe. Race? Nope. Pawar pretty explicitly ran on linking the issues of people of color to the issues of white people.
Do you have any examples of him inciting race warfare?
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Pawars folks might have find their second best in Biss…JB is not a progressive candidate…Establishment darling…
- MissingG - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:28 am:
He’s started an excellent campaign for Mayor of Chicago. Now the question is whether he’ll back Biss, as you’d expect from his ideology, or Pritzker, as you’d expect from his desire to be Mayor.
- Loop Lady - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:29 am:
May find…
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:30 am:
While he is idealistic in his views, he at least is realistic in what he was facing. More than some others can say. Good for him. Right decision.
- Curl of the Burl - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Zen - he was just channeling his Inner Biss.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:31 am:
He ran a good campaign and he raised some really important issues that needed to be put on the table for all of us to discuss. He did the Democratic nominee a favor by starting that conversation and talking about how we are all connected together in Illinois. Our divisions are based on race and class, and we need to focus instead on what we all have in common. That’s a winning message in my book.
He’s got a bright future and I wish him well.
- TopHatMonocle - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:33 am:
About time. Along with this, Daiber, Hardiman, and Paterakis probably won’t make the ballot. As far as I know neither Daiber or Paterakis have running mates so they can’t even circulate right now. That leaves Biss, Kennedy, and Pritzker.
This probably won’t make a meaningful impact because I don’t think Pawar had many supporters. I would think anyone who did support him would move over to Biss, but they might not know who Biss is. Since Pritzker is the only one really communicating to Dem voters right now he might pick up a lot of these, but there’s not much to pick up.
- 4 percent - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:37 am:
He stoked the flames of battles based on class by demonizing those he disagreed with whether based on wages/income, religious views, and the like. He ran a populist campaign and only forgot to mention that government should also provide a chicken in every pot.
- Rabid - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:38 am:
the first candidate to fight for legalization, thanks
- Dan Johnson - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:38 am:
Ameya elevated the debate. It makes me sad for our democracy that raising almost a million dollars (even with thousands of supporters, a qualified candidate and a thoughtful platform) six months before the primary isn’t enough to continue.
Thanks for running. (That also goes to all candidates in every race of every party).
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:38 am:
He referenced Plutarch? Good lord…
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:44 am:
Biss is a stalking horse. There’s only one candidate with the possibility of beating the candidate who couldn’t decide if he liked President Obama more than Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich. Biss can’t beat JB and if he did he’d be the 2nd coming of Dawn Clark Netsch in the general.
- JohnnyPyleDriver - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:46 am:
He probably didn’t have a ton of supporters, but a good bit of the Bernie grassroots ran over to him after the Biss Lt. Governor flap. I imagine they’ll come over to Biss or stay home at this point
- Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:47 am:
==There’s only one candidate with the possibility==
Is it the guy who can’t get out of a pillow fight with a bunch of moms and babies?
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:51 am:
Biss endorsement in 3..2..1..
- MissingG - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:53 am:
Arsenal,
I think lakecountydemocrat was referring to Paterakis
- Nishi - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:54 am:
I was a Pawar supporter, so I’m sad but I did see this coming. I hope he does go on to greater thing because I still believe in his message. I wouldn’t be too quick to assume that support will go to Biss though.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:54 am:
“calling out the War on Drugs for the racist failure that it was”
Facts don’t lie, when incarceration rates were higher for drug related offenses, violent crime was much lower in Chicago.
” though far from ranking as the nation’s murder capital on a per-capita basis, Chicago continues to be the runaway leader in sheer volume of killings and shootings. Chicago had 50 more homicides than New York and Los Angeles combined through mid-June, even though it is far less populous than both.
Experts say a complex mix of factors drives the violence. Much of the bloodshed can be linked to gang conflicts over everything from petty disputes to control of drug dealing, as well as the splintering of gangs into smaller cliques fighting over a few blocks at a time.”
The clear implication of his statement is that the war on drugs is racist is inciting race warfare.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-violence-first-six-months-met-20170630-story.html
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:56 am:
That’s two gone. More to come, I bet.
I’m guessing in the weeks until filing both Kennedy and Biss will be burning up the phones trying to get activists to urge the other to drop out for a better chance to stop JB.
- Tom - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:58 am:
Someone might want to teach him about the 20 second sound bite. No traction? No kidding.
- Fax Machine - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 10:59 am:
Biss & Kennedy will now start trying to convince the other one to drop out & run for Cook County Assessor.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:02 am:
==I’m guessing in the weeks until filing both Kennedy and Biss will be burning up the phones trying to get activists to urge the other to drop out for a better chance to stop JB.==
Yes. But it’s hard to see why either candidate would agree to defer to the other. Kennedy just hasn’t had his heart in this thing, and is out-of-step with the party on some key issues. Biss bungled the running-mate thing pretty badly and is struggling to reconcile his technocratic record with his “bold progressive” campaign. Both have useful endorsements that give them avenues into the Pawar voters. Both have good reason to say, “Why not me?”
- Fax Machine - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:05 am:
So it’s down to 3 White North Shore Democrats vying to take on a Winnetka Republican.
Diversity!
- lake county democrat - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:07 am:
Arsenal - one and the same. See Donald Trump and George W. Bush for ability to win elections on name recognition.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:14 am:
==See Donald Trump…for ability to win elections on name recognition.==
Trump’s name recognition was no greater than Hillary Clinton’s, and he still needed the electoral college to do it.
==and George W. Bush==
George W. Bush’s campaigns were way more disciplined than Chris Kennedy’s.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:18 am:
The crime bill that Alderman Pawar claims was a racist failure was passed by the first “Black President” Bill Clinton.
The Democrats were much more successful nationally when they avoided identity politics and had centrist solutions that appealed to more than just the liberal base of the party.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36020717
- Ghost - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Good decision and done with grace. His political future is looking up
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:21 am:
How much you want to bet Little LP never even bothered reading anything about Pawar?
Drop a nickle in him and he’ll play that old GOP dance number every time.
Post when you have something interesting to say. Right now, you’re like Rauner, leaking like a chihuahua puppy.
- DuPage Bard - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:26 am:
2nd one out of Dem Gov primary it’s Oct 12. Who’s next?
- Pawarrior - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Proud of Pawar and what we were able to accomplish.
- Arsenal - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:29 am:
==See Donald Trump and George W. Bush for ability to win elections on name recognition.==
I’m also not certain that “Vote Kennedy, he’s the Trump/Bush candidate in the race!” is your best bet for a Democratic Primary, but you do you.
- A guy - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 11:59 am:
He worked hard enough to make his statement be the length he wished to. He thanked the people who helped him.
It’s very thoughtful. Good show sir. Good luck.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
His finest hour. Ironically, that’s how long it took to write it.
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
“So it’s down to 3 White North Shore Democrats vying to take on a Winnetka Republican.”
Pritzker lives in Streeterville. So I believe you mean two white North Shore Democrats.
- Blue dog dem - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 12:35 pm:
We have been down to the dud duo for months.
- Liberal Elite - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
I volunteered and donated to Pawar, a lot of active 26-35 year old’s did the same - we just can’t afford to cut that big of a check yet. The volunteers definitely could count; some of them will stay home. But I hope all show back up in November even if it is (grumble, will be, grumble) Pritzker. No question though - Pawar’s early entry and issue platform pushed the primary (and God willing, the party) left.
- @MisterJayEm - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
I yield my time, encouraging the members to revisit the comments of VanillaMan and a guy.
– MrJM
- We'll See - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 1:52 pm:
Pawar’s exit wont have much impact on the campaign. I’m guessing that Biss picks up the majority of Pawar’s votes on election day but it will be too little too late. With Biss not taking in $s he need volunteers and because of the Lt Gov fiasco those potential new volunteers are looking for other non-gov candidate races.
- Veil of Ignorance - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
I think it’ll be interesting to see if Biss can find a way to aggressively absorb Pawar’s supporters. Kennedy still hasn’t found a groove yet on which primary voters he’s targeting to beat Pritzker, so this will be an interesting few weeks to see how things play out. Hard to believe that progressive Dems would just concede Pritzker is the nominee…if they’re envisioning a pro-corporate Rahm-like setup in the Governor’s mansion (if Rauner is defeated). Why not take a whole-hearted shot? Nothing to lose in the primary.
- Sonny - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 2:49 pm:
Yes, you’re a fancy pants smart guy, but seeing as though nobody cares, you’re polling probably shows that, try brevity on for size.
- Urban Girl - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 2:55 pm:
Dan Johnson said it best, “It makes me sad for our democracy that raising almost a million dollars (even with thousands of supporters, a qualified candidate and a thoughtful platform) six months before the primary isn’t enough to continue.”
- Anon0091 - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 5:38 pm:
Respectfully to Dan and Urban Girl, but a million dollars was what he raised, not what he had. And
you’re right, it’s not nearly enough. Statewide TV costs between 600k-1 million a week. Unfortunately, you need to have several million in the bank to compete for the top job. Not great, but that’s the reality of our time.
- Not It - Thursday, Oct 12, 17 @ 6:40 pm:
I never understood what his end game was, and he is my Alderman. He was a decent Alderman until he went MIA to run for higher office.
At least he has a sweet city pension and now he can go be a lobbyist.
- dudeman - Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 11:14 am:
Pawar - We all want to see progressive change.
Umm, No we don’t.