* Biss campaign press release…
J.B. Pritzker’s just-announced $7 million contribution to his own campaign brings the total amount the billionaire businessman has self-funded in the Illinois Democratic primary to $49.2 million, surpassing the $45 million of personal funds Donald J. Trump spent nationwide in the Republican presidential primary election in 2016. Despite this unprecedented spending, Pritzker is still slipping in recent polling, causing him to change tact to attack fellow Democratic candidate Daniel Biss.
“JB has now spent more money on a statewide primary than Donald Trump spent on a presidential primary,” said Daniel Biss. “In trying to buy elections, these billionaire businessmen threaten our democracy at its very core. This campaign is about more than taking on JB Pritzker and his fortune—it’s about building a movement powerful enough to overhaul our campaign finance rules and build a system that works for the rest of us.”
* But Sen. Biss had a different take on Pritzker’s fortune on Tuesday night…
You’ve contributed $42 million to your primary campaign for governor so far. Will you pledge to contribute at least $42 million to the general election campaign regardless of who the nominee is?
Pritzker dodged the question, which prompted this Biss retort…
It’s surprising you weren’t prepared for that question. And the idea that you want to hold the Democratic Party hostage and offer to fund the general election only if you’re the nominee, seems to me to be really problematic.
So, is Pritzker’s money good or bad?
- Al - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:00 am:
I used to wonder why it is easier for an educated individual like Senator Biss to raise income taxes than liquor or Casino taxes. Then I looked at election finance reports. Biss cashed his fair share of liquor and casino related contributions checks.
- Robert the 1st - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:00 am:
Poor JB. Hoping to buy the Governorship. Looks like he might not be able to afford a primary.
- New Slang - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:02 am:
How about giving some of these millions to independent social agencies? The amount of money spent to grab an elected position sickens me.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:03 am:
Unlike Trump, Pritzker doesn’t have every national cable “news” channel airing his every wacky rant in real-time because they make for boffo ratings.
That was worth hundreds of millions to Trump in both the primaries and general election, but especially the primaries, as the other candidates died from lack of oxygen.
- Sharon - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:04 am:
“I’m going to do everything I can to defeat you and destroy your name…then I want you to give me $42 million.”
Must be a math equation that the rest of us can’t understand.
- Chris Widger - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:05 am:
Pritzker is going to win the primary, so why not just say yes? In the vastly unlikely chance he doesn’t, why would it matter if he breaks the pledge? No one will hold it against him in a way that will have a material impact on his future.
- Robert the 1st - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:06 am:
=That was worth hundreds of millions to Trump=
Most estimates are between 2 and 4 billion dollars value.
- NorthsideNoMore - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:06 am:
The question is why has he had to spend so much in this field? If Biss catches him in the next two weeks JB will be in real trouble. Many Kennedy supporters will see the righting on the wall and break for Biss. Maybe folks are tired of billionaires trying to bogart the system, I know I am. Run hard Daniel Biss run hard.
- State Sen. Clay Davis - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:07 am:
“Biss cashed his fair share of liquor and casino related contributions checks.”
Is this an accusation of some kind? We all know how to search the candidate disclosure website, too, you know
- DanDonor - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:07 am:
Daniel Biss takes charter school money. Daniel voted for fracking. Daniel took money from Blair Hull. As a feminist I have the strongest feelings about Daniel’s Hull donation. Daniel is a nice guy but not who he says he is.
- Retired Educator - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:07 am:
Bliss thinks giving money to Madigan is bad, but has his hand out to get some himself. Mr. Bliss the reality is that some people just have more money than others. I am not surprised your fund raising has been lagging. No one like a whiner.
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:08 am:
This Biss fella is funny. I thought Gov Funny Bunny was a riot, but this guy is close. Free public university college. 100% renewables. Will this guy not say anything to get a vote? Its supposed Democrats.like this that give the party a bad name.
- Demoralized - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:10 am:
==Hoping to buy the Governorship==
It seems to be a potential winning strategy. It worked for the current occupant.
- New Commenter - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:16 am:
Biss trying to compare Pritzker to Trump rubs me the wrong way.
It’d be one thing if Pritzker never gave to charity, kicked off his campaign with racial slurs, threatened violence on his opponents, had been accused of rape and many sexual assaults, asked for foreign intervention in our elections live on tv…
Anyway. I never really bought that Ramirez-Rosa deceived Biss, either, so this purity schtick, I’m not buying it.
- Illinois Resident - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:22 am:
So he has more money and as a result should be automatically disqualified? Pritzker is against Citizens United to my understanding. So what is the problem? Look at the policies. That is what matters.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:24 am:
So Pritzker gets attacked by Kennedy for giving too much money to Dem politicians over the years and attacked by Biss for not pledging to pony up a blank check?
Not a very effective attack for this undecided Dem voter.
The toilet deal and the Hyatt heat lamps or even the association with Blago are a 1,000 times more effective.
- Illinois Resident - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:25 am:
===Free public university college. 100% renewables.===
BDD - And what is wrong with that? Should we charge for high school too? Today for many college is considered essential to get ahead in life (like high school use to be). Times have changed. I never hear you rail against the federal government for spending $700 billion a year on the military industrial complex.
- TopHatMonocle - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:29 am:
Trying to determine Biss’ position on something is a Schrödinger’s cat situation. It is simultaneously good and bad, and you don’t know for sure what he’ll say until you ask him, then the answer depends on who’s asking, what day of the week it is, which way the wind is blowing, and what office he’s running for.
- Anon0091 - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:39 am:
“How about giving some of these millions to independent social agencies?”
He has. Many many millions in fact.
- Anon - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:40 am:
The gall of Biss. In return for dropping out of the comptrollers race, madigan gives him a superpac and funds it (not to mention Daniels second state rep campaign). Biss goes after madigan.
Jb gives the super pac $350k, Kennedy gives it $50k and Daniel goes after them.
https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00625525
Apparently everyone’s money is good enough for Daniel when he’s not trying to paint himself as “progressive.”
- jake - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:45 am:
My wife and I have known Daniel Biss for years. I just do not recognize the person characterized by many of the snarky comments about Biss, so must assume these are opposition trolls rather than folks who want to contribute to a discussion of the merits of the candidates.
As far as Rich’s question I will take it seriously and say; Money spent in campaigns is good when in the service of a good cause, not so good in when spent in the oursuit of personal political power.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 10:48 am:
===Jb gives the super pac $350k, Kennedy gives it $50k and Daniel goes after them.===
There’s actually a big opening for Kennedy at that link you posted. Biss’ Super PAC received $30K from Joe Berrios’ committees. I forgot about that one.
- Not a Billionaire - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 11:03 am:
Perhaps Dan can call the Russians
- City Zen - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 11:07 am:
I like Frisky Biss.
- CatAttack - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 11:17 am:
Both of these can be simultaneously true:
* That spending $49 million to buy a primary is gross
* That holding that money over the heads of the party in the general is also gross
I don’t think Biss actually expects JB to support him in the general. He was making a point.
- DuPage Bard - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 11:32 am:
Either your opposed to big money or your not? You can’t say in one breath he spent too much money and at the same time ask him to commit money to your campaign.
I highly doubt Jeanne Ives is expecting Gov Rauner to send her his $70 million if she beats him.
Also JB should have been ready for this. He should have countered with are you going to stop calling me a tax cheat and corrupt insider and mobilize your people to make sure that I’m the next Governor?
- OneMan - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 11:39 am:
So did
Susan Garrett,
Citizens for Dart,
Carol Moseley Braun
Deb Mell,
Carol Ronen,
Amy Sue Mertens
Looking forward to you railing against all of them as well…
- Juvenal - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 12:49 pm:
Senator Biss:
One of the key factors in the presidential race was the amount of free publicity - mostly unfiltered free air time - that Trump was given up to and through out the campaign, particulatly by cable stations.
JB Pritzker has never held public office before. Like you and Chris Kennedy, he has never held statewide office before. That is the reason there are so many undecided voters at this juncture, and why the person who is able to spend competitively in all markets right up until election day will have the greatest likelihood of success.
Pointing out your opponent’s strengths and your weaknesses is a strange strategy indeed.
Perhaps instead of perpetually whining about everything that is wrong with your campaign, just as Bruce Rauner constantly complains about what he thinks is wrong with Illinois, you could tell us what is right with your campaign and how you plan to defeat Bruce Rauner in November.
Perhap you can start by reading The Cosgrove Memo and telling us all where Terry got it wrong.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:11 pm:
Illinois Resident. These are state promises. FYI. I would rail against the aforementioned.
- Illinois Resident - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 1:22 pm:
===Illinois Resident. These are state promises. FYI. I would rail against the aforementioned.===
===Illinois Resident. These are state promises. FYI. I would rail against the aforementioned.===
State policy has an effect on federal policy (if there are enough states participating). It always has and it always will. Everything is intertwined.
- Blue dog dem - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
Illinois resident. Your probably not going to gain much support in the Metro East. Are you advocating mothballing SAFB?
- Illinois Resident - Friday, Feb 2, 18 @ 5:10 pm:
===Illinois resident. Your probably not going to gain much support in the Metro East. Are you advocating mothballing SAFB?===
BDD - I get tired of folks saying we can’t afford health care for all (which is far cheaper than our current system), we can’t afford college for all, when we can afford $700 billion for the MIC.