State legislators on Wednesday overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of Senate Bill 444, a trailer bill to the state’s new evidence-based funding formula that passed last year. But school districts awaiting new state equity funding will still have to wait to get those dollars, according to one bill sponsor. […]
SB 444 included a couple tweaks to the funding formula, like modifications to school districts’ equalized assessed value and property tax levies. But the Illinois State Board of Education has since identified about two dozen other technical discrepancies that need fixing in the funding formula bill, according to spokeswoman Jackie Matthews. She said SB 444 becoming law will address some of the larger issues, but another trailer bill will likely still be necessary to iron out the rest.
State Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said he sees the list of discrepancies as a delay tactic by the governor.
“To produce a list that is as substantial as this is stunning to me,” he said. “So we are no closer to starting the march toward equity then we were five months ago when Gov. Rauner signed the bill into law.”
“For the near future, what appears to be several weeks, if not months, schools should expect continued delay,” he added.
In an email, ISBE communications director Jackie Matthews characterized the 23 items as “discrepancies between legislative intent and the language codified in” the bill. She said the items were identified by staff and by stakeholders who participated in community meetings and webinars hosted by ISBE over the past several months. Matthews wrote that ISBE is on schedule to submit vouchers for this new money to the comptroller in April.
Manar — chief sponsor of the reform legislation — is skeptical.
“I have no belief today that that’s going to be their final list of what they refer to as ‘tweaks,’” he says. “I want to know when they’re going to be done.”
Asked if he’s suggesting some sort of malfeasance, Manar said “not quite, but close.”
Businessman Chris Kennedy said Wednesday that if Democratic nemesis J.B. Pritzker beats him in the March primary, he would support Pritzker over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner — but Kennedy dubbed it a choice between the “unethical” and the “immoral.”
“It’s a pretty tough choice,” Kennedy said. […]
Kennedy also clarified the promise he made in a Tuesday debate to support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination.
“I think he [Pritzker] does represent the poster child for the pay-to-play political system in the state. Do I think ultimately he is a better candidate? Do I think it is better to have him in charge rather than Bruce Rauner? Yes, I think Bruce Rauner, based on his speech today, where he’s accomplished nothing in his years in office, has attacked the poor, relentlessly pushed those who have no resources out of our state, I think he’s immoral. That’s different than being unethical. If you have a choice between the immoral and the unethical, I guess I’d go with the unethical,” Kennedy said.
“I don’t think that the pandering that Biss has been doing and the plundering that Pritzker is doing is of great interest to anybody,” said Kennedy.
He said Pritzker, particularly, “can’t win a general election.”
“When you buy $40 million of a campaign and 40 percent of (likely primary voters) are undecided,” said Kennedy, referring to a WeAskAmerica poll released Wednesday, “it’s because they don’t want you.”
In a scathing report being released this morning, the Civic Federation, a Chicago watchdog group largely funded with corporate cash, says the new governor’s $31.5 billion operating budget does not add up and asserts that it could leave the state in worse shape than it was under former Gov. Pat Quinn.
After nearly a year and a half of all-out budget war in Springfield, the state’s fiscal situation has hit “a new low”—and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed 2017 spending plan is making it worse, the nonpartisan Civic Federation says.
In a beyond-blistering report being issued today, the Chicago watchdog says the budget’s reported $3.5 billion deficit—a shortfall Rauner has suggested might be filled with spending cuts and perhaps some tax hikes—in fact is “more like $4.5 billion to $5 billion,” federation President Laurence Msall told me in a phone interview last evening.
“Today we present you with a balanced budget that shows what is possible if we all come together on a comprehensive approach to state finances and job creation” the governor told lawmakers.
Yet, the budget book produced by the governor’s office of management and budget suggests the budget is balanced by [$4.57 billion in] “working together on a grand bargain.” A so-called grand bargain budget compromise, though, has not been achieved or enacted.
Illinois government finance experts agree Rauner’s proposal is not balanced [anywhere from $4.6 billion to $7 billion].
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx claims in a new book that her predecessor Anita Alvarez looked the other way despite multiple complaints of sexual harassment against a former division chief in her office.
Foxx is among 17 women from across the Illinois political sphere — including Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia — who detail their experiences of sexual harassment in former Daily Herald reporter Kerry Lester’s book “No, My Place,” which was released Wednesday.
In the book, Foxx tells of “a chief in our division who was known for everything from literally looking up women’s skirts to saying he wanted his own pretty, female intern, to asking a young woman” about performing oral sex.
Foxx says she “lobbied to get this guy fired. Problem was, he was very good friends with the former state’s attorney.”
Another woman in Illinois politics, now a state representative, recalled a lobbyist at a fundraiser commenting about her chest, and then shouting the remarks to men at the other end of a table at a bar in the 1990s.
And a commissioner for a government agency said a committeeman at a party in 2013 told her, “I’ve never tasted Chinese p—- before,” according to the book.
Written and self-published by former Daily Herald journalist Kerry Lester as a response to the #MeToo movement, the book contains dozens of stories in the women’s own voices of inappropriate behavior they said they encountered.
“In the more than two dozen interviews I conducted for this book, not a single woman who experienced harassment felt that there were appropriate mechanisms in place to report and address a problem,” Lester said in the book. “Often, she just put up with it, hoping with time the dynamics would change.”
Two candidates trying to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton were emerging Wednesday as leaders in the chase for campaign cash in the crowded Democratic primary field.
Though some candidates had yet to file their federal campaign finance reports in the hours before a midnight deadline, Kelly Mazeski of Barrington Hills, had more than $513,000 in her treasury as the year opened, and Sean Casten of Downers Grove had about $409,000. Neither Mazeski nor Casten has held elective office. She sits on the Barrington Hills Plan Commission. He is a scientist and clean-energy entrepreneur. […]
Mazeski has loaned her campaign $295,000 and Casten has loaned his effort $430,000, reports show. Including their own money, she led him in total campaign receipts so far, reporting about $688,000 to his $617,000. Casten started airing a TV ad after Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.
Congressional candidates filed their fourth quarter fundraising and spending reports today, giving us a first look at their financial status at the start of 2018.
The 3rd, 4th, and 6th Congressional Districts have raised particular interest from reporters and engaged voters across the country. In these top races, three Democratic challengers, Marie Newman, Sean Casten, and Kelly Mazeski, have contributed significant amounts to their own campaigns.
With this funding, Marie Newman was able to raise more than incumbent Congressman Dan Lipinski, with $262,092 to his $228,318. This was a major departure from the 3rd quarter of 2017, when Lipinski raised $1.5 million.
Lipinski had $1.6 million in the bank, however, compared to $237K for Newman.
The 4th District race hinges on a three-way primary between Democrats seeking to replace twelve-term Congressman Luis Gutierrez. Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia took a considerable fundraising lead, raising more than twice that of activist Sol Flores. The candidates raised $190,487 and $79,407 respectively in the 4th quarter of 2017. Garcia raised 140% more than Flores during that time period.
Garcia received just over 25% of his contributions from political committees, and was poised with $162,811 in cash on hand heading into 2018, compared to Flores’ $77,988. Alderman Ray Lopez and Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno recently dropped out of this race ahead of a candidate forum, after polling showed Garcia with a significant lead.
* From Democrat Brendan Kelly’s campaign manager in the 12th District race against Republican Mike Bost…
Hey Rich -
I know you’re probably getting swamped with digital ads AND I know we sent over our new ad earlier today - but I also wanted to highlight for you that we out-raised Bost again this quarter.
From my quick research - this is the first time in IL-12 that a challenger has had two back-to-back quarters over $300,000. Last quarter (Q3 - 2017) we raised over $355,000 and out-raised Bost by about $95,000.
Thanks,
Sam
* In the 13th District, Republican Rodney Davis raised $277K and had $1.1 million cash on hand. Among Democrats, Erik Jones raised $132K and had $238K in the bank. Betsy Londrigan raised $163K and ended with $238K. [These are updated totals.]
I’m Bob Daiber. I’m a progressive Democrat in the race for governor. I am the only candidate who has laid out a progressive income tax model. I’m not afraid to take a bold stance on issues.
I’m for a minimum wage that’s a living wage. I’m pro-union, I’m for restoring funding for state universities. I care about the environment.
You don’t have to vote for a billionaire! I know you don’t want to. You have a choice, and I’m the progressive choice – Bob Daiber, Democrat for governor.
I’m Bob Daiber and I approved this message.
Bob reported having $11,329.31 in the bank at the end of 2017 and has reported no large contributions since then.
* I don’t think I’d ever heard of Bill Whittle until today, when a certain helpful somebody sent me the invite and a link to this backgrounder…
While discussing “black America” during a December 2015 appearance on Molyneux’s program, Whittle described African Americans who support the Democratic Party as literal slaves who prefer to remain in captivity. He said that that the party has “30 million” slaves and the “terms of their slavery are very simple — there’s a word for somebody who is fed, and clothed, and housed, and whose health care is taken care of by another person, and that word is slave.” Whittle then suggested that African Americans commit voter fraud on behalf of Democrats as a condition of their slavery, claiming, “On the voting plantation that the Democratic Party has set up in America, we demand two hours of work from you every two years. Every two years we demand that you go down to the voting places and vote, once, twice, three, four times, however [many] times as you can imagine, or manage, and that’s the work we expect for you in exchange for keeping you in bondage.”
During another 2015 appearance on Molyneux’s show, Whittle compared the “Islamic invasion of Europe” to “inner cities” in America “that are absolutely toxic, violent, enraged, bitter, [and] racist.” He went on to claim Black Lives Matter is “the street muscle” of the Democratic Party and that the group will make sure “everything’s gonna burn” if welfare is reduced. Again drawing a comparison between Europe and the United States, Whittle said, “We have the exact same problem here with these same kind of communities. They’re unemployable — unemployed and unemployable — they’ve been on assistance their entire lives, they’ve never had to work before,” and he said that these people should get jobs because a job “beats the laziness” out of people and “disciplines” them into “civility.”
Whittle called President Obama an “unqualified, unknown individual” who was elected “specifically and only because he is black” and said that electing Obama was “atoning for our slavery” during a January 2016 appearance on Molyneux’s show. Moments later he said, “I didn’t own any slaves, and therefore I’m not responsible for slavery. I’m not benefiting from slavery because I never owned any slaves,” and he said, “There’s nothing in this country that survived the Civil War that was the result of slavery.” Continuing to discuss the Civil War, Whittle said the “greatest tragedy in American history” is “not slavery, it’s not the Civil War, it’s what happened after,” before complaining about the philosophy of W.E.B. DuBois.
In 2013, Whittle published a video for PJ Media with the title “The Lynching” that discussed the February 2012 shooting of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Whittle suggested that George Zimmerman, who killed Martin, had an experience tantamount to a lynching. Whittle said that text messages found on Martin’s phone, which he said were “not ‘airable’ here for extreme graphic content,” showed that Martin was “violent and highly sexualized.” What was “airable” on Whittle’s video, however, was an image (warning: disturbing image) of Martin’s body after he had been shot, which Whittle left on the screen for several minutes.
Whittle bizarrely labeled CNN anchor Don Lemon “racist” against white people because Lemon pointed out that President Donald Trump sounds different when he is using a teleprompter, as compared to when he speaks without one, during a March NRATV appearance.
Yesterday on Fox News’ “Dayside,” conservative radio host Mike Gallagher proposed that airports institute a “Muslims only” line for airport travelers during a segment Tuesday on racial profiling.
*** UPDATE 1 *** GOP state Rep. Grant Wehrli…
“Bill Whittle has a history of espousing racist ideas. That type of shameful rhetoric has no place in the Republican Party and Representative Ives should cancel her fundraiser with him.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Bourne…
Exactly. Civility and respect in our public discourse are more important than campaign contributions. Whittle's racially-charged comments are embarrassing and reprehensible. Rep. Ives should do the right thing - cancel her fundraiser. #twillhttps://t.co/dw7UN4jSax
Bill Whittle’s racially infused rhetoric shouldn’t be tolerated in the Land and Party of Lincoln. Representative Ives should disinvite him from her event. #twillhttps://t.co/Wzyrc1RTkh
The Ives for Illinois campaign was unaware of the remarks made by Bill Whittle, reported in Capitol Fax. Whittle was a guest of the event organizer. His comments are obviously offensive and objectionable. Whittle has been disinvited from the event. Representative Ives, additionally, disavows any endorsement from Mr. Whittle. A video of Whittle speaking in support of Ives has been pulled from the campaign’s social media pages.
Rauner campaign weighs in on @JeanneIves having to disinvite controversial radio host with history of racist remarks to her fundraiser: “This just shows how unelectable Representative Ives really is.” #ILGov@GovRauner
Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law were hired for university jobs created for them, that they never formally applied for and that were never advertised, documents show.
While the chancellor proposes campus-wide cuts, his daughter, Melissa Germain, and her husband, Jeffrey Germain, began working in newly created positions.
“It’s not unusual because that’s part of what you do to negotiate to get the people you want here,” Communications and Marketing Director Rae Goldsmith said of a verbal agreement between Montemagno and SIU President Randy Dunn to bring aboard family.
Faculty Association President Dave Johnson said spousal hires are not uncommon in academia. However, he said, this is the first time he has heard of an administrator bringing a child and her spouse on board.
“I’m not a lawyer and I don’t understand all the legalities involved, but I do take the ethics test on a yearly basis and it says you can’t hire people just because they’re family members,” Johnson said. “They have to be the best people for the position. It would be surprising if the new chancellor’s daughter and son-in-law suddenly became the best people for positions in the weeks and months after he was hired.”
Montemagno’s appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees on July 13. On July 24, Montemagno sent his daughter’s resume to Goldsmith, according to documents obtained by the Daily Egyptian. Two weeks later Melissa Germain signed her new contract, making her assistant director of university communications.
It’s difficult enough to advocate for the interests of higher education without stuff like this happening. They create two new jobs for the dude’s kid and son-in-law as part of his hiring package?
SIU’s Office of Internal Audit, Compliance and Ethics on Thursday opened two inquiries related to the hirings of Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law, as well as searches involving previous coworkers.
But the decision to allow for this agreement was not easily reached, said Dunn, who added he was given a directive by the Board of Trustees that “I needed to do whatever I could to make this [hire] happen.”
After wrestling with this directive and coming to a consensus with the board that the decision was not illegal, unethical or immoral, Montemagno’s request was supported, he said.
“Legally, it looked like we were probably OK with a broad reading of nepotism law,” Dunn said. “Then I went ahead and moved forward.” […]
“We’ve had a campus that’s come through the worst two years fiscally speaking that it’s ever seen since its founding days,” Dunn said, referring to the budget impasse that left hundreds of positions at SIU unfilled. “In some cases, departments were barely hanging on, so to think that the irony that we’re going to bring in two new people for jobs that may or may not exist at that point was a tough one for me.”
Cochran: So, when you get into a second term, how’s it going to be different if Mike Madigan is still the Speaker? What can you move that you couldn’t move in the first four?
Rauner: Well, you know, our first focus is to try to elect as many reform-minded, Democrats as well as Republicans, and, again, I don’t believe this election’s about party politics. I don’t think it’s about Democrats and Republicans fighting. I think it’s about getting reformers in, in both parties. Because there are good people in both parties who know our system’s broken, who want to change it. And we are going to advocate, we are going to push to have every candidate for the General Assembly make a promise to the people of Illinois, make a promise to their constituents. Promise to vote to put term limits on the ballot so people of Illinois can vote up or down. Just put it on the ballot, please. The other is to sign a pledge to vote for anybody else. It doesn’t really matter who, because there are great Democrats and great Republicans who would love to be Speaker and could do a great job. Vote for anyone else other than Mike Madigan to be Speaker. You know, 30 years is too long. Even if you’re a loyal, hardcore Democrat. Terrific. Select one of your own, another one who could be a Speaker who will do the right things and change the system. That’s what we’re going to be advocating for.
* From an NCSL interview of Senate President John Cullerton…
How would you describe your leadership philosophy?
I like to be liked rather than feared. We have a supermajority. In Illinois, that is 36 votes; we have 37. My goal is to bring everybody together. We need 36 votes to override the governor, so we don’t have a lot of votes to spare. […]
How did being the eldest in a large family prepare you for leading the Senate?
I have five sisters and three brothers and so does my wife. I look upon my caucus as a family. I’m sort of like the oldest sibling. You learn how to negotiate.
We helped launch the Illinois Innovation Network and the Discovery Partners Institute, a U of I-led effort to link the power of great research with entrepreneurship and new business formation. What Stanford and Berkeley and Harvard and MIT are to the coasts, partnerships of the U of I, U of C and Northwestern can even surpass for Illinois.
[Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Crest Hill], a member of the Higher Education Committee, was asked about the state of higher education in Illinois.
“It was a one percenter’s view of higher education,” McGuire said. “I’m really disappointed that the governor continues to be fixated on highly selective, elite institutions at the expense of Illinois’ community colleges and public universities.” […]
McGuire said he didn’t hear anything about the other 80 percent of Illinois college students who don’t attend elite schools.
He wanted Rauner to address why so many Illinois high school graduates were leaving the state to attend college. He called on Rauner to commit to investing in higher education and reverse that trend by ensuring funding for programs like MAP grants, which financially help low-income students attend college.
“What we’re hearing from our public universities is that the reason for the record exodus of Illinois high school graduates to schools out of state is because of the uncertainty,” McGuire said.
I agree with Rauner’s goal of strengthening the state’s elite higher ed institutions. But not everybody can attend those schools, so McGuire is also right.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said he’d like to be encouraged by the governor’s address delivered Wednesday, but he doesn’t know what to say.
“At the end of the day, I don’t care if he’s a lone wolf or a head cheerleader, what the state needs is a governor to take charge, engage, and do the job, and that just hasn’t happened,” Cullerton said.
Cullerton said Rauner hasn’t convened a leaders’ meeting in over a year.
Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said in a statement the governor has reached out to both sides of the aisle for things like education funding reform, and said more bipartisan work is needed to pass a balanced budget as well as meaningful property tax relief.
State Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, didn’t hear how that would happen.
“I’m just really frustrated,” Bush said. “I just … there’s just been no substance.”
* Related…
* Democrats, Republicans react to Rauner’s State of the State: Wheaton Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, Republican candidate for governor: “I don’t know if we’re reading from the same headlines or newspapers or articles about the state of the state. So it was a little bit mystifying that he didn’t hone in a little bit about specific directives that he is going to take control of.”
* Yeah, it’s Morning Consult, and their methodology is more than a bit opaque, but they’ve got Gov. Rauner’s job approval numbers, so let’s take a look…
So, he was still underwater back then, but he was doing significantly better than he is now.
What changed? Well, do you remember what happened on July 10th, the last day of the poll? The governor began a purge of his administration by firing his chief of staff Richard Goldberg and bringing in people from the Illinois Policy Institute.
By the time the next results were released in October, Rauner’s approval rating fell to 30 percent and his disapproval had risen to 55 percent. Pretty much exactly where they are today.
…Adding… Pritzker campaign…
New national polling by Morning Consult shows that Bruce Rauner is the least popular Republican governor running for reelection, with a net approval rating of -24.
The new polling comes as Bruce Rauner is facing a strong challenge from his own party, with primary opponent Jeanne Ives holding him accountable while he dodges responsibility. As Rauner flails in his re-election bid, he has desperately attempted to defend his nonexistent record, earning him the title of the Worst Republican Governor in America.
“Bruce Rauner can’t defend his own record, can’t name a single real accomplishment, and has mismanaged the state government with fatal consequences,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh. “The most vulnerable incumbent in the country is under water as Illinoisans prepare to end his reign of crisis and devastation across Illinois.”
Raoul’s AG Bid Takes Message to the Airwaves, touts latest congressional endorsement
First Raoul ad states he’s just getting started
CHICAGO – IL Sen. Kwame Raoul’s campaign for Illinois Attorney General debuted its first television ad of the campaign season today.
In the ad, entitled “Call on me,” Sen. Raoul chronicles what’s at stake in the race to replace Attorney General Lisa Madigan and why he’s ready and able to get the job done. The ad cites varying problems facing Illinoisans, how Sen. Raoul has stepped up to confront them during his career in public service and his desire to continue his advocacy as the people’s attorney. […]
Raoul also announced the endorsement of Congressman Danny Davis today.
“This ad is a testament to Kwame’s ability to win on behalf of victims and our communities,” Congressman Danny Davis said. “With so much on the line for families and neighborhoods across the state, we need an attorney general who is ready, willing and able to get the job done,” Congressman Danny Davis said.
The Raoul campaign also enjoys the support of Congresswoman Robin Kelly.
“Since filling President Obama’s seat in the state senate, Kwame has fought tirelessly to pass laws to keep us safe and reform our criminal justice system. Kwame’s work has led to laws which modernize our juvenile justice system, place tougher accountability measures on police, strengthen the state’s gun laws and prioritize prosecuting violent criminals instead of locking up low-level non-violent offenders,” said Congresswoman Robin Kelly about the ad.
The ad will air on broadcast and digital platforms.
Kwame Raoul was born on the South Side of Chicago to Haitian-born immigrants. As a lifelong resident of Illinois, Kwame is committed to safe neighborhoods. In 2004, Kwame was appointed to fill the vacancy left in the 13th Legislative District by former State Senator Barack Obama’s election to the U.S. Senate. Kwame quickly gained the confidence of leaders to handle difficult negotiations and landmark legislation including the abolition of the death penalty, expanding access to healthcare and the strongest voting rights protections in the country.
To date, his attorney general bid has been endorsed by organized labor organizations including Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Teachers Union. His campaign has also received the support of local Democratic activists across the state representing Cook, Kankakee, Madison and St. Clair counties.
Crime.
Gun violence.
Whole communities left behind.
As a prosecutor, I saw the pain it causes.
When Barack Obama was called up to the U.S. Senate, I was called upon to fill his seat.
So I did what I knew: protect people and their rights, reform the criminal justice system to keep people safe and crack down on online predators who prey on our children.
This is the work of my life…and I’m just getting started.
* As I told subscribers last night, JB Pritzker is airing a new 15-second TV ad whacking Sen. Daniel Biss on the pension issue. The spot was running in heavy rotation this morning on Chicago broadcast. Here it is…
There’s more info at a new website the Pritzker campaign created. Click here.
* From Galia Slayen at the Pritzker campaign…
Our campaign is energized by the incredible support JB is receiving as he travels across the state and from our recent polling, we are confident that JB’s message of beating Bruce Rauner and bringing real change to Illinois is resonating with voters.
Last week, Dan Biss began running ads attacking both JB and Chris Kennedy, becoming the first Democrat to attack in the Democratic primary. Simply put, Biss’ rhetoric in this campaign and record in Springfield don’t match up. Voters deserve to know the facts as we get closer to Election Day.
* From the Biss campaign…
Today, JB Pritzker released his first attack ad against Daniel Biss. The ad comes just a day after the latest We Ask America poll showed Pritzker plummeting 9 points since October—despite spending $21 million on his campaign in the same time frame— while Biss moved to second place in the poll, gaining 11 points.
“The more voters see that Daniel Biss can relate to the challenges and hopes of a middle class family, the more our poll numbers surge. The more they learn about JB Pritzker’s billionaire tax scams, the more his plummet,” said Biss campaign manager Abby Witt.
“So, it’s not surprising that JB, scared of a middle class candidate, is pulling a page out of the billionaire playbook with an attack ad that distracts from his own history. As a legislator, Daniel has passed laws to support middle-class and working families, and he’s been honest about his record on pensions. Here’s what JB Pritzker is not telling you: he lobbied for the exact same bill he’s attacking Daniel for, even cutting a check for tens of thousands to fund a PAC created just to pass the bill. He’s trying to hide that—just as he’s done with his tax returns and offshore accounts.
“But no matter how much money he throws on TV, what JB Pritzker can’t hide from is that the choice in this election is between another billionaire and middle class progressive that will make billionaires pay their fair share.”
Pritzker did indeed help fund that PAC, and Sen. Biss received two contributions from it.
* Also, if you actually watch this video, Pritzker didn’t make any “pledge” to stay positive. He said he had run a positive campaign and urged all the candidates to talk about issues and not attack each other. But, whatevs…
Well let me begin by saying to all of you that I have run a positive- I think many of you have seen the ads that I have run, or have heard me speak. I have not spoken ill of my opponents. They have attacked me on occasion and I’ve had to defend myself, but I must say that I think that we should be talking about the issues that are important to the people of Illinois, not attacking each other as Democrats. We should be pulling together to beat Bruce Rauner.
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Global Strategy Group
DATE: February 1, 2018
RE: JB Pritzker maintains strong lead over opponents
Key findings from Global Strategy Group’s survey conducted this week among of 801 likely Democratic primary voters in Illinois are as follows:
* JB Pritzker maintains his large lead in the Democratic Primary – nearly twenty points ahead of his nearest competitor. JB currently leads with 41% of the vote, ahead of Daniel Biss at 22%, Chris Kennedy at 16%, and 20% of voters undecided.
* Despite weeks of attacks from Governor Bruce Rauner and Daniel Biss, JB Pritzker is very popular and well regarded among Democratic primary voters. JB’s favorability rating is very strong with 65% of voters having a favorable opinion of him, while just 18% of voters have an unfavorable opinion of him.
* In a hypothetical two-way match-up, JB Pritzker maintains his strong lead over Daniel Biss, taking in over 50% of the vote. In a simulated head-to-head match-up against Daniel Biss, JB leads with 52% of the vote to Daniel Biss at 32%.
ABOUT THIS POLL: Global Strategy Group conducted a live telephone survey of 801 likely Democratic primary voters from January 29-31, 2018. The results of this survey have a margin of error of +/-3.5%. Care has been taken to ensure that the survey is weighted to reflect the expected makeup of the 2018 Democratic primary electorate.
The Pritzker campaign has adamantly refused to publicly release or even comment on their polling data since Day One. So, this is an interesting development.
