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* From a letter to the editor of the Champaign News-Gazette…

I do not believe in, nor trust, Ives to become our next governor when she supports and backs people like Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Can’t she see that the state of lllinois is in the financial mess it is because of Madigan and his followers? We’ve had enough of that type leadership in Illinois. So no, I will not support nor will I back Ives.

I had my traditional pre-primary discussion with a family member who doesn’t follow politics and gets most of his information on campaigns from TV news and advertising. He is a lifelong Republican who despises Gov. Bruce Rauner (retired AFSCME), but he said he can’t vote for Ives because she’s controlled by Madigan.

And he’s not the only one. I’m getting reports from the doors of average voters saying the same thing. That “Who’s really behind Jeanne Ives?” ad of Rauner’s is doing its job. Ives doesn’t have the cash to effectively counter it, so she’s getting buried by it.

* Meanwhile, the Rockford Register-Star endorsed Ives…

Passion, energy and an “I’m-mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-it-anymore” attitude make Jeanne Ives our choice in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

Ives has legislative experience, unlike Gov. Bruce Rauner, and knows how to get things done in Springfield.

Um, of all the bills she herself introduced since January of 2017, precisely one has become the law of the land…

Amends the Public Water District Act. Provides that a general manager of a public water district may be discharged at a meeting of the board of trustees upon a majority vote of the members

The only other Ives bill to get a floor vote in that same time period lost on 3rd Reading by a vote of 43-70.

* Back to the editorial board endorsement…

Many newspapers across the state back Rauner because of school financing and criminal justice reforms and because their editorial boards were disgusted by Ives’ television commercial playing off stereotypes of immigrants, the LGBTQ community, union workers and people on public assistance.

We were disgusted by the ad as well, but it was not enough for us to withdraw our support for Ives.

* Related…

* Gov. Rauner debates his ads about Jeanne Ives w/Berkowitz: Truthful or gross distortions?: Ives said, to the Crain’s editorial board on Jan. 22, 2018 she’d start by working to repeal the income tax hike that was approved over Rauner’s veto. But “I wouldn’t do that immediately,” she said. “I suspect that, within two years, we could set that out as a goal.” The Citizens for Rauner mailer states: “Jeanne Ives wants to keep Mike Madigan’s 32% income tax hike,” and it refers to Jeanne Ives as “Mike Madigan’s favorite candidate.” … Ives said she couldn’t get the $5 billion tax bill repealed NOW—but Rauner couldn’t even sustain his 2017 veto of that bill, w many Republicans jumping ship.

* Jeanne Ives’ GOP insurgency: “People keep asking, ‘Can I win?’ I like to ask, ‘Should I win?” Ives said. Jim Nowlan, a Republican and retired political science researcher for the University of Illinois, is dismissive of Ives’ chance. “Bruce Rauner is an unpopular governor. I think Jeanne Ives has the potential to embarrass the governor by doing well in the primary,” he said. “I could see her getting 40 percent of the vote. But I can’t see her winning. Bruce Rauner is an incumbent and he has far more resources.”

* Gun Confiscation Begins in Illinois: Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives voted no on the measure, and expressed her concern about the issue earlier this week when Illinois Review asked her about raising the age buying a gun to age 21. “What other rights are we going to raise to age 21?” Ives answered. “The age is arbitrary. The average age of a mass shooter is somewhere in the 30s.”

* Five Republican Incumbents Facing Challengers From the Far Right: In fact, Governor Rauner is leading her by about 20 points in primary polling. Which makes a person wonder — if Rauner is already so unpopular and he’s still trouncing Ives, how bad must she really be?

* The John Williams Show: Gubernatorial Candidate Jeanne Ives joins the conversation to explain her belief that the CityKey allows undocumented immigrants to vote

* Illinois Governor Candidates at Odds on Marijuana Use: Gov. Bruce Rauner implemented the pilot program in 2015, but he has recently fought in court attempts to expand the list of qualifying conditions. He is against legalization for recreational purposes. His primary competitor, Rep. Jeanne Ives, has consistently railed against any type of legalization.

* Rauner pledges support for Q-C rail project: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner pledged support Friday for passenger rail service in the Quad-Cities, providing a counter to primary rival, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, who last week voiced her opposition during a visit to the area. Rauner toured Kone in Moline and, during remarks to employees, pointed to his support for rail service, along with getting the new Interstate-74 bridge over the Mississippi River built. “I’m all about investing in infrastructure,” Rauner said. “I want to get the Amtrak high-speed train coming over here. I want to invest more in the highway system. We’re going to get the bridge built over here.”

* Illinois lieutenant gubernatorial candidate ‘dubious’ of Amtrak project: Meanwhile, Lieutenant Gubernatorial Candidate and Rock Island County Board Member Rich Morthland has many questions about the project. “Of course I want Amtrak to come to the Quad Cities…but purely for nostalgic reasons,” Morthland said. “That doesn’t mean it’s the right reason.” Morthland recently called the project a ‘boondoggle,’ and he says his running mate, State Representative Jeanne Ives, is not a big fan of the project either. “We are dubious of the situation with Amtrak,” Morthland said. “A private company, publicly funded…that just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.”