* Cook Political Report…
When looking at the Republican side of the ledger, there are three races that already appear to be Democratic pick ups. In Illinois, GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner is trailing Democratic billionaire J.B. Pritzker by anywhere from 16 to 22 points. This race has been in the Lean Democratic column, and while we are loathe to kick an incumbent when he’s down, it’s hard to justify such a rating at this point. The race moves to the Likely Democratic column. […]
The race between GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner and entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker that was billed as the Battle of the Billionaires has fizzled. It’s not that the candidates aren’t spending record sums of money, it’s simply that there doesn’t seem to be a lot to see here. As a Republican in a very blue state who spent most of the first three years of his term locked in an ugly battle with House Speaker Mike Madigan and the Democratic-controlled state legislature over the budget, Rauner has been an underdog since the start of this race. He then faced an unexpectedly competitive primary that he eked out with a 51-percent victory.
Pritzker has been on a roll since the March primary and isn’t content to sit on his lead. The campaign has launched a barrage of negative ads at Rauner. Rauner has hit back, but his attacks haven’t landed the same punch. Despite this, Pritzker is having the worst week of the campaign and it won’t matter. An investigation by Cook County revealed that Pritzker defrauded the county by having all the toilets removed from his home in an effort to lower his property taxes. Illinois voters have a pretty high tolerance for scandal and this one doesn’t appear to clear the bar. Rauner was also hit with another problem this week as questions have arisen as to whether his office sat on information about a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires Disease at a veterans home. Attention quickly shifted from missing toilets to fatalities. In other words, Rauner can’t catch a break.
At this point in the race, there is no path to victory for Rauner. The contest is in the Likely Democrat column.
Ouch.
* Meanwhile, the Champaign News-Gazette has endorsed Gov. Rauner’s reelection bid…
This state must change, and much of Rauner’s prescription for curing what ails Illinois would make things better. Pritzker’s policy proposals will make a bad situation considerably worse — higher taxes, dramatic spending increases and an even-more-poisonous climate for job creation.
It would be a return to the one-party Democratic misrule of 2003-15 under former Govs. Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn and a Democratic Legislature ruled by House Speaker Michael Madigan.
If polls are correct, Pritzker is a shoo-in for election. But as those polls have trended in his favor, Pritzker has become more and more vague.
They’re right about Pritzker’s increasing vagueness, as Wednesday’s debate and Thursday’s press conference clearly showed.
- Griffin - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:07 am:
Loath
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:07 am:
–while we are loathe to kick an incumbent when he’s down, –
–His loathing shined through in an interview with Politico…–
–They loathe Rauner. –
“Loathing” this morning. “Fear” this afternoon?
- Motambe - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:10 am:
This will be a watershed election for Illinois. “Tough Love” is needed to correct the budget problems, but will the assumed new governor- Ptitzker- and the legislative leaders have the stomach to get the job done, or give us more of the same?
Meanwhile, friends and neighbors whose children have already left the state are talking about leaving if Pritzker is elected and raises taxes. Will they actually leave? And sadly, if re-elected Rauner may need to grow a pair and raise taxes to fix the budget problems.
- Jibba - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:12 am:
NG is still in Rauner’s pocket. Shocker. Exactly which of Rauner’s prescriptions are good for Illinois? Cutting taxes without cutting spending? That didn’t work for his first two years and left us $16B in debt. Creating local right to work zones that are not currently legal? Making state workers take a $12K cut in compensation by forcing them into the lowest value state government health plans in the country? Sounds great, sign me up. /s
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:13 am:
– But as those polls have trended in his favor, Pritzker has become more and more vague.–
“Because….. Edgar.”
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:15 am:
Rauner appears to be loathed by polled voters here, so loathing that truth is a tough day.
The RaunerS aren’t great at messaging and branding, even if one, or both, think they are.
- Grand Avenue - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:23 am:
Pritzker’s continued lead in the poll is likely fueling his continued vagueness - why risk a self-inflicted wound?
- Moby - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:23 am:
== “An investigation by Cook County revealed that Pritzker defrauded the county by having all the toilets removed from his home in an effort to lower his property taxes.” =
Wow, talk about misleading to non-Illinois readers. No mention of the fact that it was a project house being remodeled, and no one lives there?
- Columbo - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:36 am:
That Champaign News-Gazette editorial is a doozy. Chocked full of revisionist history, even with U of I in their backyard they somehow manage to ignore that Rauner’s first volley at higher education was a proposed 30% budget reduction. CN-G notes, “For all his faults, Rauner is offering a way out of the wilderness.” If I was looking for quick solutions to Illinois’ many problems, I’d follow Moses before I’d follow Rauner.
- Louis G Atsaves - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:39 am:
@moby, one of our new resident Pritzkerbots.
- DarkHorse - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Newspaper endorsements are often driven by what’s in the best economic interest of the paper. I guess the News-Gazette’s readers/subscribers/advertisers prefer Rauner to an “all Democratic” line up.
- Langhorne - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 11:48 am:
CNG — not much of a workforce there
This is the guy?
- Illinois Resident - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:00 pm:
Surprised they took this long to come to this conclusion. Anyone paying attention knows what is going to happen.
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:03 pm:
Is Moby lying, Louis?
- Arsenal - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:09 pm:
==one of our new resident Pritzkerbots==
At least do your spin well. JBots is WAY better.
- People Over Parties - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
===Wow, talk about misleading to non-Illinois readers. No mention of the fact that it was a project house being remodeled, and no one lives there?===
Give me a break.
- Matts - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:21 pm:
New campaign slogan for Pritzker: “He’s not as bad as Rauner”, “He’s Not As Bad As Rauner”, “He’s……..
- Jibba - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:27 pm:
People over parties…how exactly is Moby wrong? Perhaps you should read the report yourself.
- Norseman - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 12:51 pm:
The Champaign News-Gazette is lucky it has UofI as it’s local uni. That institution was the only one I know of that wasn’t badly damaged by Rauner.
- kitty - Friday, Oct 5, 18 @ 1:18 pm:
The CU News-Gazette editorial board, namely Rossow, Dey and Kacich, consistently support policies detrimental to organized labor and the middle class, no surprise it endorsed Rauner. This publication supports Rauner “reforms” but almost never addresses them specifically by name save for worker comp laws.