* Politico…
Watch for Republican tech entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan to throw his hat in the ring to run for governor this week. He’s notified friends that he’ll be announcing Thursday. Sullivan lives in Petersburg but is also founder of the Alter Global venture capital firm in San Francisco. He’s been reaching out to potential donors, telling them he has $5 million in commitments, according to a fundraising booklet obtained by Playbook. Sullivan also has pulled together a campaign team, including campaign manager Noah Sheinbaum, a management consultant who worked for Bain & Co., and Eric Wilson, a digital strategist who also worked on Sen. Marco Rubio’s campaign. Sullivan would face state Sen. Darren Bailey, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, and business owner Gary Rabine, in a June 2022 primary.
* He has some good stories to tell. From 2010…
Petersburg native Jesse Sullivan is living in a tent during one of Washington, D.C.’s worst winters on record to help raise money to provide emergency shelter for the people of Haiti.
2012…
When Jesse Sullivan arrived in Tor Ghai, a community in the Nahr-e-Saraj district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, it was riddled with violence.
Gun battles were routine, and improvised explosive devices were a constant threat.
Sullivan, 27, was there as part of a U.S. Army human terrain team. Made up of civilian and military personnel, the teams are embedded with brigades to help military commanders gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural environments in which they operate.
* Sullivan has never contributed to a state or local campaign, but he did volunteer for a Democratic congressional candidate in 2008 against Aaron Schock.
* From Sullivan’s plan to win…
• Over-perform and drive up turnout among rural and religious base voters
• Bring back the Suburbs! Message to college educated female and suburban voters with an appealing message
• Activate the youth vote with a future-focused campaign centered on economic growth and opportunity
Not sure how he does the first two at the same time. He also thinks he’ll be the early frontrunner, which he claims will avoid candidates being forced to take extreme positions, even though there’s likely no way of convincing people like Darren Bailey to get out.
Also, his campaign manager has never had any high-level campaign experience, but I’m sure this is the second coming of the “Best Team in America” ™.
* Speaking of Bruce Rauner…
Ken Griffin, the GOP megadonor and billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel, donated $5 million to DeSantis’ campaign in April — the largest donation he has received this year. DeSantis also raked in $500,000 in May from WeatherTech founder David MacNeil, $250,000 in March from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and $250,000 in February from former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, who moved to Florida after he lost re-election.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Press release…
The results are in and Gary Rabine, candidate for Governor, was the clear winner of the Illinois State Fair Straw Poll.
The Illinois Republican Party tent conducted a straw poll during the State Fair. Fair goers had the option of putting corn in the jar of their favorite candidate and Gary Rabine was the undisputed straw poll winner.
“The results, of course, are not scientific but a win is a win,” Rabine said. “We are building momentum every day and we will continue our march to a victory not only in the primary but also against JB Pritzker. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I am the outsider our state needs right now.”
*** UPDATE 2 *** Text from an ILGOP official…
We did not conduct a straw poll. The “Corn Poll” was not monitored, no one counted the corn at the end of each day and it started over new the next day as a fun thing for folks to do when inside the tent.
*** UPDATE 3 *** FRAUD AT POLLS!…
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:20 pm:
Bruce Rauner gave $250K to Governor Super Spreader? Could you imagine if Rauner was governor during COVID?
Ivermectin bidness would be boomin’.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:21 pm:
I do not like rich people with no political experiences buying a political office and starting at the top that being said and even though I don’t know anything about him except this post, he sounds like it he best Republican candidate so far.
- SAP - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:24 pm:
What I want to know is: How many license plate pictures would he need?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:25 pm:
Griffin, Rauner, DeSantis… no surprises.
The reason grifting and using money to influence people like DeSantis is DeSantis is one who is willing to deliver for donors… like vaccinations…
A key component… key… was that Rauner was “one of their own” as governor. Problem was… Rauner was more engaged in Franks, Dunkin, and Drury than ever getting to 60/30.
The formula worked to win, but failed miserably to govern and make policy.
I’m intrigued by this Sullivan candidacy. So much is said about the BTIA, but… when IPI took over, then failed after weeks of failing… what exactly is the legacy?
They got Rauner elected… failed to appease Diana Rauner, and in the end, the Rauners left like the Buchanans.
The races that matter are SoS and Treasurer for the GOP… they just don’t know it seems.
So, my intrigue with Sullivan remains.
- Give Me A Break - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
Anyone heard anything from the Kirk Dillard camp? Last week local Springfield radio had him just about to announce.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
===Last week local Springfield radio had him just about to announce===
Sigh
- Red Ranger - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:26 pm:
What is clear is Sullivans slide deck was written by a management consultant sitting in DC whose time in Illinois likely consisted of hanging out in Wicker Park and then heading over to a Cubs game. But, at least those guys will get paid.
- thechampaignlife - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:27 pm:
When will the wealthy Repubs learn that their best hand in Illinois is to play closer to center, build up the party, and then ease towards the right? The strategy to start at the far right has been doing nothing for them for approaching two decades now.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:31 pm:
==Could you imagine if Rauner was governor during COVID?==
State workers would most likely not have been paid during the stay-at-home orders (if we still had them under Rauner). Or they would have still been forced to go to work in the office daily. And probably COVID used as another avenue to try to crush AFSCME and the other unions?
- Not a Superstar - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:32 pm:
==Dillard==
Lol. Dear Kirk: Stop trying to make fetch happen.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:34 pm:
It is absolutely no surprise that Rauner and Griffin are giving big bucks to DeSantis. That governor very well reflects the money over life attitude of the right wing. Rauner and Griffin purposely hurt many thousands even without a pandemic.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:34 pm:
===…another avenue to try to crush AFSCME and the other unions?===
AFSCME on its own is doing all it can to not fully engage in the safety, well being, and health of its members… as of late.
They are trying to walk it back, but “they know what they said”, and Rauner was nowhere near it.
- walker - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:36 pm:
Interesting player joins the final table.
Success in venture capital predicts nothing related to government success. Hopefully this guy’s got something else.
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:39 pm:
…human terrain team…
How is this guy a Republican?
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:41 pm:
Not one Black person on that Alter Global “team.” Visionary leadership right there.
You’d think a bunch of recent Stanford MBAs might be a little more sophisticated than that, but giving the vagueness of Sullivan’s prospectus, I’m guessing he’s just a young, Rauneresque libertarian with boundless faith in “merit” - but with one key twist: VC instead of private equity.
Vive la différence [banned punctuation]
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:48 pm:
Lord, grant me the confidence of a white man talking about appealing to college-educated, female suburban voters…with a team comprised solely of white men. /s
But seriously, as someone in that apparently coveted demographic, abortion/Roe are still going to be hot-button issues for suburban women, and you can’t appeal to both women and rural/religious voters on that issue. Also, no mention of healthcare (one of the other issues that drove suburban women turnout in 2018), especially when we’re in an ongoing pandemic? Mark me down as unimpressed.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:48 pm:
Sounds like his “plan to win” assumes he’ll be the nominee by default. That’s a fine, if generic, general election strategy, but it’s not going to help him get past Bailey in the primary.
- SaulGoodman - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:49 pm:
**Also, his campaign manager has never had any high-level campaign experience**
That’s a nice way of saying that it appears that he has ZERO campaign experience.
- MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:49 pm:
“Not sure how he does the first two at the same time.”
He can either have a anti-choice message for rural and religious primary voters or he can have a pro-choice message for college educated, female general election voters — recent events in Texas are going to force every GOP candidate to clearly pick a lane.
– MrJM
- MrX - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 12:56 pm:
Griffin’s money could become a liability to DeSantis since Citadel is so heavily invested in
the monoclonal antibodies that DeSantis is pushing over masks and vaccines. DeSantis has already had to answer questions about it.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 1:02 pm:
I did look at the website. It probably is aa good a place as any to learn about Mr. Sullivan.
Of course, you can’t learn as much as you would like to about a potential candidate from his firm’s website, but he sure does look like an interesting candidate.
- The Ford Lawyer - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 1:02 pm:
Sullivan’s Plan to Win reminds me of an old joke about an economist stuck on a desert island with the punchline “assume a can opener”. Sullivan appears to have assumed the can opener with his “appealing message” to suburban women. Secondly, no one needs to “force” Darren Bailey to take an extreme position.
- walker - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 1:18 pm:
Can he fund the Sullivans’ party?
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 1:34 pm:
=He can either have a anti-choice message for rural and religious primary voters or he can have a pro-choice message for college educated, female general election voters — recent events in Texas are going to force every GOP candidate to clearly pick a lane.=
Rauner was able to get away with selling two different stories downstate and up north. Not sure if this guy could or not, but Rauner did.
Not sure how this guy is different than Rauner.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 1:50 pm:
===Bring back the Suburbs Message to college educated female and suburban voters with an appealing message===
I’m sure the happenings in Texas will help with this.
I’ll be interested to how you message this… as a Republican… in the primary…
- dan l - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:20 pm:
——
I’m sure the happenings in Texas will help with this.
I’ll be interested to how you message this… as a Republican… in the primary…
——
They’ll point to it as a beacon…..
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:21 pm:
=== They’ll point to it as a beacon…..===
A beacon of what exactly?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:36 pm:
===The results are in and Gary Rabine, candidate for Governor, was the clear winner of the Illinois State Fair Straw Poll.===
Great news for Pritzker… the more the Trumpkins rally around a friend of the Trump kids in Illinois, the better chance Pritzker has with Rabine as the nominee.
(It’s a straw poll … at the state fair… nearly a year before the primary vote, months before petitions go out… )
- Roadrager - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:38 pm:
==A beacon of what exactly?==
“Making people we don’t like mad.”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:40 pm:
=== “Making people we don’t like mad.”===
Losing to own the libs?
That’s not a beacon, it’s a flashing red light indicating a dead end.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:44 pm:
=“The results, of course, are not scientific but a win is a win,” Rabine said.=
Sounds like his campaign is doing really well. /s
- The Old Man - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:46 pm:
As a republican I am waiting for the REAL Republican Candidate who can win to step up. Tired of extremism.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 2:51 pm:
==Not one Black person on that Alter Global “team.” Visionary leadership right there.==
More diversity than all the trade unions in Illinois combined.
- Chicago Blue - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 3:00 pm:
@City Zen
https://seiu73.org/about/officers/
https://seiuhcilin.org/president-greg-kelley/
Keith Hill, president of ATU 241
Come on man.
- Shield - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 3:08 pm:
- Chicago Blue - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 3:00 pm:
Read for comprehension.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/building%20trades
- Moe Berg - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 3:26 pm:
@ City Zen: I’m sorry, is there a trade union official running for governor?
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 3:46 pm:
As to the straw poll; may we have totals? I bet 75 votes is the over under
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 4:06 pm:
===Gary Rabine, candidate for Governor, was the clear winner of the Illinois State Fair Straw Poll.===
All this proves is that Daren Bailey is a few kernels shy of a full ear. But we knew that already.
- Roadrager - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 4:24 pm:
Upcoming Rabine: “I don’t really know anything about straw polls, or corn polls, or voting, or corn. I’m just a simple businessman who thinks there need to be some questions asked about why people are attempting to tarnish my victory.”
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 4:25 pm:
===We did not conduct a straw poll. The “Corn Poll” was not monitored, no one counted the corn at the end of each day and it started over new the next day as a fun thing for folks to do when inside the tent.===
So there’s no kernel of truth? It was a popcorn kind of poll when you think about it, buttering up folks. I mean, sure, Rabine creamed the competition, scalloped the others…
- Blackhawk - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 4:25 pm:
It took 3 weeks for the official results. Bailey should ask to have the results audited.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 4:31 pm:
Maybe Rabine won the candy corn poll?
It’s like Rasmussen, but it leans more towards the syrup of corn not the kernel.
- Fly like an eagle - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 5:04 pm:
“Read for comprehension.”
Google is your friend: https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/2020/9/22/21450769/organized-labor-ibew-union-apprenticeships-diversity-chicago-federation-labor-elbert-walters
“ At IBEW Local 134, we’re proud of the fact that 41.1% of our electrical apprentices are people of color and of our tireless work to continue strengthening our diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Also see the interviews with retired Vice President Russell Ponder and Vice President Maurice King
- Fly like an eagle - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 5:13 pm:
== So there’s no kernel of truth? It was a popcorn kind of poll when you think about it, buttering up folks. I mean, sure, Rabine creamed the competition, scalloped the others…==
Corny but fun.
- Don't Bloc Me In - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 5:15 pm:
Looking forward to a statement from Rabine regarding election integrity, or at least the integrity of straw polls….
- Sir Reel - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 5:25 pm:
Jesse went to school in Petersburg with my son. He was a smart kid, good athlete. I think he overrates the average Republican primary voter. They’re more like Mr. Bailey. I wish him luck.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 6:51 pm:
To the update #1 & #2:
That’s pretty much exactly the kind of thing that I would expect a GOP campaign to do.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 9:14 pm:
ILGOP brought this on themselves by not putting any kind of structure into that corn poll. One candidate or another was obviously going to declare victory. Who could stop them?
- Levois J - Tuesday, Sep 7, 21 @ 9:55 pm:
That’s a lot of popcorn they could’ve popped. I would’ve loved to been at the state fair to eat that popcorn!