* Press release is on Twitter, but not in my inbox Press release…

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin today announced his candidacy to be the next Governor of Illinois. A decorated war veteran, former prosecutor and mayor of the second largest city in the state, Irvin brings a strong record of proven leadership that has been missing from Illinois under JB Pritzker. State Representative Avery Bourne of Morrisonville will be Irvin’s partner as Lt. Governor. Together, they are committed to being tough on crime, fighting to cut taxes and cleaning up the corruption that has plagued state government from the Madigan-Pritzker machine.

As the great grandson of a slave who was freed because of Abraham Lincoln, Richard’s life is the embodiment of the American dream. Born to a single mother and having grown up in the projects of Aurora, Richard was the first in his family to graduate high school. He has dedicated his life to service – a decorated war veteran, a prosecutor who was tough on criminals, and mayor of the second largest city in Illinois. During his tenure as Aurora’s mayor, he cut wasteful spending, sparked economic growth and brought property tax relief to residents. Irvin would be the first African-American nominee of either party to win the gubernatorial nomination.

“Where JB Pritzker has failed in Illinois, I have succeeded in Aurora,” Irvin said. “If we can do it in Aurora, we can do it for all of Illinois. Let’s take Illinois back and restore it to the Land of Lincoln. As the next Governor of Illinois, I will be tough on criminals, put our state on a sound fiscal path that doesn’t rely on tax hikes and fight the corrupt politicians who have run our state for decades.”

Avery’s roots run deep in Illinois. Growing up in a farming family, she learned the value of hard work and the importance of leaving a place better than she found it. Avery was the youngest person to serve in the Illinois legislature when she took the oath of office in 2015. Since then, she has worked every day for a better state where families can live, businesses thrive, and people take control of their government.

“As Richard’s partner, I look forward to righting JB Pritzker’s wrongs in ruling our state with unilateral authority,” Bourne said. “We will fight to restore parents’ rights and encourage local control because we believe all residents and communities of Illinois should have a seat at the table.”

Learn more about Richard and Avery’s fight to #takeitback at IrvinBourne.com.

* Video…

…Adding… Script…

Richard Baxter Irvin was born a slave, but he dreamed of being free. Eventually, he lived that dream, following it to the land of the man who made it possible.

He found opportunity here as a mason, helping build his community, brick by brick. Some are still here. He built a legacy I stand on today. I don’t just share the name Richard Irvin. I share his dream of what Illinois could be, where a growing economy provides ladders of opportunity for anyone willing to work. Where families are safe. Where kids are educated, not indoctrinated. Where government guarantees our right to pursue the best life we can, free of oppressive taxes and regulations.

That’s not Illinois we have today. Crime is out of control. So is corruption. Negligence and incompetence have destroyed our finances so taxes go up. So taxes go up. People move on, because there’s nothing you can do about it.

But that’s not true. I know it’s not.

I grew up in Section Eight public housing in Aurora, where I now serve as mayor. Mom had me at 16. A single mother working two jobs. Didn’t have much of a father. But my granddad, son of Richard Baxter Irvin, taught me to believe in myself to do the best I could in whatever I did, like he did as a skilled craftsman in the factories after World War Two. I enlisted in the Army, like him. Served in Desert Storm, developed the discipline it takes to complete a mission.

So, I went to college on the GI Bill, then law school to become a hands on prosecutor. Going on police raids, taking back one quarter or apartment complex at a time. Putting gang-bangers, drug dealers and wife-beaters in prison.

I’ve seen it up close. Defund the police is dumb, dangerous and it costs lives. And I believe that all lives matter. Every family should be safe. Running our second largest city, crime’s come down because the police budget has gone up. I hired more cops each year. We’ve recruited new companies, turned old properties into economic engines. And we’ve controlled spending, balanced budgets, so residents got property tax relief. My city is now safer, stronger and full of opportunity. I want that for Illinois.

Madigan and his ilk, Governor Pritzker, they’ve done so much damage. But I promise you we can overcome the challenges. That’s what I’m good at. But we must dare to dream of an Illinois that is free, prosperous and proud enough to truly be the Land of Lincoln again.

I’m Richard Irvin. I’m running for Governor of Illinois. And with your help, we will take our state back.

Please pardon all transcription errors. But, wow, that’s the best launch video of the cycle in either party. Strap in, campers.

* Let’s move on to Irvin’s pushback against the Democrats. Click here for the full document…

Meet The Republican Who Scares JB Pritzker The Most

Summary: Illinois Democrats have been campaigning to stop Republican Richard Irvin’s political rise for more than 15 years. J.B. Pritzker is so worried about Irvin, his allies – the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Party of Illinois, and the Kane County Democrats – are already attacking him.

Irvin has an extensive record as a Republican volunteer and elected official. Irvin’s been publicly identified as a Republican with limitless potential since his first campaign for public office in 2005. In that race, Irvin was supported by Republican leaders like then-State House Republican Leader Tom Cross, and opposed by prominent Democrats like Barack Obama and Dick Durbin. In 2006, Irvin was appointed as a Republican precinct committeeman in DuPage County. He was elected as a Republican precinct committeeman in DuPage County and then became an alderman in Aurora. In his successful 2017 campaign for mayor of Aurora, Irvin defeated House Speaker Mike Madigan’s handpicked candidate, Democrat state representative Linda Chapa LaVia. Durbin and Tammy Duckworth campaigned against him. Irvin’s governed as a conservative: cutting spending, delivering tax relief, and defeating the local Defund the Police movement.

Fact: Irvin is the only Republican running for governor to take on the Madigan machine and win.

Fact: No Republican scares JB Pritzker more than Irvin; that’s why Pritzker’s allies are on the attack.

…Adding… DGA executive director Noam Lee…

“Richard Irvin’s entrance into an already chaotic field crams one more candidate into the clown car that is the Illinois GOP gubernatorial primary. But if Irvin, and his anointer, billionaire Ken Griffin, expect Irvin to easily be the last clown standing, they’re in for a rude awakening.

“Expect to see a mad scramble as Irvin tries to walk back his years of praise for Gov. JB Pritzker’s leadership — something we thank the mayor for — as well as a double down on his anti-choice views as he tries to prove his far-right bonafides. And we’re sure Griffin will waste no time filling in the other gaping holes in Irvin’s platform as Griffin tries to make the Irvin campaign a vehicle to drag Illinois back to the disastrous days of the Rauner administration.

“As Irvin has said himself, Gov. JB Pritzker has been a proven leader for the state of Illinois. Pritzker has increased the minimum wage, launched the largest infrastructure project in state history, made college more affordable, and expanded early childhood education, all while leading the state through an unprecedented global pandemic.”

…Adding… DPI…

Democratic Party of Illinois Executive Director Abby Witt released the following statement regarding the news that Richard Irvin has entered the Republican primary for governor:

“Today, we finally received official confirmation of what has been reported for weeks: Richard Irvin will lead Ken Griffin’s Rauner Reboot slate as the candidate for governor. Irvin jumps into the race with the blessing of Bruce Rauner himself and leads a handpicked slate ready to pull Illinois back to the Rauner days of chaos and dysfunction.

“Illinoisans will not be fooled by the Rauner Reboot slate and they will not stand idly by while Ken Griffin and Bruce Rauner try to drag our state backwards with their anti-working family agenda. Simply put, Illinois voters will not tolerate a slate of candidates whose only goal is to return us to the Rauner years of budget impasses, credit downgrades, draconian service cuts, and governmental crisis.”

…Adding… Personal PAC…

Today, following the news that anti-choice extremists Richard Irvin and Avery Bourne would run as Republicans for governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, Personal PAC President and CEO Terry Cosgrove released the following statement.

“Richard Irvin and Avery Bourne present a clear threat to the progress we’ve made in Illinois to enshrine reproductive rights into law and protect the fundamental right to choose. Their extreme positions on reproductive decision making would take Illinois back decades––to a time of dirty and deadly back-alley abortions. We will not allow Republican extremists to make Illinois a more dangerous state for women.”

Richard Irvin is a threat to women’s reproductive rights. He said that “Planned Parenthood was bad for Aurora,” and compared the lifesaving and necessary work of the clinic to a “strip club or asbestos company.”

His running mate, Avery Bourne, is a far-right extremist who wants to ban abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and called enshrining the protections given to women by Roe v Wade into state law “extreme.”

One thing is clear: Irvin and Bourne would spell disaster for women seeking to make decisions about their own reproductive health care free from political interference.

…Adding… SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley…

“For working people across the state of Illinois, today is a day to reflect on the progress we’ve made and recommit ourselves to advancing protections for all workers–including fair wages and working conditions, access to quality health care, continued educational opportunities, and dignity in retirement. Any candidate who seeks to co-opt this day to push an agenda that does the opposite is not worthy of our state’s highest office.”

…Adding… Ken Griffin…

Unlike the current Governor who was born into wealth and has demonstrated little urgency or progress in improving our State, Richard Irvin’s life embodies the American Dream and a real commitment to making communities stronger. From humble beginnings, he put himself through college with the help of the GI bill and chose to enter public service to make a difference in the lives of others. As Mayor of Aurora, he has successfully delivered on the issues Illinoisans care most about – strengthening the education system, improving public safety, creating economic opportunities and governing with integrity. I am excited that he has decided to join the race, and look forward to the opportunity to meet him and learn more about his ideas in the weeks ahead.

Yeah, because this isn’t a setup at all. Right. Puhleeze.

…Adding… Natalie Edelstein with the Pritzker campaign…

The GOP primary field continues to grow but one thing stays the same: the people of Illinois do not want a repeat of the Bruce Rauner years of disastrous mismanagement and policies that set our state back. The governor is focused on continuing to lead Illinois through these challenging times, building on his record of paying our bills on time and improving the state’s credit rating, investing in our roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure, and setting a national standard for action on climate that will bring down energy costs and create jobs.”

…Adding… Good point about geographical split in the party…

In 2002 about 35% of the vote in a statewide Republican primary came from the 5 traditional collar counties, while about 45% of the vote came from the downstate 96 counties. In 2018 only about 29% came from the collars while about 52% came from downstate.https://t.co/pECXHTjT5t pic.twitter.com/d3vG8mobU9

— Scott Kennedy (@ScottTKennedy) January 17, 2022

* And more react…

Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Leaders State on Richard Irvin Announcement: pic.twitter.com/FX2GeKNT16

— Robert Peters (@RobertJPeters) January 18, 2022

* In that same vein, “Today is about MLK” says politician who launched a statewide campaign on MLK Day…

Irvin launched his bid for governor with handshakes and hugs with supporters who attended Aurora’s official celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But the newest Republican to enter the race declined to discuss his candidacy as he left the event.

“Today is about MLK,” Irvin said, ignoring questions about his campaign. “There will be a lot information coming out later.”