* Dave McKinney and Tina Sfondeles…
One month after staging a primary upset, Republican Darren Bailey is struggling to reel in supporters of a top Republican primary rival and has yet to log a six- or seven-figure campaign contribution in his fall fight against billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Compounding Bailey’s troubles, hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who put $50 million into the failed candidacy of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, doesn’t intend to write any checks to the downstate Republican state senator in his battle to unseat the Democratic governor.
“Ken will not be backing Darren Bailey,” Griffin spokesman Zia Ahmed told WBEZ. “He believes Richard Irvin was the best candidate for governor of Illinois.” […]
Some signs point to the possibility Irvin himself will endorse Bailey soon. […]
“Quite frankly, I’ve never met Sen. Bailey, so that’s an issue. I generally don’t support people I don’t know,” said Gidwitz, finance chair of Donald Trump’s 2020 Illinois presidential campaign and the former Trump-appointed ambassador to Belgium.
* Mike Miletich…
The Pritzker campaign says Bailey is happy to use police officers when it is convenient, but the senator’s voting record shows he has done little to benefit law enforcement.
Still, Illinois FOP President Chris Southwood said his organization is considering endorsing Bailey in the governor’s race. Southwood said Bailey has done everything he can to alleviate concerns from members. He explained Bailey wants to protect police pensions and pledged to support union agreements for the FOP.
Controversial Chicago Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said Bailey admitted he doesn’t know everything and needed to be informed by law enforcement to know what they needed. Catanzara stressed that change needs to occur in Springfield and Chicago to address rising crime. He claimed Illinois has been a nightmare since the SAFE-T Act took effect and Democrats passed the plan from a “50,000-foot overview” because it was all about emotions.
“I can tell you Sen. Bailey has been more involved in trying to understand what the problems are, what needs to be addressed in that than every other politician that helped craft it, pass it, and sign it.”
* WBBM…
The head of Chicago’s police union is throwing support behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey — and traveled to southern Illinois to do it.
“One of the first conversations we’ve had was about pensions and the concerns about pensions — and promises made need to be promises kept,” John Catanzara, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, said at an appearance Wednesday with the state senator in O’Fallon.
Catanzara said Bailey admitted to him he need to learn more about the issues, a candor that’s unusual in politics.
* Jerry Nowicki…
A new poll from the firm Morning Consult showed Gov. JB Pritzker’s approval rating at 51 percent among Illinois voters, or seven points “above water” in polling lingo.
It’s the latest quarterly poll from the firm, and data included 14,258 registered voters polled from April 1 through June 30.
While it’s a truism of polling that any poll is just a “snapshot in time,” Pritzker’s numbers have been remarkably consistent in the Morning Consult measurements since January 2021. His approval has ranged from 50 to 51 percent while disapproval ranged from 43 to 44 percent.
President Joe Biden’s approval rating in Illinois as measured by the same firm, however, is an example of how quickly public sentiment can change.
Morning Consult distributed the polling results under the headline “Democratic Governors Facing Re-Election Are Resisting Biden’s Drag Effect.” The firm measured Biden’s approval at 47 percent in Illinois while disapproval measured at 50 percent.
…Adding… WCIA…
According to a poll released Friday by Chicago-based polling company Victory Research, Governor J.B. Pritzker fell below 50% approval while leading against Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey by nearly 10%.
The poll found that 48.9% of respondents said they would vote for Pritzker, while 39.0% said Bailey had their vote.
The poll also found that 47.3% of respondents said Pritzker deserved a second term. Victory Research previously found in January 51.7% said Governor Pritzker deserved a second term.
* Meanwhile, Bailey has an op-ed in the Tribune…
Chicago is still a great city, but it is a city in decline. The good news is that enacting better policies will stop the decline and reverse the current trends.
School choice would force public schools to fight for students and funding and end the complacency that hurts our kids. Instead, let’s empower parents to choose where to send their kids to school. Let’s enable kids in crisis to escape failing schools and get the education they deserve. Consigning kids to failing schools based on where they live is cruel and wrong. We must end these destructive policies and stand up for our kids as a compassionate society. Reducing crime begins with giving families a real choice in education.
But…
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:27 am:
Someone should remind the ILGOP that Rauner claimed to have no problem with unions as well and look what happened once he got in office.
It is funny that right wing law enforcement types get suddenly liberal when it comes to unions and pensions. The pocketbook is always king.
- Nick - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:30 am:
An Illinois governor polling positively is itself an oddity.
- Henry Francis - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:30 am:
“ Instead, let’s empower parents to choose where to send their kids to school.” (but not let parents chose where to take their kids for brunch, because we need to protect them from drag shows)
“Let’s enable kids in crisis to escape failing schools and get the education they deserve.” But when it comes to kids in the crisis of an unwanted pregnancy, well kid, you can’t get the medical treatment you deserve.
It will be interesting to see what Bailey’s thoughts are on the police pensions once he “learn(s) more about the issues”.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:30 am:
ILGOP should read ILFOP. Freudian slip?
- vern - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:31 am:
I don’t think it got any coverage while you were away, but Irvin’s quarterly showed him taking a lot of small recurring donations from people all over the country. I assume Irvin didn’t tell those folks he was fully funded by a billionaire. Whatever problems there are with Pritzker self-financing, at least he doesn’t take outside donations. He definitely doesn’t take monthly donations from people much poorer than him.
Good riddance to that whole scene.
- Roadrager - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:34 am:
It’s an easy enough deal to make. Scott Walker won office on a promise to destroy public sector unions except police and fire, for whom he pledged undying support.
Looking forward to the first Bailey-Vallas joint campaign event.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:35 am:
“Chicago is still a great city, but it is a city in decline.”
What a way to start the week, with the Chicago Tribune’s suburbanite editors giving space to the state’s rural welfare queens in order to run down the city that props all of them up financially.
Good stuff.
- Lurker - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:42 am:
Has anyone confirmed that Pritzker will not back him either?
(I still find that action was a disgrace to democracy.)
- Blue Dog - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:44 am:
pritzker 58%
Bailey 40.5%
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:46 am:
First,
John Amdor doing John Amdor things. You’re the goods, well done.
To the post?
Well, this is not “your dad’s GOP”… of your mom’s either.
You have out of state influences like Proft imploding any sense of what the ILGOP was… and going back to Oberweis’ own assault on the base GOP, to devolve to this new “base GOP”…
I don’t identify with Bailey, his ilk, and I do mean… ilk… and this party, in this state and nationally… I don’t identify with this base or who they are.
The implosion will either lead to a rebirth or an erosion so bad it’ll never recover. That’s all on them… as Proft cashed checks to keep you down.
- Roadrager - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:53 am:
==The implosion will either lead to a rebirth or an erosion so bad it’ll never recover. That’s all on them… as Proft cashed checks to keep you down.==
Even if this movement of hateful, willful ignoramuses implodes at the state level, success at the national level, which appears more likely than ever, will render that implosion moot.
Bailey could lose worse than Rauner in November and still be poised to be a bigger winner than ever come January of 2025.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 10:55 am:
===Bailey could lose worse than Rauner in November and still be poised to be a bigger winner than ever come January of 2025.===
How?
Illinois likely ain’t turning “Trump Red” or be overrun by an overwhelming support in the GA with insurrection apologists, conspiracy theorists and racist thinkers.
Look at DuPage, for openers.
- Morty - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:07 am:
Bailey was touting the need for ‘pension reform’ earlier- does that mean he’s looking to cut pensions for everyone except cops?
- Jocko - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:07 am:
==Chicago is still a great city, but it is a city in decline.==
Bailey appears to have raised his assessment to ‘Heckhole’. /S
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:08 am:
Raunerites don’t like the rural GOP base and tried to fool it repeatedly, so no surprise that Griffin won’t back Bailey. Dude definitely had any anti-Fair Tax mojo wiped out. Voters saw right through the phoniness.
- The Dude Abides - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:09 am:
There’s still three months to go to the election but it’s going to take something big for Bailey to get back into this. Maybe the Republicans will try to invent some kind of scandal they can tie JBP to. Looks like everything is going to plan for JBP.
- Gruntled University Employee - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:09 am:
Looks like Beetle Bailey is trying to take a page from the Glenn Youngkin playbook. I’m skeptical that it will work here in Illinois though.
- Huh? - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:11 am:
So one of the IQOP sugar daddies won’t support their candidate. Why am I not surprised.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:17 am:
==Maybe the Republicans will try to invent some kind of scandal they can tie JBP to==
DeVore has been trying to resurrect the Thornley story but it seems stale at this point.
- Roadrager - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:21 am:
==How?
Illinois likely ain’t turning “Trump Red” or be overrun by an overwhelming support in the GA with insurrection apologists, conspiracy theorists and racist thinkers.==
2016 got the Republicans a “truth-proof” hold of power at the federal level. Within the first two years, they expanded it to “hypocrisy-proof.” A 2025 trifecta plus a 6-3 court means they will set about very quickly on making it “election-proof.”
“But not in Illinois/California/New York” will not be particularly relevant when a federal abortion ban and numerous, uh, “anti-election fraud” measures are on the books before the end of January amid a mass purge of civil servants.
If that happens, Bailey gets to stack wins for the remainder of his days without having to worry about a single election.
- Amalia - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:28 am:
Lollapalooza over, Bailey’s Complainapalooza begins. Without new ideas to change things.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:35 am:
Even billionaires have a limit on how much money they are willing to set on fire…
- Chris - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:38 am:
“ Consigning kids to failing schools based on where they live is cruel and wrong.”
So, I can live in the city, and send my kids to New Trier?
And since it is cruel and wrong, I would assume that transportation funding would be part of undoing that cruelty.
Is that what Bailey supports? Sounds like it.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:39 am:
===But not in Illinois/California/New York” will not be particularly relevant when a federal abortion ban and numerous, uh, “anti-election fraud” measures are on the books before the end of January amid a mass purge of civil servants.
If that happens, Bailey gets to stack wins for the remainder of his days without having to worry about a single election.===
How exactly will Illinois find itself facing these challenges as this state wholly rejects Trumpkin and Republican meddling.
You need to actually win Illinois ejections.
If the state goes 14-3 in Congressional seats, all the statewides, even winning the ILSC races… what exactly do you think is gonna happen “here”
If what you say is truthful to any degree of realization, the country will have failed anyway, no?
There’s “no good ending” here for Bailey. Nope
- JoanP - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:41 am:
= Chicago is still a great city, but it is a city in decline. =
Google apparently doesn’t think so.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:48 am:
===will not be particularly relevant when a federal abortion ban and numerous, uh, “anti-election fraud” measures are on the books before the end of January amid a mass purge of civil servants.===
A great many of your worries require 60 Senate votes. Not seeing that anytime soon
The civil servant worry is only if Trump can win, and frankly Trump trailing Biden right now, and under his own legal issues… how far you think Trump can go?
- Bruce( no not him) - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 11:56 am:
==Chicago is still a great city, but it is a city in decline.==
Come on just say it, you know he wants to…
Make Illinois Great Again.
- Dee4Three - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:16 pm:
A quick note. Cash bond hasn’t ended, and Chicago increased their police budget, the literal opposite of defunding. But this didn’t stop the Tribune from printing these easily verifiable falsehoods.
Cool.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:20 pm:
To polling,
If Pritzker is above water and up 7+ points head-to-head with Bailey, what does Bailey do to introduce to voters his vision that not only eats into Pritzker’s above water snapshot *and* also eat into the lead Pritzker enjoys?
Bailey cheers the end of Roe, was endorsed by Trump, and at one point wanted She-Caw-Go to be its own state… or if he (Bailey) wins, he’ll appoint an “ambassador-like” person to Chicago.
Where is Bailey, and his Crew, thinking these things mean victory?
- Just Sayin - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:23 pm:
I wonder if the Libertarians’ Scott Schutler (their governor candidate) has called up Griffin and asked him to pony up some $$$ for him and his ticket?
- Mama - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:28 pm:
If parents could choose to send their kids to any school, the good schools would go broke trying to educate all those extra kids. Now it cost a parent at least $5,000 to send their child to a public school outside of their home school district. Low income parents cannot afford that.
Would the “good” school have to transport the kids who don’t live in their school district? Would the home school pay to transport all those kids to different “good” schools? Will the parents transport their kids to school?
- Moe Berg - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:31 pm:
Bailey’s LTE includes this blatant inaccuracy:
“Another company to leave Chicago is Caterpillar, which is moving to Texas.”
Maybe everything north of I-80 is “Chicago” to Bailey, but in an op-ed running down the city’s alleged failings he includes a company decamping Deerfield.
Due to the position he currently occupies, his piece deserved from the editor more scrutiny and an expectation of meeting basic factual standards than say an LTE from Oak Lawn retiree Joe Schmoe.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 12:49 pm:
I can see why JB spent 30 million in the Republican primary and donated 90 million to his campaign.
It is going to take a lot of misdirection to tout your accomplishments as Governor of the state with the 4th highest unemployment, weakest economic growth in the Midwest and escalating violent crime.
- Merle Webb’s jumpshot - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 1:10 pm:
John Amdor’s tweets make me think about State Senator Bailey’s close association with the private school, Full Armor Academy. I’m assuming that the schools of Full Armor are pulling students from North Clay, Effingham, and probably Teutopolis, public school districts. I think as Mr. Bailey refers to vouchers should provide information explaining his and his family’s association with Full Armor as well as how his “plan” will affect that association.
- someonehastosayit - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 1:38 pm:
===There’s still three months to go to the election===
Early voting starts next month.
- Chicago Blue - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 2:04 pm:
JB will probably use some of his millions to just point out that you’re wrong, Lucky. I mean, IL’s growth isn’t as high as blue state Hawaii or California but it’s still doing better than IA, OH or WI while also having double the GDP per capita of any of those states.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2022/05/17/us-gdp-by-state-and-fastest-growing-states-by-gdp-growth/?sh=3c16a1425a72
- Anonymous - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 2:23 pm:
==Bailey appears to have raised his assessment to ‘Heckhole’. /S==
Good one, Jocko. The next upgrade must be ‘Shuckshole.’
- Streator Curmudgeon - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 2:24 pm:
At 2:32 was me. Apparently have forgotten how to post in the last 2 weeks.
- Dotnonymous - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 2:26 pm:
Statements and claims based on actual facts used to be the norm…before Lucky?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 2:28 pm:
===It is going to take a lot of misdirection to tout your accomplishments as Governor of the state with the 4th highest unemployment, weakest economic growth in the Midwest and escalating violent crime.===
… and yet… you still live here.
Then who’s the fool?
You will be voting for Bailey, correct?
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 3:34 pm:
=Bailey admitted to him he need to learn more about the issues, a candor that’s unusual in politics.=
Based on the following comment I think someone made up the above comment…
=School choice would force public schools to fight for students and funding and end the complacency that hurts our kids=
Bailey knows less about education than he does about most anything else. School choice is a boondoggle for the wealthy and that is it. Being from rural Illinois (if he really is, He sounds like he is from Kentucky) he should know what a joke the choice issue is given the long distances for travel. And, families do have choice, they can relocate.
- Demoralized - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 4:20 pm:
==to just point out that you’re wrong, Lucky==
That’s a daily occurrence around here.
- Phil - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 4:23 pm:
I agree with JS Mill.
This school choice thing seems like a way for the wealthy to scoop up tax dollars in order to subsidize their own children’s expensive private education. Darren and his family run their own Christian schools, and I’m sure would love to funnel tax dollars into their operation.
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 4:33 pm:
=
- JS Mill - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 4:35 pm:
Sorry , accidently hit send on that last one.
=I’m sure would love to funnel tax dollars into their operation.=
@Phil is spot on. The ayatollah Bailey hates gubmint money unless he is getting it.
- Big Dipper - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 5:22 pm:
Can always count on Lucky for comic relief.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 6:03 pm:
Bailey has so much GOP backing. He would want/get the Sullivan votes, who might agree very much with him (God, anti-abortion and police).
But where does that leave GOP-type voters who are repulsed by Trumpism and are more moderate, like those who helped Biden win? Seems like a demo the Pritzker campaign can get votes from.
- Arsenal - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 7:55 pm:
== I can see why JB spent 30 million in the Republican primary and donated 90 million to his campaign.==
So, why were Republicans counting on Griffin’s $300M, then?
- Fivegreenleaves - Monday, Aug 1, 22 @ 8:17 pm:
Does “giving parents a choice” in what school their children go to include giving them vouchers to send them to Full Armor Christian Academy in Louisville? Wait, isn’t Bailey the president of the Full Armor Christian Academy board of directors? I wonder if he would divest himself from the school if elected.