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Fifth poll has Bailey leading, this time by 20; Irvin slips to third place

Thursday, Jun 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The last poll taken in this race is here. The last Fabrizio Lee poll is here. New one…

ILGOP Gov survey@Fabrizio_Lee
6/20-6/22
N=500 LV
+/- 4.4%

Bailey 37
Sullivan 17
Irvin 14
Rabine 7
Schimpf 4

— Dan Proft (@DanProft) June 23, 2022

Since the last Fabrizio Lee poll, taken three weeks ago, Bailey’s lead has grown by 13 points. Since the last public poll, taken 10-13 days ago, Bailey’s lead is up by 2 points, which is likely just background noise.

Sullivan’s support has grown by just four points since the last Fabrizio Lee poll. He’s up five points since the last public poll.

Irvin’s support has dropped by six points since the last Fabrizio Lee poll, and it’s fallen by three points since the last public poll.

Your thoughts?

…Adding… I told you about Sullivan’s ad buy yesterday, but here’s Politico…

Jesse Sullivan is hoping for a big surge in the final days of the statewide GOP race for governor, though you wouldn’t know it from his TV ad buys. According to ad spending documentation provided to Playbook, Sullivan is spending $680,000 over the next week on TV, but nearly all of it — $568,000 — is being spent in the Chicago area.

Similar move: Fellow Republican Richard Irvin also pulled back on advertising downstate to focus on Chicago. This week, Irvin is spending $430,000, with $412,000 of it in Chicago.

Darren Bailey, the GOP frontrunner in recent polls, is spending $312,000 in Chicago and another $160,000 across the rest of the state. The downstate Republican is seen as already having sewn up the southern part of Illinois.

And in case you’re wondering, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is spending more than all of the Republicans combined — about $1 million in the Chicago area and $600,000 across the rest of the state.

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After apparent spectacular political failure, Ken Griffin takes ball, goes home to Florida

Thursday, Jun 23, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Griffin is from Daytona Beach. Robert Channick from the Tribune…

Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin is moving his company’s headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

In a note to employees Thursday, Griffin said his investment firm, Citadel, will relocate to new headquarters in Miami’s financial district after more than 30 years in Chicago. Citadel, which has about 1,000 employees in Chicago, will maintain an office in the city, but many are expected to shift with the corporate locus to the Sunshine State, where Griffin, a Florida native, recently moved with his family.

“Chicago will continue to be important to the future of Citadel, as many of our colleagues have deep ties to Illinois, Griffin said in his note. “Over the past year, however, many of our Chicago teams have asked to relocate to Miami, New York and our other offices around the world.”

Yeah, it’s about the employees.

…Adding… From what I’m being told, Griffin, who was already looking at leaving, decided to hang it up when he saw Dick Uihlein so willingly team up with Gov. Pritzker. The party, at that point, was just not worth saving.

…Adding… Tribune…

In a statement Thursday morning, Irvin blamed Pritzker for Citadel’s departure and for refusing “to acknowledge what everyone sees, which is that his high-tax, pro-criminal administration is literally driving jobs and businesses out of state.”

“In the last month alone, Illinois lost Boeing, Caterpillar and now Citadel,” Irvin said, noting recent announcements by the defense contractor and airplane-maker and Caterpillar Inc. are moving their corporate headquarters to Virginia and Texas, respectively.

Adding a pitch for his candidacy, Irvin said, “It’s a clear pattern that shows no signs of ending unless we beat Pritzker in November, and I’m the only person in this race with a proven record of success to take Illinois back.”

Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin said Griffin’s departure was a sign of the state’s modern-day business climate.

…Adding… DGA…

“After propping up Richard Irvin’s hollow campaign for months, Ken Griffin’s running home to Florida just days before the primary so he doesn’t have to face the music,” said DGA Illinois Press Secretary Yael Sheinfeld. “With a vote of no confidence from their biggest fan, the Irvin campaign has their work cut out for them before Tuesday’s election. But no matter who nabs the nomination, Illinoisans know Gov. JB Pritzker is the only proven leader for our state.”