Warning they are “turning up the heat,” Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor is planning to begin airing TV ads in Chicago and the rest of the state next week, thanks to another seven-figure infusion of cash from conservative billionaire Dick Uihlein.
Warning they are “turning up the heat,” Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor is planning to begin airing TV ads in Chicago and the rest of the state next week, thanks to another seven-figure infusion of cash from conservative billionaire Dick Uihlein. […]
The $1.8 million ad buy set to begin across Illinois on Monday will mark the first TV commercials that Bailey has aired in the Chicago area. […]
The latest contribution from Uihlein brings his contributions to Bailey’s campaign to more than $6 million. But that still pales in comparison to the competing largesse from hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who so far is bankrolling Irvin’s bid for governor to the tune of $45 million.
It should be the welcome sign on Richard Irvin’s office: Pay to play. Because as mayor that’s how Richard Irvin does business. Over 100,000 in campaign donations for Irvin and millions in lucrative contracts for his friends. One telecom deal had already been rejected, but Irvin intervened and received a $10,000 campaign contribution after getting approval. Irvin even handed out another contract worth 9 million in taxpayer dollars. Then they hired Irvin’s former wife. Tell Richard Irvin, corruption is no way to run a government.
That could leave a mark.
These are supposed to be issue advocacy ads, by the way, so they don’t qualify as in-kind contributions or independent expenditures, the governor’s campaign says. And that means they aren’t legally required to be reported to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
* ILGOP chairman Don Tracy isn’t sayin’ the 2020 election was stolen in his latest party newsletter, he’s just sayin’…
Election Integrity Update
The 2020 Election is over and, unfortunately, Biden is the 46th President.
Recent books and movies like Rigged by Molly Hemingway and 2,000 Mules by Dinesh D’Souza argue that the 2020 Election was rigged by Democrat activists funded by Mark Zuckerberg and other liberal, wealthy elites through nonprofit intermediaries. I have read Molly’s book and seen Dinesh’s movie and found both to be extremely interesting and informative. However, investigating the 2020 Election is not my mission. We have another critically important election less than six months from now, which I am totally focused on.
Toward that end, in a state like Illinois with a rich history of voter irregularities, election integrity is our top priority, and that is what most of the funds we have raised during my tenure as your Chairman will be spent for this Fall. As the 2020 Election showed, widespread voting by mail presents unique and challenging election integrity issues, including especially illegal ballot harvesting and ballot chain of custody security issues.
I added the links.
* In government news, Gov. Pritzker signed several bills into law late this afternoon. Click here.
Republican Darren Bailey. An agenda too conservative for Illinois.
100 percent pro-life, Bailey wants to ban abortions and make it illegal here in Illinois.
An NRA member, Bailey opposes sensible gun control and says he’ll protect the Second Amendment at all cost.
And Bailey proudly embraces the Trump agenda, calling into question our elections and fighting for gun owners and the unborn.
Tell Darren Bailey his policies are just too conservative for Illinois.
The governor was asked about the ad today and the ILGOP has a response. I’ll get to those in a bit.
*** UPDATE *** ILGOP Executive Director Shaun McCabe…
“JB Pritzker is a failed Governor and weak man buoyed by his billions in inherited fortune. A lifetime of privilege coupled with obvious desperation has Pritzker believing he is entitled to pick which Republican he will face in the general election. Thankfully, Illinois Republicans are too smart to let Pritzker’s meddling - laundered through the DGA - influence who our nominee is.
The DGA and Governor Pritzker are flailing and it’s important for every person, including the media, to call out this severe case of election meddling.”
Q: Today, there’s a new ad from the Democratic Governors Association you’ve given quite generously to that group. The ad implies that Bailey is too conservative for Illinois. Might that only helped Bailey in the primary to point out his conservative roots?
A: Look, I’m focused on beating the Republicans in November. And so let me start with I’m a Democrat and I’m a Democratic governor. So yeah, I support the Democratic Governors Association, and have for some time. I think everything that’s in that ad is accurate. I mean, he is wrong for Illinois. He is somebody who stands up against Roe v. Wade. He’s somebody who stands up, opposed to advancing the interests of working families across Illinois. And you know, so I’m gonna say so.
Q: [Unintelligible] Are you afraid of Richard Irvin?
A: Are you saying that when I criticize a Republican that that’s… I say when I criticize Republicans, it elevates attention to all the good that Democrats have done in the state and that I as governor have done in the state. I’m not afraid of any of the Republicans. We’re gonna run a tough race against Republicans. We’ve got 5, 6, 6 and a half months I think, until the general election. We’re gonna beat them in November. But we’re just you know, they’re attacking me every single day. The Democratic Governors Association is I think responding to some of that.
Q: [Compares the new DGA ad to the Jeanne Ives ad from four years ago where she is labeled as “too conservative for Illinois”] This looks like meddling by Democrats in the Republican primary. Can you respond to that?
A: You gotta remember that Darren Bailey sued me, you know, a year and a half ago, almost two years ago now, to take mitigations away that frankly, have ended up with people dying in the state of Illinois. Darren Bailey has been attacking my policies since day one. Certainly if he becomes the Republican nominee, he’s gonna be a tough competitor. I’m simply trying to tell everybody who Darren Bailey really is.
Q: [Asked whether he’d rather face Darren Bailey or Richard Irvin, who is the “more moderate” of the two]
A: It’s a mess over there. I have no idea who’s gonna win that Republican primary. I mean, I think there are six candidates running. You know, it’s early. There seem to be more undecided voters there than there are people who’ve decided on somebody.
Q: You personally have contributed to the Democratic Governors Association, you’re behind this ad.
A: I have con… I’ve, you know, I mean, there’s a whole history of my contributing to the Democratic Governors Association, not just in the last the last year, I guess, but also over the course of the time since I began running for governor in 2017.
…Adding… House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, who has endorsed Irvin…
JB Pritzker is so scared to face Richard Irvin in the General Election that he will do anything to win, even if it means trying to hijack the Republican primary to ensure the weakest candidate is his opponent this November. All Republican gubernatorial candidates need to immediately disavow these ads and tell Pritzker to stay out of the primary.
…Adding… Christina Amestoy with the DGA…
“Illinoisians need to know how out-of-touch and conservative Darren Bailey’s agenda is. These ads make it clear: Darren Bailey’s policies are too conservative for Illinois.”
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s gubernatorial campaign today launched a new ad “Proud” highlighting J.B. Pritzker’s massive funding of Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor.
“J.B. Pritzker is in desperation mode, funding a massive increase in TV ad spending to ensure he gets Darren Bailey as his opponent this November, and Darren Bailey is happily accepting Pritzker’s assistance,” said Irvin Spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis. “Darren Bailey’s candidacy is so weak he needs J.B. Pritzker to do his dirty work.”
BACKGROUND
• The Democratic Governors Association is doubling their ad buy this week.
• Irvin opponents including Republicans, the Democratic Governors Association, and other outside groups have so far spent $22 million, $8 million of that directly against Irvin.
• Governor Pritzker has donated millions to the Democratic Governors Association.
* Rate it…
The DGA had no comment on whether the group is changing up its advertising buy. But I’m told two new ads have started running this morning (or will begin later today).
