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* Since I already covered it yesterday I’ll just skip to the stuff that wasn’t in the press releases, videos and reacts. Tribune…
While Pritzker’s decision was widely expected, particularly after he put $35 million of his own money into his campaign account in March, the governor had been silent publicly about his reelection plans — an effort to show he was more focused on the pandemic and governance than politics.
Now, with less than a year until the state’s newly moved June 28 primary, the wealthy heir to the Hyatt fortune believes the state is far enough along in dealing with COVID-19 to issue his first reelection campaign message.
Pritzker’s campaign video takes a swipe at former President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of the pandemic, with an announcer saying, “In Washington, science took a back seat to politics. But in Illinois, we knew the stakes were too high.”
The reference to Trump, whom Pritzker frequently criticized through the worst days of the pandemic, also was a subtle shot at the three announced Republican candidates for governor — Burr Ridge businessman Gary Rabine, state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf of Waterloo.
* WBEZ…
Earlier this month, one other Democrat came forward to announce her bid for Illinois governor. Beverly Miles, an activist from Chicago’s West Side, said she intended to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in next year’s June 28th primary. She came in fourth place in a bid to unseat Chicago Alderman Jason Ervin in 2019’s city elections. […]
One of the few challengers to Pritzker who has shown a willingness to spend that kind of money in recent years is billionaire Citadel CEO and chairman Ken Griffin. Griffin largely funded the effort to ultimately defeat one of Pritzker’s biggest 2018 election platforms of changing the state constitution to allow for a graduated state income tax from its current flat income tax structure.
Griffin has not financially supported any Republican candidate so far, and he hasn’t indicated he would run for the position himself.
* Crain’s…
Campaign finance records show he’s already spending heavily on that re-election effort. In the last quarter alone, the governor has spent more than $950,000 on media buys, $600,000 on legal services, and more than $100,000 on research consultants.
* WTTW…
Pritzker’s campaign is likely to emphasize his legislative accomplishments since taking office in 2018, which include a six-year, $45 billion infrastructure package as well as bills that legalized the sale of marijuana and will hike the state’s minimum hourly wage to $15 in 2025.
In addition, Pritzker is poised to tout the state’s improving financial condition by spotlighting the end of the bill backlog and improved debt ratings by Wall Street firms.
Three Republicans have already announced they will run for the GOP nomination for governor in June: state Sen. Darren Bailey, of Xenia; former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, of Waterloo; and suburban businessman Gary Rabine.
All three have been levying a steady stream of criticism against Pritzker for not only the stay-at-home order, but also for the state’s handling of a tsunami of unemployment claims and the outbreak of COVID-19 at the state-run Lasalle veterans home that killed 36 people.
* Tough crowd at NBC 5…
After Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his reelection campaign Monday, state political leaders have expressed mixed reactions.
Not to much surprise, the reactions have been split thus far primarily down party lines, with Republicans naming reasons they feel Pritzker failed during his term as governor and Democrats voicing support for the re-election.
* Um…
A one-term Governor? What @GovPritzker told me today that suggests he may not run for re-election. @ABC7Chicago at 4:30. pic.twitter.com/t6FNvc40jX
— Craig Wall ABC 7 (@craigrwall) June 3, 2021
To the surprise of no one: Pritzker announces he is running for reelection, toiting his response to the pandemic. Back in the spring he had pumped $35 million into his campaign war chest. On June 3rd he told me he 1st had to talk to his family before deciding @ABC7Chicago https://t.co/Rx6Mb95VUn
— Craig Wall ABC 7 (@craigrwall) July 19, 2021
I cannot tell you how many people seemed convinced in June that Pritzker wouldn’t run based on that piece.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 2:01 am
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People have said Rodney Davis will appeal to suburban moderates, but the tweet he send out without any detail is not enough to appeal to them. No detail about how he will do things differently.
Comment by IlliniVoter Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 8:41 am
Rodney Davis, when it mattered, supported a president who incited an insurrection, and refused to impeach Trump twice.
Davis stands with racists, insurrectionists, and conspiracy theorists…
Davis may not like that, but when it mattered, that’s where Davis was, is, and has yet to be held accountable for his choices.
Davis runs statewide, who knows, a couple more times, sitting next to Jim Jordan, and exonerating Trump, likely won’t play well statewide.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 8:45 am
- IlliniVoter - Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 8:41 am:
At least Rodney Davis is now using his campaign account to attack Governor Pritzker instead of his official congressional account. Someone should really look into that…
Comment by Shield Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 8:54 am
To the surprise of no one? Really? After writing tweets and headlines that he may not. Even I was buying into the hype….
Comment by Levois J Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 9:19 am
==People have said Rodney Davis will appeal to suburban moderates, but the tweet he send out without any detail is not enough to appeal to them. No detail about how he will do things differently. ==
This is an artifact of pundits thinking in binary terms too much. They assume that since Davis isn’t as extreme as, say, MTG, he must be a “moderate” in any sense that the electorate will recognize. But he’s still anti-choice, anti-marriage equality, anti-Obamacare, pro-privatizing Social Security,and anti-green energy. To say nothing of the Trump of it all. These are positions that Illinois voters have repeatedly rejected. Maybe he just has enough gosh-darned charisma to sell them this time, especially with Griffin’s money, but on the issues, he’s an entirely mainstream Republican, and Illinois voters just don’t love those guys.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 9:33 am
==To the surprise of no one? Really? After writing tweets and headlines that he may not. Even I was buying into the hype…. ==
I personally never had any doubts, but plenty of blue checks breathlessly hyped the idea that he might not, so for them to turn around now and act otherwise feels like they took us all for a ride.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 9:34 am
Can any contender get JB’s margin of victory under 6 points? Unless the Republicans can find a candidate that appeals to Chicago suburbanites, I don’t see it happening.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 10:29 am
Craig
Comment by Chicago Cynic Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 10:47 am
Rodney barely appeals to himself staring in a mirror
Wonder if Griffin will get his pal the convicted ex congressman on the ballot? Who can distance from Trump, get through a primary and then appeal?
Where is CommandoIves when there is a need?
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 10:56 am
Illinois’ COVID positivity rate is among the lowest of all states, even during this time of increasing cases. Some states have eye-popping positivity rates. Florida is reportedly leading the country in new cases. Let the COVID mitigator run against the anti-science/anti-vax “freedom and liberty” crowd.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 11:20 am
===is among the lowest of all states===
If we’ve learned anything, it’s that things can change.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 11:22 am
==Florida is reportedly leading the country in new cases.==
You don’t have to travel 1,000 miles to find swaths of the unvaccinated.
https://www.wbez.org/stories/vaccination-rates-across-chicago-suburbs-range-from-under-15-to-over-80/01c45765-cbf4-4ead-97d7-c76a7b93f1e9
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 1:12 pm
We’ll see soon enough, but I sincerely doubt anyone with any reasonable chance of winning will challenge Pritzker. Maybe Davis will do it, but only if they force him to with a bad congressional map. And if Davis is the opposition candidate with the best chance of winning in the general (unless JB gets a felony indictment, etc.), I can’t see how he can lose. Remember that 2004 US Senate race? Yeah, like that.
Comment by 47th and Lake Park Tuesday, Jul 20, 21 @ 3:15 pm