Billionaire Pritzker, incumbent Rauner to face off in Illinois governor's race

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

(CNN) — The big money favorites prevailed on Tuesday in the Illinois gubernatorial primaries, CNN projects, setting the stage for what could be the most expensive governor's race in US history.

Billionaire J.B. Pritzker outlasted and outspent the Democratic field, while Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a multimillionaire himself, narrowly beat back an insurgent conservative challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives.

Pritzker poured about $70 million into the primary contest, while businessman Chris Kennedy, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy, put up about $2 million of his own cash. State Sen. Daniel Biss, who made a play for progressive Democrats, narrowly leads Kennedy but neither, ultimately, could run with Pritzker, whose campaign overcame a series of high-stakes setbacks while still managing to invest in the groundwork for the coming general election.

"Tonight, we've taken the next step of beating Bruce Rauner and putting Illinois back on the side of working families," Pritzker said in a statement soon after the contest was called.

-snip-

By Gregory Krieg, CNN
Updated 0750 GMT (1550 HKT) March 21, 2018


Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/20/politics/illinois-governor-pritzker-wins-rauner-ives-close/index.html

[Sherman A1]

1. I was hoping that Rauner

Would get picked off in the primary, but no such luck. It’s sad to see that this is a big money race.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. Are you from Illinois? Why do they have a Repub

Governor?
Aren’t they a pretty deep blue state?
How popular is Rauner?
Do Repubs consider him a RINO and that’s why he was primaried?
Is the rich Dem primary winner pretty progressive or more moderate?

[Sherman A1]

3. Missouri

They are just like other states with a deep urban and rural divide. Chicago is certainly blue, down State along the border with Missouri, Indiana and further South not so much.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. You Forgot About The Blago Hangover

To the poster to whom you replied as well, the impact of Blagojevich legal issues turned some of the purple counties in the north, temporarily red. Rauner didn't win by that much and the "anybody but someone who was friends with Blago" tipped the scales rather a lot.

[Sherman A1]

5. Im sure that is also a factor

There is never just one reason.

[former9thward]

6. I live in Chicago.

Four years ago the Chicago Democratic machine walked away from the incumbent Democratic governor, Pat Quinn, because they thought he was too independent. They sat on their hands in the November election so the Republican Rauner won.

Illinois is deep blue because of Chicago and surrounding Cook County. The rest of the state is Republican.

Rauner is not popular but neither is Mike Madigan, IL House Speaker, who is leader of Illinois Democrats.

Conservative Republicans consider Rauner a RINO so they put up a state senator against him. Rauner outspent her about 20-1.

JB Pritzker, the Democratic nominee, says relatively progressive things but has his own baggage. No one believes him when he says he is sympathetic to working people and understands their lives. During the primary campaign it came out he has a bunch of offshore accounts. He claimed he knew nothing about them. It also came out that he tore out toilets in one of his mansions so that it would be considered "uninhabitable" for tax purposes and he got a big property tax break.

I predict JB 56%, Rauner 44% in November due to lack of enthusiasm for Rauner. The media will make no end of profits due to the advertising buys by two billionaires on an ego trip.

[Funtatlaguy]

9. Thank you

Great synopsis.

[blue-wave]

10. I agree with your assessment

with one exception. "The rest of the state is Republican." I'm not a downstater, but we do have other, albeit smaller metro areas that are pockets of Democratic votes. Rockford and the East St. Louis area come to mind, but there are also others.

[former9thward]

11. You are correct.

I was making a general description for those not familiar with Illinois.

[MountCleaners]

7. Yeah, Repubs think he is a "RINO"

We have a long history in Illinois of very moderate Republicans, so I guess a lot of people thought we were getting that.

Fiscally, he's anything but.

A conservative can't win in this state, but a Republican who steers clear of the religious social issues can. Also
the gun humper culture isn't as pronounced here in Illinois. There are enough Republicans in this state who are turned off by the militants that someone like that can get elected.

Rauner doesn't seem too popular. Not a real charismatic guy.

I don't think I'd call Pritzker "progressive", he just seems like a conventional Democrat like all of the other ones we've
had in office. I'm volunteering for his campaign because Rauner has to go and he is surely the strongest Dem to
do it. I'm pretty progressive but a pragmatist and JB is good enough. I like what he has had to say so far.

[beachbum bob]

8. rauner will be squashed in November

hint:

democrat votes in governor primary : 1,300,000
republican votes in governor primary: 680,000.....


almost 2:1.