IL-Gov. 2018 Megathread

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

This is starting to resemble a slow moving car crash.

To Illinois/Chicago people with more knowledge; has Pritzker always been the crown prince? It seems strange that in a state full of Democrats, the top three worse people seem to be running for Governor?

My understanding (from when I was in Illinois early last year and paying closer attention) was that Pritzker was one of the first people to enter the field so he got a huge starter advantage. A lot of party and affiliated infrastructure embraced/endorsed him early to a void a nasty primary and to allow the campaign to provide an early united front for attacking Rauner (hilariously, this includes the AFL-CIO, who endorsed Pritzker in, like, March). Additionally, some people preferred Pritzker because he was wealthy enough to fund his own campaign, which I guess the party preferred to be able to spend elsewhere?

I don't know, Pritzker is a tire fire waiting to happen. Seems pretty short sighted and idiotic to try to eschew a competitive primary and end up with this but Illinois isn't known as a state with healthy state-level parties or government function of any type.

[Mr. Illini]

Preckwinkle endorses Pritzker

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-preckwinkle-pritzker-endorsement-20180207-story.html

Biss lands support of Move On and Our Revolution

https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/our-revolution-illinois-endorses-sen-daniel-biss-471698764.html

https://front.moveon.org/moveon-members-in-illinois-endorse-daniel-biss-for-governor/#.Wnuhm6inE2w

[_]

Preckwinkle endorses Pritzker

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-preckwinkle-pritzker-endorsement-20180207-story.html

Biss lands support of Move On and Our Revolution

https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/our-revolution-illinois-endorses-sen-daniel-biss-471698764.html

https://front.moveon.org/moveon-members-in-illinois-endorse-daniel-biss-for-governor/#.Wnuhm6inE2w

>Preckwinkle

There goes a small chunk of support for Pritzker.  The Pop tax stuff should still be somewhat relevant in people's minds.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I like all three of them a lot, why do they have to be fighting ? Look, we are giving Rauner an advantage now, he has a clean primary while we are stuck with a nasty three way brawl. I think Rauner gets a boost from this, Safe D--->Likely D. I thought it would be a Safe D repeat of Duckworth vs Kirk in 2016, and I though Rauner was going to get Kirk'd, but dems are doing everything possible to try to hand the race to him. Granted, I still think dems win, but probably by high single digits at this point.

[YE]

I like all three of them a lot, why do they have to be fighting ? Look, we are giving Rauner an advantage now, he has a clean primary while we are stuck with a nasty three way brawl. I think Rauner gets a boost from this, Safe D--->Likely D. I thought it would be a Safe D repeat of Duckworth vs Kirk in 2016, and I though Rauner was going to get Kirk'd, but dems are doing everything possible to try to hand the race to him. Granted, I still think dems win, but probably by high single digits at this point.

Lol this was never Safe D. A socially moderate incumbent in a deep blue state with a history of electing GOP governors is moderately capable of surviving a wave if Pritzker is the nominee. Lean D sounds right here.

[Donerail]

I like all three of them a lot, why do they have to be fighting ?

They are, in fact, all very bad.

Look, we are giving Rauner an advantage now, he has a clean primary while we are stuck with a nasty three way brawl.

He does not have a clean primary.

I think Rauner gets a boost from this, Safe D--->Likely D.

He does not — probably better that the Democrats are figuring out their faults early rather than being hit in October.

[Mr. Illini]

Preckwinkle endorses Pritzker

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-preckwinkle-pritzker-endorsement-20180207-story.html

Biss lands support of Move On and Our Revolution

https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/our-revolution-illinois-endorses-sen-daniel-biss-471698764.html

https://front.moveon.org/moveon-members-in-illinois-endorse-daniel-biss-for-governor/#.Wnuhm6inE2w

>Preckwinkle

There goes a small chunk of support for Pritzker.  The Pop tax stuff should still be somewhat relevant in people's minds.

She will easily win re-election this year

[Mr. Illini]

Controversial pollster Victory Research shows a dead heat between Pritzker, Biss
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/poll-taken-day-after-fbi-wiretap-release-finds-pritzker-biss-in-dead-heat/

[Holmes]

Controversial pollster Victory Research shows a dead heat between Pritzker, Biss
https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/poll-taken-day-after-fbi-wiretap-release-finds-pritzker-biss-in-dead-heat/

lol

[Former Kentuckian]

Ives just spent another $500,000 on tv ads, bringing the total amount she's spent on ads up to $1.54 million. Pritzker just spent $30,000 on an ad with Chicago's Telemundo affiliate, bringing the amount he's spent on ads up to $25.4 million: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinoisplaybook

In addition, Ives released a new ad, again attacking Rauner for the supposed sanctuary state law (unlike her previous ad, this one is just her talking in front of a black background): https://capitolfax.com/2018/02/09/ives-releases-new-ad-lead-the-charge/

[Bus Wanker]

I like all three of them a lot, why do they have to be fighting ? Look, we are giving Rauner an advantage now, he has a clean primary while we are stuck with a nasty three way brawl. I think Rauner gets a boost from this, Safe D--->Likely D. I thought it would be a Safe D repeat of Duckworth vs Kirk in 2016, and I though Rauner was going to get Kirk'd, but dems are doing everything possible to try to hand the race to him. Granted, I still think dems win, but probably by high single digits at this point.

Lol this was never Safe D. A socially moderate incumbent in a deep blue state with a history of electing GOP governors is moderately capable of surviving a wave if Pritzker is the nominee. Lean D sounds right here.

Pritzker is awful but I would be shocked if Rauner survives a wave. He might even lose to someone as bad as Pritzker in non-wave conditions. People hate Rauner, it's not even all that partisan. Being an incumbent is not an advantage in IL. He was supposed to be a change candidate and didn't deliver. Wasn't really his fault, but voters don't care.

[LimoLiberal]

My 83 year old Bubbe (jewish grandma) from Aurora (a Kane County Chicago suburb) said this to me on the phone when I asked her:

• "Oh, I'm not going to vote for Pritzker. He's so rich, and getting fatter by the day. I think he's going to die of obesity soon!"
• "Oh there's the other, one the nice Jewish boy from Evanston. Rachel (my aunt who lives in Evanston) said he's real good."
• "Rauner is just so unpopular. He's been real bad with Madigan. (She voted for Rauner in 2014)."
• And there's that crazy lady, Ives, running too. Well I don't think that Rauner will win, he's so maligned."

Take from that what you will.

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

[MAINEiac4434]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

[BundouYMB]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

Some people care about policies, not just "which candidate has less money/I would want to have a beer with."

[kyc0705]

My 83 year old Bubbe (jewish grandma) from Aurora (a Kane County Chicago suburb) said this to me on the phone when I asked her:

• "Oh, I'm not going to vote for Pritzker. He's so rich, and getting fatter by the day. I think he's going to die of obesity soon!"
• "Oh there's the other, one the nice Jewish boy from Evanston. Rachel (my aunt who lives in Evanston) said he's real good."
• "Rauner is just so unpopular. He's been real bad with Madigan. (She voted for Rauner in 2014)."
• And there's that crazy lady, Ives, running too. Well I don't think that Rauner will win, he's so maligned."

Take from that what you will.

Your Bubbe for President, she tells it like it is.

[Young Conservative]

What would a Pritzer versus Ives matchup look like if she doesn't say anything else crazy and his ties to corruption keep growing?

[dw93]

What would a Pritzer versus Ives matchup look like if she doesn't say anything else crazy and his ties to corruption keep growing?

I doubt she could win. She's way too Conservative to win statewide.

[Former Kentuckian]

What would a Pritzer versus Ives matchup look like if she doesn't say anything else crazy and his ties to corruption keep growing?

I doubt she could win. She's way too Conservative to win statewide.

She's running a very Trumpian campaign, so the results would probably look like Hillary vs Trump in Illinois 2016.

[Donerail]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

Some people care about policies, not just "which candidate has less money/I would want to have a beer with."

Also unsure what policy reason there is to prefer Pritzker — he's basically running a generic D campaign. Biss does have a defined (and pretty bad) record on policy where Pritzker doesn't, but I can't see the case for Pritzker so much as just against Biss.

[MAINEiac4434]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

Some people care about policies, not just "which candidate has less money/I would want to have a beer with."

Pritzker has no policies tho

[BundouYMB]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

Some people care about policies, not just "which candidate has less money/I would want to have a beer with."

Pritzker has no policies tho

He's campaigning on implementing a progressive income tax, raising the minimum wage to $15, a state public option, and legalizing marijuana. I would call those policies, and so would the dictionary, but maybe you have a different definition.

Biss meanwhile is campaigning on "MUH NOT RICH" and "don't believe what I said six months ago, believe what I'm saying now!" which is why he's going to get thrashed next month.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

I really like Pritzker, I don't see everyone's problem with him. He is a really close second to Chris Kennedy, and I would gladly vote for him against Rauner if I could, and I think he would make a great governor.

He's a billionaire who's too closely connected to the corruption of Blagojevich and will not provide the change Illinois desperately needs.

What's too like?

Some people care about policies, not just "which candidate has less money/I would want to have a beer with."

Pritzker has no policies tho

He's campaigning on implementing a progressive income tax, raising the minimum wage to $15, a state public option, and legalizing marijuana. I would call those policies, and so would the dictionary, but maybe you have a different definition.

Biss meanwhile is campaigning on "MUH NOT RICH" and "don't believe what I said six months ago, believe what I'm saying now!" which is why he's going to get thrashed next month.

Having heard JB dodge on all three of those in a town hall meeting that I was at in person, you can understand how I'm less than enthused.

Not to suggest I like DB, but let's not pretend Pritzker is a rose.

[Former Kentuckian]

Speaking of Pritzker and taxes, the Better Government Association has uncovered some dirt on his own taxes and the way he's shifted money around the world (and how he used "elite tax breaks" so he didn't have to pay taxes. So much for his progressive tax campaign proposal): http://www.pjstar.com/news/20180210/jb-pritzkers-storied-charity-costs-him-little-but-taxpayers-lot

And speaking of past comments and whether they apply now, there's been a lot of talk about Pritzker concerning what he's said about Black Americans: http://abc7chicago.com/politics/pritzker-scandal-highlights-importance-of-black-vote-in-illinois/3049532/

http://abc7chicago.com/politics/pritzker-meets-with-african-american-pastors-to-discuss-fbi-tape/3053707/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-jb-pritzker-apologizes-african-american-voters-20180206-story.html

https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/j-b-pritzker-continues-apology-tour-at-black-women-of-illinois-forum/

Electing Pritzker would be replacing one dumb*ss with another.

[Rookie Yinzer]

I hope Illinois AAs as a collective vote for Kennedy in order to deny Pritzker the nomination.