- Main
Page « 2022
Governor Races «
Illinois
Governor
| ILLINOIS |
Nov. 8,
2022 Governor
|
|
Plurality: 514,653 votes (12.54 percentage points) IL
State Board of Elections
Notes: Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) won a second term (>), defeating state Sen. Darren Bailey (R), a grain farmer from Xenia, and Scott Schluter (L), a diesel technician and U.S. Air Force veteran. Pritzker, the Hyatt hotel chain heir, was the largest self-funder of the cycle, putting more than $152 million into his re-election effort. He is seen as a possible presidential candidate if President Joe Biden does not seek re-election. Bailey is a conservative from rural downstate Illinois; he speaks with a noticeable twang. He was elected to the Illinois Senate in 2020 after serving one term in the Illinois House. Before that he served on the North Clay County school board for many years. In 2016 he and his wife founded the Full Armor Christian Academy in Louisville, IL. Bailey is best known for challenging Gov. Pritzker's use of emergency powers during the pandemic. Downstate is a different world than Chicago. During the campaign, Bailey referred a number of times to Chicago as a "hellhole." In September he rented an apartment in the John Hancock Center in Chicago; he said in a press conference that he wanted to "immerse himself in the culture." Typically, however, Bailey was out campaigning around the state on a bus tour—he did a number of them. Pritzker and Bailey participated in a virtual candidate forum hosted by Illinois Associated Press Media Editors on Sept. 30 (>) and in two televised debates: hosted by Nexstar Media Group at Illinois State University on Oct. 6 (>), and at WGN studios on Oct. 18 (>). Vice President Kamala Harris headlined a GOTV rally with Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton at XS Tennis & Education Foundation in Chicago on Nov. 6 (>). Bailey did not have such high profile events, although he did rally with former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat from Hawaii, in South Side Chicago (Glen Ellyn) on Oct. 31. June 28 Primaries Six candidates competed in the June 28 Republican primary: Bailey, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, businessman Gary Rabine, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, attorney Max Solomon, and venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan. Bailey won by a surprising 40 percentage point margin (>), garnering 56%, followed by Sullivan (16%), Irvin (15%) (>), Rabine (7%), Schimpf (4%) and Solomon (1%). He announced his candidacy on Feb. 22, 2021 (>), and ran as "a conservative fighter and a proud supporter of President Trump and the America First agenda." Bailey announced former radio talk show host Stephanie Trussell as his running mate on Dec. 13. Democrats saw Bailey as the more beatable candidate than Irvine and sought to influence the primary. In May the Democratic Governors Association ran ads labeling Bailey as "too conservative for Illinois." Bailey welcomed the ads. During the primary Bailey benefited from $9 million in contributions from Richard Uihlein, the billionaire who co-founded the shipping supplies company Uline. Days before the primary, on June 25, Trump endorsed Bailey at a Save America rally at Adams County Fairgrounds in Mendon (>). Irvin was elected mayor in April 2017 after serving on the Aurora city council. (Aurora, in the Chicago metropolitan area, is the second largest city in Illinois and is about 50 minutes west of downtown). Irvin is a veteran and former prosecutor. He announced his candidacy on Jan. 17, 2022 (>), tabbing state Rep. Avery Bourne as his running mate. Irvin was boosted by $50 million in contributions from billionaire Ken Griffin, founder of Citadel, a Chicago-based hedge fund. Jesse Sullivan, running as an outsider, entered the race in Sept. 2021 (>), reporting almost $11 million in contributions. He named Kathleen Murphy, president of a conservative advocacy group, as his running mate on Feb. 4. Sullivan is founder of Alter Global LLC, which invests in early startups, as well as a charity. On May 24 there were two competing debates: Irvin, Shimpf and Solomon debated on NBC5/Telemundo Chicago (>); Bailey, Rabine and Sullivan met in a Nexstar Media debate at WGN9 studios (>). All six candidates participated in the ABC7 Chicago/LWV of Illinois/Univision on June 2 [Sullivan remotely because of COVID diagnosis] (>). Bailey, Rabine, Schimpf and Sullivan participated in a final debate hosted by AM 560 at the College of DuPage on June 23. In the Democratic primary, Pritzker, who started his campaign with a $35 million contribution on Mar. 12, 2021 and added a $90 million contribution on Jan. 14, 2022, won 92% of the vote, defeating Beverly Miles, a nurse who served as a U.S. Army officer for 25 years and ran for alderman in the 2016 Chicago City Council election. Campaign Managers: J.B. Pritzker: Mike Ollen (announced July 23, 2021) Advisor to U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL), May-July 2021. Deputy campaign manager on Sara Gideon for Maine, Jan.-Dec. 2020. New Hampshire state director on Beto for America, May-Nov. 2019. State director (May 2017-May 2019) and deputy state director (Jan.-May 2017) to U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan. Political director on Maggie Hassan for New Hampshire, Mar.-Dec. 2016. Deputy political director on Hillary Clinton's NH primary campaign, Apr. 2015-Feb. 2016. Associate at Hilltop Public Solutions,Jan-Apr. 2015. Deputy political director on Shaheen for Senate, April-Dec. 2014. Constituent services coordinator/veterans and military families liaison for U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, Jan. 2013-April 2014. Regional field director in Strafford County for Obama for America, July-Nov. 2012; field organizer for Organizing for America-NH in Nashua, Feb.-July 2012. Inventory manager for Boston City Properties, March 2011-Feb. 2012. Speech writing assistant in the Office of Gov. Deval Patrick, Sept. 2011-Jan. 2012. B.A. in communications, public advocacy and rhetoric from Northeastern University, 2011. Darren Bailey: Jose Durbin (Jan. 2021) Legislative assistant to Bailey from Jan. 2019 and political staffer on Bailey's campaigns from Jan. 2018. Legislative assistant to state Sen. Kyle McCarter, Jan,. 2017-Jan. 2019. Southern Illinois director for Isaiah Consulting Group, Jan. 2017-Jan. 2019. B.S. in political science and government from Eastern Illinois University, 2016; A.A. in general studies from Southern Illinois College, 2015. See also: Rick Pearson, Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner. "Gov. J.B. Pritzker's victory speech spurs presidential speculation." Chicago Tribune, Nov. 9, 2022. Claire Malon. "Tracking where Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Darren Bailey and their running mates have visited on the campaign trail." Chicago Tribune, Nov. 8, 2022. Jeremy Gorner. "Darren Bailey's campaign gets $2M boost from conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein." Chicago Tribune, Oct. 19, 2022. Rick Pearson. "With latest contribution to Bailey, billionaire Richard Uihlein tops Ken Griffin's $50 million outlay to Richard Irvin campaign." Chicago Tribune, Oct. 10, 2022. Edward McClelland. "We Haven't Elected a Southern Illinoisian Governor Since 1928." Chicago, Aug. 23, 2022. Edward McClelland. "Downstate's Warshed-Up Accent." Chicago, July 22, 2022. Rick Pearson. "Democratic Governors Association launches ad seeking to boost Darren Bailey in GOP primary." Chicago Tribune, May 13, 2022. Rick Pearson. "Billionaire Ken Griffin now has contributed $50 million to Richard Irvin's campaign." Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2022. Craig Wall. "Republican candidates for Illinois governor face off in 2 forums, attacks focus on Richard Irvin." WLS-TV, May 24, 2022. Reid Wilson. "Illinois governor's race becomes battle of the billionaires." The Hill, Apr. 26, 2022. |
  |
ADVERTISEMENT
Copyright © 2022 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action. All rights reserved.