Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is defending a new campaign ad. It features a profane clergyman officiating a mock wedding between Democratic challenger JB Pritzker and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Critics call the ad homophobic. But Rauner isn't backing down.
"What it does is get attention to cut through the clutter," Rauner said. "Pritzker is trying to buy this election. He has spent a record amount of any Governor's race in American history. He is saturating the airwaves with false information and false, misleading attacks and we've cut to cut through the clutter and get the message known."
Rauner made his comments during a stop at Starved Rock State Park on Thursday.
That same day, at an event in Rockford, Pritzker addressed the ad by calling for unity over divisiveness.
“Governor Rauner thinks that he can divide people, that that’s how he’s gonna continue to govern this state, or that he can win an election by dividing people, I think this should be about bringing people together, Pritzker said. "And that’s what this campaign has been all about. And I intend to be a governor who understands that we are one Illinois and I will not divide the people of the state of Illinois.”
WNIJ's Sarah Jesmer also contributed to this story.