campaign

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate J.B. Pritzker stopped in DeKalb on Sunday to rally support from local Democrats. He also unveiled a new campaign office. He says the goal is to further expand campaign efforts beyond Chicago and the collar counties.  Pritzker also framed his campaign as a challenge to Washington.

"I decided to run for governor because everything we care about, and I really mean everything, is under siege right now by a racist misogynist in Washington, and his local silent partner Governor Bruce Rauner," he said.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's campaign handed out thousands of dollars in gift cards to people who helped get supporters to the polls during the November election, according to a published report.

The Chicago Tribune reports the use of Visa prepaid cards was an unusual way to reward campaign staff. It's also prompting questions about whether the campaign should have disclosed who got the gift cards and if those people should be considered volunteers or campaign staff.

There’s still no budget after the Illinois General Assembly’s summer session meeting Tuesday. But Governor Bruce Rauner is trying to reach Illinois voters through their TVs to earn their support for his Turnaround Agenda.

One of Rauner’s ads makes this accusation:

"Mike Madigan and the politicians he controls refuse to change. They're saying 'no' to spending discipline."

House Speaker Mike Madigan had a measured response rather than a heated one to that accusation.

If you thought you could go one summer without political ads interrupting your Judge Judy or your Big Bang Theory reruns -- there's some bad news for you.

Federal records show that Illinois television stations will begin to air ads tomorrow, paid for by Governor Bruce Rauner's political action committee.

“Since we won the election, there have been many donors both in Illinois and around the United States who believe strongly in the vision that we have for turning Illinois around,” Rauner said while explaining the political group behind the ads last month.

Illinois ranks fourth in the nation for total TV ad spending this election. The state trails only Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida. The findings come from the Center for Public Integrity.  The largest spending comes for the governor's race between Republican Bruce Rauner and incumbent Pat Quinn. 

The analysis found candidates for Illinois offices spent $26.4 million to air 34,600 ads between early last year and this month.