Tag: Politics of Illinois

MONEY did not talk during the Democratic and Republican primary elections held in Illinois on March 20th—it screamed. The incumbent Republican governor, Bruce Rauner (pictured), who splashed out some $50m on his campaign, saw off a strong challenge from a right-winger, Jeanne Ives. He will face an even richer opponent in the general election in November, because J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire who poured almost $70m into his own campaign, easily won the Democratic primary for governor. Wealthy candidates also prevailed in many of the primary races for Illinois’s 18 congressional seats and other positions, held on the same day. Ten house members and three senators are worth more than $43m each (many politicians are not required to state the value of their properties). The race, which has already cost about $160m, could well become the most expensive non-presidential campaign in history, exceeding the $280m spent in California’s governor’s race in 2010. Get our daily newsletter It is easy to see why the Democratic establishment, including county chairmen, big unions and elected politicians, embraced Mr Pritzker’s candidacy. Enormously wealthy people have competed in Illinois elections before. But until Mr Rauner’s victory in 2014 “they did not really do well”, says Christopher Mooney of the University of Illinois at Chicago. In February the Chicago Tribune unearthed tapes of a conversation in 2008 between Mr Pritzker and Rod Blagojevich, then governor of Illinois, who is now in prison.