Candidates for Illinois governor appeal to voters with 80 days before election

[August 22, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – With about 80 days until Illinois' gubernatorial election, the major party candidates are laying out their plans for if they are elected.

State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia (left), and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right)
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

The Illinois State Fair hosted its political days this past week with GOP leaders and Democrats showing off their candidates for the November election.

The separate headliners were GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey and incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The Democrats had their day on Wednesday as Pritzker touted what he said were accomplishments in hopes of gaining more support for the November election.

"Which party balanced the state budget for the last four years? Democrats. Which party eliminated the bill backlog and got six credit upgrades? Democrats," Pritzker said.

Pritzker said his work is not over yet.

"Our work is far from over. To protect our fundamental freedoms and fight for hard-working families, we have to elect pro-labor, pro-choice, pro-voting rights, and pro-civil rights candidates up and down the ballot," Pritzker said.

Bailey, a Republican state senator from Xenia, spoke to a crowd of Illinois Republicans the following day and criticized the Pritzker administration.

"Inflation is out of control, and jobs are not coming back [in Illinois] the way they are everywhere else. Corruption is rampant. Companies are leaving. Families are leaving," Bailey said. "Some people are throwing their hands up and giving up."

While some may be throwing their hands up, Republicans are using them to make changes, Bailey said.

"I mentioned your hands earlier. Look at them again. You and I are hands-on people. We fix problems all day long," Bailey said. "Now, we must turn our attention to fixing this great state."

Pritzker, who is seeking a second term, said Republicans have not been truthful and will tell the people anything they want to try and win.

"The lunatic fringe has taken over their party," Pritzker said. "They will say anything, do anything, destroy anything to get elected."

The general election will be held on Nov. 8.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.