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survey by Fabrizio, Lee and Associates, which was commissioned
by the political action committee People Who Play by the Rules,
shows Darren Bailey at 27% support to Richard Irvin’s 20%. The
PAC is headed by conservative talk show host Dan Proft, a Bailey
supporter.
It looks like a two-horse race for the GOP nomination. Trailing
in the latest poll are Jesse Sullivan at 13%, Gary Rabine with
12%, and Paul Schimpf at 3%. Twenty-four percent said they were
still undecided.
A WGN-TV/The Hill/Emerson College survey in May showed Irvin in
the lead with 24% support, followed by Bailey with 20%. At that
time, a whopping 37% of respondents said they were still
undecided about the top of the ticket.
Asked the most important issue facing Illinois, voters
overwhelmingly chose the economy with crime a distant second.
A deciding factor in the race could be the division of support
among voters in urban and rural parts of Illinois. In early
polls, Irvin held a big lead over Bailey in urban/city areas.
Irvin and Bailey appear to have the most financial backing of
all the GOP candidates.
Billionaire Ken Griffin has pumped $50 million into the Irvin
campaign. Billionaire Dick Uihlein, a Republican donor for
decades, has given $9 million to Bailey. He also is the main
financial backer for People Who Play by the Rules PAC.
Attack ads targeting Irvin and Bailey from the Democratic
Governors Association, which is financially-supported by Gov.
J.B. Pritzker, have cost millions.
Former President Donald Trump remains a wild card in the race.
He has made endorsements in GOP primaries across the country,
but that hasn’t always turned into wins for every candidate. He
has yet to weigh in on the GOP race for Illinois governor.
The gubernatorial primary in Illinois is June 28.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois
for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio
news reporting throughout the Midwest. |
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