Illinois candidates continue push for more votes ahead of next weeks' election

[November 03, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Democrats and Republicans continue their push for more votes ahead of the election.

The Illinois general election is just under a week away and candidates for office in Illinois are holding rallies for their supporters.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker spoke at the Illinois AFL-CIO headquarters in Springfield this weekend, and was joined by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, 13th Congressional District candidate Nikki Budzinski, state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, and others.

Pritzker used the event to bring up past accomplishments.

"I have spent a lot of the last four years working with Sen. Doris Turner and the General Assembly to undo the damage of the Republican agenda and put Illinois back on the side of working families," Pritzker said.

Pritzker urged voters to vote Democrat in Illinois.

"We beat Bruce Rauner by the largest margin against a republican incumbent ever in this state," Pritzker said. "I will do it again in ten days to Darren Bailey."

GOP gubernatorial challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, was joined by 6th Congressional District candidate Keith Pekau, attorney general candidate Thomas Devore and others in Glen Ellyn earlier this week where Bailey picked up the endorsement of former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman Tusli Gabbard.

Bailey discussed changes he wants to see if elected.

"We can fix these problems that we have in Illinois. We can restore the integrity that has been stolen by J.B. Pritzker and others. There is no sense that we should be living how we are living," Bailey said.

His plans include repealing the SAFE-T Act and firing all Illinois State Board of Education members, along with several other high-ranking positions within the state. Bailey said he could not accomplish that without the voters.

"I am not naive enough to think I can stand here and tell you I can fix this on my own," Bailey said. "I must have your help. We have to do this together."

Pritzker said if Bailey gets elected, Illinois will have be divided.

"Bailey and his Republican colleagues want to divide Illinois and take us back to the bad old days of [former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner]," Pritzker said. "They want to eliminate the state minimum wage, take away collective bargaining and reduce funding for students going to public schools."

Recent polls show Pritzker with a lead on Bailey, but the lead has been closing over the past few weeks. The 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.