Sparks Fly In First Illinois Governor's Debate

CHICAGO — Candidates running for Illinois governor appeared their first televised debate less than seven weeks before the Nov. 6 general election. All four candidates appearing on the ballot attended the event: Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democrat JB Pritzker, Libertarian Grayson "Kash" Jackson and Conservative Sen. Sam McCann.

The event was moderated by WMAQ-TV political editor Carol Marin, with Mary Ann Ahern and relaying a single question from the audience during the hourlong broadcast from NBC Tower in Chicago. The event was presented by NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Urban League and the Union League Club of Chicago.

The candidates sparred over issues including jobs, taxes, unions, guns (which Pritzker has taken to calling "implements") and the role of House Speaker Mike Madigan in Illinois politics.

Rauner criticized Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, for removing the toilets in one of his Gold Coast homes and keeping his wealth in offshore accounts while calling for higher taxes for others.

Pritzker said it was "sad" that the "failed" governor was unable to defend his record in office.

"He has spent so much money trying to craft an image, but his image is a complete lie," said Pritzker, who has funded his own campaign to the tune of more than $125 million.

Rauner repeatedly mentioned Pritzker's relationship with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which the governor highlighted with ads on heavy rotation during the Democratic primary featuring wiretapped conversations recorded by the FBI.

"It’s easy for you to sit on the sidelines because you haven’t done an honest day’s work in your life," Rauner told Pritzker.

Pritzker blamed the governor's intransigence for a historic two-year budget shortfall, five public Illinois universities falling into "junk" credit status and eight credit downgrades that have left the state the worst-rated in the nation.

"You're the biggest deficit spender in the history of Illinois," Pritzker said. "You're a failed governor, you have failed every single year of your term. It's abominable to me, and it's time for a change in this state."

Rauner responded with a line he repeated several times during and after the debate.

"Your lack of integrity, your lack of character, your cheating on your taxes, your trying to use your inherited wealth to buy political office from imprisoned governor Rod Blagojevich," meant the Democratic nominee was "not worthy of public office," according to the third-least popular Republican governor in the country.

McCann, a downstate state senator and former Republican who has received most of his financial backing from unions that have endorsed Pritzker, periodically piped up to interrupt Rauner during his pointed criticisms of the Democratic front-runner. Both candidates were "different sides of the same coins," he said.

"They're trying to buy their way into office," McCann said, who also called the governor "a liar and a thief." Rauner said McCann was a "phony" candidate being put forward by Democratic Party leadership.

"Are you being paid in a per-interruption basis by Mike Madigan or as a lump sum?" Rauner asked.

Jackson boasted he has raised and spent the least money of any of the candidates on stage.

"I'm not a polished candidate or politician," Jackson said. "I’m just a guy who wants better for my state."

The candidates are due to both appear before the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board next month. Pritzker declined a dozen invitations from the Chicago Tribune to appear before its board last month.

Only two more televised gubernatorial debates are scheduled before the election, an Oct. 3 ABC-Univision debate co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Chicago on and an Oct. 11 debate in Quincy sponsored by WGEM and the Illinois Broadcasters Association.

Watch the rest of the debate from NBC Chicago »

Related:

• Pritzker Ducks Debates As Poll Shows 17-Point Lead Over Rauner
• Humbled Rauner Admits Errors, Pleads For 2nd Term
• 'Most Important' Governor's Race Heats Up At Illinois State Fair
• Pritzker Burning Through Money Almost 3 Times Faster Than Rauner