Aurora Mayor Announces GOP Bid For Illinois Governor

AURORA, IL — Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has joined a growing number of Republican candidates challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Officially entering the race on Monday, Irvin announced State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

"We can't afford four more years of J.B. Pritzker as governor," reads a message on the Irvin for Illinois website. "We're fighting to restore the Lincoln State back to its original glory — before the Pritzker plague of corruption and failure."

The 51-year-old candidate said, as governor, he will "rein in government spending, cut taxes, balance the budget, and fight for property tax relief," according to his campaign. Both Irvin and Bourne said they plan to "clean up Springfield corruption."

Irvin, who was first elected as mayor in Aurora in 2017 and again in April 2021, is the city's first Black mayor. A graduate of East Aurora High School, he served in the United States Army before becoming a lawyer. Irvin has worked as an assistant state's attorney in Cook County and as a prosecutor for the Kane County State's Attorney's Office before starting his own practice in Aurora.

In a promotional campaign video, Irvin details his background, growing up with a single mother in the projects in Aurora, what he believes in and his plan to "take our state back."

"I share his dream of what Illinois could be," Irvin says of his great-grandfather, Richard Baxter Irvin, who was born a slave. "Where a growing economy provides ladders of opportunity for anyone willing to work. Where families are safe. Where kids are educated, not indoctrinated. Where government guarantees our right to pursue the best life we can, free of oppressive taxes and regulations. That's not the Illinois we have today."

The candidate also said in the video he believes "'defund the police' is dumb, dangerous, and it costs lives. I believe that all lives matter. Every family should be safe."

Megadonors such as billionaire Ken Griffin and former Gov. Bruce Rauner will back Irvin to oppose Pritzker, according to media reports.

The Democratic Party of Illinois was among the groups to react to Irvin's candidacy by describing it as a "Rauner Reboot" in an email to subscribers.

"The people of Illinois will never forget the damage caused by Rauner’s failed leadership," the email reads. "We cannot go back to the days of his budget impasses, credit downgrades, draconian service cuts, and governmental chaos. We simply cannot afford another four years of putting partisan politics ahead of solving problems for the people of Illinois."

According to reports from the Chicago Sun-Times, Irvin's success depends on getting support from Griffin.

Irvin is the fifth GOP candidate looking to compete against Pritzker in the November election. The primary elections in Illinois will take place June 28, pushed back three months from the traditional third Tuesday in March.