Illinois Governor Primary: It's Pritzker And Rauner At Last

The stage is set for the battle of the billionaires. JB Pritzker wrapped up the Democratic nomination for governor with the help of $70 million of his own money. Meanwhile Gov. Bruce Rauner was able to fend off an insurgent campaign from Wheaton Rep. Jeanne Ives, winning by only a few points. One big-spending billionaire front-runner, Pritzker, managed to beat back challenges from the son of a legendary leader and a ex-math professor who described himself as the only "middle-class candidate,” while the other had to contend with a firebrand state lawmaker on his right who tapped into conservatives' sense of betrayal.

The easy victory of Pritzker and the narrow one by Rauner set up what likely will be the most expensive gubernatorial election in American history.

Pritzker immediately tried to draw a distinction between himself and Rauner in a rousing victory speech.

"This campaign is not just about the failed policies of a failed governor," Pritzker said. "This campaign is about a fight for economic security. About jobs and wages, healthcare, education and human services for working families in Illinois."

Pritzker touted his campaign as being "rich in gender, race and economic diversity," saying his platform was built on "values dear to his Democratic mother's heart."

"I became a Democrat because of my mother. When I was little, she took me knocking on doors for progressive candidates when most kids were still playing with Legos," Pritzker told his supporters. "She was fearless in all the ways that matter. My mother instinctually knew what many politicians never learn. That it's OK to be the lone voice for change. That courage isn't found in the crowds, but in the quiet moments of purposeful struggle."

Rauner declared victory at the Hilton Chicago in a more subdued speech around 10 p.m., with Ives calling him to concede a few minutes later. She said nothing positive about Rauner in her concession speech.

“I am honored and humbled by this victory,” Rauner said. “We have a chance to finish now what we’ve started and accomplish the critical change Illinois so desperately needs.”

DEMOCRATS

• J.B. Pritzker – 45.6% (Winner)
• Daniel Biss – 26.3%
• Chris Kennedy – 24.2%
• Tio Hardiman – 1.7%
• Robert Marshall – 1.1%
• Bob Daiber – 1.1%

REPUBLICANS

• Bruce Rauner – 51.7% (Winner)
• Jeanne Ives – 48.3%

» MORE: Illinois Primary Election 2018 Races

Pritzker signaled that the campaign will not be friendly.

"I'm not a perfect person. I'm not going to pretend to be. But frankly, I've had enough of people like Donald Trump, politicians like Bruce Rauner, who can never acknowledge a flaw, never offer an apology and never take responsibility for anything or anyone under their care," Pritzker said.

And then he openly mocked Rauner: "I won't put on a costume and jump on a Harley and pretend to be something I'm not."

With monumental spending before the primary is even over, Illinois is on track to surpass the previous most expensive such election recorded, the 2010 California gubernatorial race. In that contest, billionaire Meg Whitman poured more than $175 million into her unsuccessful campaign against Gov. Jerry Brown.

So how is Illinois already more than halfway there?

Prizker, 53, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt fortune and longtime Democratic Party fundraiser, has already given himself $70 million of his own money. That's allowed him to open up 18 offices and hire more than 100 staffers. He's reportedly spent about $170,000 per day to secure the nomination. Instead of spending time raising money, he’s been distributing thousands of dollars at a time to local Democratic political organizations.

“I’m running a statewide, grassroots campaign to unite Illinois and put Springfield back on the side of working families," Pritzker said. “I’m thrilled to have the support of leaders from every corner of Illinois."

The theme song at the his election night event Tuesday? "Go Big or Go Home."

Rauner, 61, a former venture capitalist, has spent handsomely out of his own bank accounts, cutting himself checks for more than $50 million over the past 18 months. Since the start of last year, he has also collected more than $20 million from the state's richest man, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin.

Polls have shown Rauner to be more unpopular than President Donald Trump in a state that Trump lost by over 20 points in 2016. The governor also has upset members of his conservative base by signing bills to allow taxpayer funding of abortions and to protect undocumented immigrants.

Signing those bills into law sparked a primary challenge from Wheaton Rep. Jeanne Ives, 53, who has called the governor "treacherous" and dishonest disgrace for breaking promises to conservatives. Polls show her within 10 points of the sitting governor.

In response, the Rauner-backing Illinois GOP has been running "Conservative Voter Alert" ads in the closing days of race. The ads link Ives, one of the most conservative member of the Illinois General Assembly, to Democratic leader and House Speaker Michael Madigan.

"Liberal Democrats support Jeanne Ives," the ad says.

Ives held a press conference Monday at Trump Tower to accuse Rauner of running a disgraceful campaign that has been "built on lies." She said she would be Madigan's "worst nightmare" rather than his best friend and described Rauner as a pathological liar.

“As treacherous and dishonest as he has been as governor, he has been worse as a candidate for governor,” Ives said. “It’s so pathetic that this governor is counting on uninformed voters for his victory."

Ives spent part of Election Day morning talking up her candidacy on Fox Business Network's Varney & Co. and Laura Ingraham's radio show. Ives also last week secured the endorsement of the National Review.

Rauner told reporters he was confident of victory over Ives, a West Point graduate, veteran of the U.S. Army and former member of the Wheaton City Council.

“Let me be clear. We aren’t going to lose," Rauner said, suggesting Democrats were afraid of him and throwing support behind Ives in the hope of taking the governor's mansion. "I’m going to beat them. They know they can beat Ives. They want Ives to win. They’re promoting Ives."

Kennedy, 54, who trailed Pritzker in final public polling conducted last week, has also kicked in millions of his own money, although small change compared to Rauner and Pritzker. Kennedy has spent $2 million of his own money and received endorsements from the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, the News-Gazette. He called Pritzker a "serial tax cheat" after the publication of a report into his offshore holdings.

"JB Pritzker’s true character has been on full display in this campaign. His character is one of lying, cheating and using his money to try to buy an election. The voters of Illinois won’t stand for it," Kennedy said.

As he conceded defeat Tuesday, Kennedy told supporters it had been a tough battle, but now that the voice of the voters has been registered, it was time to "give J.B. Pritzker the support that he has earned."

"In a democracy, voters get the government they deserve," Kennedy said, quoting Cardinal Blase Cupich. He thanked supporters and voters across the state for their support for the Kennedy family over the years, noting this was the sixth time a member of his family had appeared on the Illinois ballot, although it was his first.

Biss, 40, an ex-math professor, has the endorsements from many fellow state lawmakers, as well as Sierra Club, MoveOn and Our Revolution, the organization that emerged from Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.

He has been chiding Pritzker for his level of spending on the campaign, which has saturated the airwaves and internet with the billionaire's messaging.

“This is a unique moment for our state, on a primary election day that will be watched around the country,” Biss said Tuesday. “And with a billionaire and a millionaire running for governor in the Democratic primary, today’s outcome will prove to the rest of the country that money can’t buy the kind of grassroots enthusiasm and support our campaign has seen over the past year.”

Conceding the race, Biss that the loss was frustrating but shows a "way forward." He told supporters they should continue to fight for progressive causes as the party unites behind Pritzker.

"The fact that it's currently impossible is just an assignment that me us fulfill," Biss said. "We know what is right. We know the economic justice we must fight for, we know the social justice that we must fight for, we know the racial justice that we must fight for."

Bob Daiber, Tio Hardiman and Robert Marshall are also running on the Democratic side. Polls show them combining for less than 5 percent of the vote.

The Illinois Board of Elections said early voter turnout has more than doubled since the last primary in a non-presidential year, with more than 437,000 votes already cast. The Chicago Board of Elections said turnout in the city was at 21.7 percent by Tuesday afternoon.

In suburban Chicago, 59-year-old electrical contractor Robert O'Malley said he chose Ives over Rauner because the governor "went back on some of his promises."

In southwest suburban Summit, Joe Nowak, a trucking company worker, said he voted for Pritzker in the Democratic primary because the state needs a change. He said the billionaire had been "knocking on doors his whole life."

And Brookfield investment banker Suzanne Riordan favored Biss, because, she said, "we've gotten away from regular middle-class people being able to be elected."

Pritzker and running mate, Rep. Juliana Stratton, held a press conference Wednesday with “Illinoisans who have been failed by Bruce Rauner” and launched a new campaign website entitled, "Rauner Failed Me." Also Wednesday, the new nominee immediately released his first television ad of the general election: "Four Years of Failure."