Pritzker Ducks Debates As Poll Shows 17-Point Lead Over Rauner

CHICAGO — As a new poll showed him with a commanding lead in the race for Illinois governor, Democratic challenger JB Pritzker appears confident enough in his position to duck newspaper and public television debates. On the same day Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered a speech intended to "reframe" his campaign – suggesting he may have "overdone it on the courage part" but pledging to improve and attacking his opponent as an insider lacking integrity and understanding – an Illinois Broadcasters Association/Research America poll put Pritzker 17 points ahead of the incumbent Republican.

Pritzker spoke Friday at the Chicago City Club about a mile from the offices of the Chicago Tribune, hours before Rauner appeared next to an empty seat (watch below) for an interview with the paper's editorial board. Pritzker declined to participate in the endorsement session with the newspaper, just as he declined to take part in a debate on the public television station WTTW. The editorial board said Pritzker's refusal to take questions beside his opponent was unprecedented in recent memory.

"If you’re curious, we don’t recall another candidate for governor refusing to meet with opponents at the Tribune," it said. "Even Rod Blagojevich, who grew so angry with Tribune editorials that he’s on FBI wiretaps trying to get our editorial board fired, had the moxie to show up and gamely answer every question."

In May, the Pritzker campaign unilaterally announced he would attend three debates. An NBC-Telemundo debate co-sponsored by the Chicago Urban League and Union League of Chicago Sept. 20 in Chicago, an ABC-Univision debate co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Chicago on Oct. 3 and an Oct. 11 debate in Quincy sponsored by WGEM and the Illinois Broadcasters Association.

The latest poll was conducted with a sample of 1,024 registered Illinois voters consisting of 45.2 percent registered Democrats, 29.2 percent Republicans and 18.4 percent independents. (This matches the results of a survey conducted by the Pew Center four years ago, which showed nearly half of Illinois adults identify as Democrats and a third as Republicans.)

Forty-four percent of respondents said they would vote for Pritzker compared to 27.1 percent for Rauner. Another 11 percent supported other candidates, with 6.4 percent saying they would vote for Sen. Sam McCann of his newly formed Conservative Party and 4.3 percent responding that they would cast their vote for Libertarian Party candidate Grayson "Kash" Jackson.

More voters had unfavorable opinions of both major party candidates than favorable. More than half (52.4 percent) had an unfavorable opinion of Rauner, twice as many (23.9 percent) than said they had a favorable opinion. As for Pritzker, 35.1 percent had an unfavorable opinion just over the 32.5 percent that had a favorable opinion of him. About 8 percent of voters had never heard of Rauner or had no opinion on him, while 11.6 percent did not know Pritzker or had not opinion about him.

Voters were asked to name their three most important issues in the race for governor. Nearly 60 percent said state finances, taxes or spending. The next highest priorities were education (34.5 percent), jobs and the economy (32.9 percent), health care (29.8 percent) and crime (27.1 percent).

The poll also asked voters their preferences for attorney general, with Democrat Sen. Kwame Raoul leading Republican attorney Erika Harold by 43.4 percent to 31.7 percent. Another 20.8 percent were undecided, did not know or had no answer. A summary of the poll results is available for download from the Illinois Broadcasters Association.

Gov. Rauner delivered a speech Sept. 13 at the Chicago Hilton "outlining the lessons learned in his first team" and his plans for a second:

Pritzker's campaign responded:

“Bruce Rauner’s problem isn’t that he had too much courage, it’s that he spent four years refusing to compromise, hellbent on forcing his radical agenda on our state no matter the collateral damage," Pritzker said. “While Bruce Rauner finally admitted his failures today, it’s too little too late after he’s forced four years of destruction and devastation on Illinois’ working families.”

JB Pritzker speech Sept. 14 at the Chicago City Club:

Rauner's campaign responded:

"JB Pritzker continues to talk about his 'specific plans' that lack specifics. He touts more and more government programs, more than $10 billion in additional spending with no reform whatsoever while keeping taxpayers in the dark about how high their taxes will go," said spokesman Alex Browning. "This speech is more of the same from Pritzker: higher taxes, more spending, NO reforms."

Right outside the banquet hall, the @BruceRauner campaign sent this “Pritzker Madigan” chicken to mock @JBPritzker for skipping Tribune debate: pic.twitter.com/2KHouLm9jr
— Mark Maxwell (@WCIA3Mark) September 14, 2018

The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board invited both candidates for an interview and endorsement session Sept. 14. Pritzker was invited 11 times but refused to participate, so Rauner appeared beside an empty chair:

Related:

• Humbled Rauner Admits Errors, Pleads For 2nd Term
• 'Most Important' Governor's Race Heats Up At Illinois State Fair
• Large Pritzker Lead Over Rauner In Illinois Governor's Race: Poll
• Pritzker Burning Through Money Almost 3 Times Faster Than Rauner