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Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 20
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2022 →
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| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois |
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 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: December 4, 2017 |
| Primary: March 20, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Bruce Rauner (Republican) Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Illinois |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic Inside Elections: Likely Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| Illinois executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant governor |
Businessman J.B. Pritzker (D) defeated incumbent Bruce Rauner (R), Grayson "Kash" Jackson (L), and William "Sam" McCann (Conservative) in the November 6, 2018, general election for governor of Illinois.
Between Election Day 2014 and Election Day 2018, Pritzker contributed $171.5 million to his own campaign while Rauner contributed $67.8 million to his run.[1][2] Rauner was first elected in 2014 by a margin of 4 percentage points. Of the ten preceding gubernatorial elections, a Republican candidate won seven—including Rauner's victory in 2014—and a Democratic candidate won three. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) carried the state by 17 percentage points.
Pritzker's victory created a Democratic trifecta in Illinois. At the time of the election, Illinois had been under divided government since Rauner was elected in 2014. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Illinois state law, the governor may veto congressional and state legislative district maps proposed by the state legislature.
Illinois was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
Election results
General election
General election for Governor of Illinois
J.B. Pritzker defeated incumbent Bruce Rauner, William McCann, and Grayson Jackson in the general election for Governor of Illinois on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | J.B. Pritzker (D) | 54.5 | 2,479,746 |
 | Bruce Rauner (R) | 38.8 | 1,765,751 | |
 | William McCann (Conservative Party) | 4.2 | 192,527 | |
 | Grayson Jackson (L) | 2.4 | 109,518 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 115 | ||
| Total votes: 4,547,657 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | J.B. Pritzker | 45.1 | 597,756 |
 | Daniel K. Biss | 26.7 | 353,625 | |
 | Chris Kennedy | 24.4 | 322,730 | |
 | Tio Hardiman | 1.6 | 21,075 | |
 | Bob Daiber | 1.1 | 15,009 | |
 | Robert Marshall | 1.1 | 14,353 | |
| Total votes: 1,324,548 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Illinois
Incumbent Bruce Rauner defeated Jeanne M. Ives in the Republican primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bruce Rauner | 51.5 | 372,124 |
 | Jeanne M. Ives | 48.5 | 350,038 | |
| Total votes: 722,162 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Governor of Illinois
Grayson Jackson defeated Matthew Scaro and Jon Stewart in the Libertarian primary for Governor of Illinois on March 20, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Grayson Jackson |
| Matthew Scaro | ||
 | Jon Stewart | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidates
Governor
General election candidates
- Bruce Rauner (Incumbent) (Republican Party)
- J.B. Pritzker (Democratic Party) ✔
- William McCann (Conservative Party)
- Grayson Jackson (Libertarian Party)
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
- Bruce Rauner (Incumbent) ✔
- Jeanne M. Ives
Lieutenant governor
General election candidates
- Evelyn Sanguinetti (Incumbent) (Republican Party)
- Juliana Stratton (Democratic Party) ✔
- Aaron Merreighn (Conservative Party)
- Sanj Mohip (Libertarian Party)
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
- Evelyn Sanguinetti (Incumbent) ✔
- Richard Morthland
Candidate profiles
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: Pritzker graduated from Duke University and obtained a law degree from Northwestern University. He had served as chairman of the Illinois Human Rights Commission and founded venture capital firm The Pritzker Group as well as technology incubator 1871.
- Pritzker cast himself as a fighter for progressive values, proclaiming in his general election kickoff video that he "will fight today and tomorrow and every day of this election and every day after and I will never forget that you elected me to fight."[3]
- Pritzker emphasized what he called his firm commitment to values he claimed the Rauner administration has violated, often citing his mother's influence in shaping his values, including support for social services and public education, saying "You can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you don’t have any, and this state gave my great grandfather his bootstraps." Pritzker argued that this is a crucial difference between himself and other independently wealthy political figures.[4]
- On the campaign trail, Pritzker tied Rauner to President Trump (R), emphasizing how his policy proposals conflict with theirs and saying that "the values that I care about are under siege by Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner and I am ready to stand with passionate Illinoisans and resist."[5]
Party: Republican
Incumbent: Yes
Political office: Governor of Illinois (2015-Present)
Biography: Rauner graduated from Dartmouth College and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. After graduating, he joined the investment firm of Golder, Thomas, Cressey. Prior to his election as governor, Rauner also served on the board of World Business Chicago and was involved in projects including the construction of a Red Cross headquarters in Chicago.
- Rauner portrayed himself as a fighter standing up to decades of corruption and mismanagement from the state's political leadership, particularly state House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). In his campaign kickoff video, Rauner described "a corrupt culture of permanent political failure".
- Rauner described his first term as an initial step in combating the state's long-term challenges, suggesting that he has learned many valuable lessons which he could apply to his second term.[6]
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Illinois Governor 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | J.B. Pritzker (D) | Bruce Rauner (R) | Kash Jackson (L) | Sam McCann (C) | Undecided/Other | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||
| Victory Research (November 1-3, 2018) | N/A | 49% | 33% | 5% | 8% | 6% | +/---- | 1,208 | |||||||||||
| Ipsos (September 27 - October 5, 2018) | Thomson Reuters/University of Virginia | 50% | 30% | 3% | 6% | 12% | +/-3.6 | 968 | |||||||||||
| Victory Research (September 27 - October 2, 2018) | N/A | 47% | 32% | 6% | 7% | 8% | +/-2.8 | 1,208 | |||||||||||
| Simon Institute (September 24-29, 2018) | N/A | 49% | 27% | 4% | 4% | 17% | +/-3.7 | 715 | |||||||||||
| Anzalone Lizst Grove Research | Forward Illinois | 48% | 32% | 3% | 4% | 13% | +/-3.1 | 1,007 | |||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
| Click [show] to see older poll results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Click [show] to view polls conducted during the primary election of hypothetical matchups between general election candidates. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PredictIt Prices
This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.
Campaign finance
Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[7][8][9]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- The Economic Freedom Alliance spent over $500,000 on a television ad campaign opposed to J.B. Pritzker (D). The ads first aired on July 3, 2018.[10]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[11]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[12][13][14]
| Race ratings: Illinois gubernatorial election, 2018 | |||||||||
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| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
| Noteworthy general election endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Pritzker | Rauner | ||||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| Chicago Sun-Times[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Chicago Tribune[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Crain's Chicago Business[17] | ✔ | |||||
| The News-Gazette[18] | ✔ | |||||
| Rockford Register Star[19] | ✔ | |||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| Former President Barack Obama (D)[20] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Illinois Chamber of Commerce[21] | ✔ | |||||
| Illinois Fraternal Order of Police[22] | ✔ | |||||
| Click [show] to view endorsements issued in the March 20 Democratic primary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Click [show] to view endorsements issued in the March 20 Republican primary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Timeline
- November 4, 2018: A Victory Research poll found Pritzker with 49 percent support and Rauner with 33 percent support. The poll did not report a margin of error.
- November 4, 2018: Former President Barack Obama (D) headlined a rally supporting Pritzker in Chicago.
- November 3, 2018: The Rockford Register Star endorsed Pritzker.
- October 11, 2018: Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in Quincy.
- October 10, 2018: An Ipsos poll sponsored by Thomson Reuters and the University of Virginia found Pritzker leading Rauner 50-30. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.
- October 9, 2018: Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in front of the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board.
- October 9, 2018: A Victory Research poll found Pritzker leading Rauner 47-32. The poll reported a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
- October 5, 2018: The Chicago Tribune endorsed Rauner.
- October 5, 2018: Crain's Chicago Business endorsed Pritzker.
- October 3, 2018: Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in Chicago hosted by ABC-Channel 7.
- October 3, 2018: The News-Gazette endorsed Rauner.
- October 1, 2018: Hillary Clinton (D) made a campaign appearance alongside Pritzker.
- September 20, 2018: Jackson, McCann, Pritzker, and Rauner met for a debate in Chicago hosted by NBC-Channel 5 and Telemundo Chicago.
- September 15, 2018: The Rauner campaign released an ad saying that Pritzker wanted to raise taxes and implement additional regulations on firearms.
- September 13, 2018: A Research America poll commissioned by the Illinois Broadcasters Association found Pritzker leading Rauner 44-27. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
- September 8, 2018: The Pritzker campaign released an ad titled Never. The ad said that a recent assertion from the Rauner campaign that Pritzker had proposed a mileage tax on cars was incorrect.
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
J.B. Pritzker
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Bruce Rauner
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Noteworthy events
Barack Obama campaign appearance
Former President Barack Obama (D) headlined a rally in Chicago supporting Pritzker on November 4, 2018.[135]
Hillary Clinton campaign appearance
On October 1, 2018, former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D) appeared at a roundtable workforce discussion alongside Pritzker.[136]
Rauner criticism of Pritzker ad
On July 11, 2018, the Pritzker campaign released an ad titled Rauner Failed: Disgrace. The ad criticized Rauner, claiming that he had not opposed a federal policy of detaining children who entered the country without legal permission separately from adults they entered the country alongside. It cited a Politico report which alleged that Rauner had a stake in a private equity fund which owns Correct Care Solutions, which has been contracted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide healthcare to detainees. The ad claimed that Rauner personally profited off of the policy of separate detention due to his stake in the company. Rauner campaign spokesman Alex Browning said, "The Pritzker campaign should immediately take down this dishonest and shameful ad", pointing to a statement Rauner had made criticizing the federal government's policy and arguing that Rauner had placed his stake in the equity fund under a blind trust before the fund first invested in Correct Care Solutions.[137]
Democratic involvement in the Republican primary
On March 16, 2018, the Democratic Governors Association launched two campaign advertisements ahead of the March 20 primary election. One advertisement targeted Gov. Bruce Rauner (R), criticizing the state's economic performance and saying that he "racked up billions in unpaid bills, leaving Illinois taxpayers on the hook." The other advertisement targeted state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R), saying that "her conservative policies are just too conservative for Illinois." The advertisement targeting Ives was " reminiscent of the Missouri Senate primary in 2012, when Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill paid for ads calling then-Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) — whom she viewed as her weakest possible opponent — 'too conservative' for the state", according to Politico.[138]
Debates and forums
- Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in Quincy on October 11, 2018.[139] Click here for footage of the debate.
- Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in front of the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board on October 9, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
- Jackson, McCann, Pritzker, and Rauner met for a debate in Chicago hosted by NBC-Channel 5 and Telemundo Chicago on September 20, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
- Pritzker and Rauner met for a debate in Chicago hosted by ABC-Channel 7 on October 3, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
Campaign themes
J.B. Pritzker
Pritzker's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
JB's Priorities for Protecting Net Neutrality Twenty-three state attorneys general, including Illinois, are suing the FCC to preserve net neutrality. Right now, Illinois should be taking actions to ensure that every Illinoisan has unfettered access to the internet. Unfortunately, Bruce Rauner continues to fail families throughout the state by remaining silent while the Trump administration reverses consumer protections and infringes upon free speech. As governor, I will ensure that all internet traffic is treated equally so that everyone can continue to use the internet to grow their businesses, further their education, and enjoy the freedom of expression. JB will fight to protect net neutrality:
JB's Commitment to Women's Rights It is unacceptable that today in Illinois women make only 79 cents on the dollar compared to men — and that African American women who make 63 cents and Latina women who make just 54 cents on the dollar are also more likely than other women to live in poverty. Bruce Rauner’s failed policies have hurt women across this state. He imposed drastic cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program, which provides affordable child care to low-income families, three-quarters of which are female-headed single-parent households. Rauner also vetoed the No Salary History bill that would have helped narrow the wage gap by preventing employers from setting salaries based on previous ones. And Rauner’s 736-day manufactured budget crisis threatened access to free breast and cervical cancer screenings for more than 9,000 low-income women. In Springfield, Juliana and I will continue to stand up for women’s rights. I will fiercely defend women’s healthcare, fight for policies that improve women’s economic well-being, and foster a culture in which sexual harassment is not tolerated. I will also stand up to Donald Trump when he proposes policies that hurt Illinois women, and I will stand with women as we work to root out sexual harassment and discrimination from our society. JB will fight for women’s rights:
JB's Plan for Economic Inclusion JB’s plan to foster economic inclusion will expand opportunities for minority entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state, reversing the trend of disinvestment and outward migration while restoring hope and opportunity for communities that need it most. In order to achieve true economic inclusion, JB’s plan focuses on twelve areas of opportunity to create economic growth and jobs: Procurement Reform
Increase Access to Capital
Minority and Women-Owned Business (M/WBE)-Focused Business Accelerators
Diversify the Pipeline of Workers Employed by Union and Non-Union Building Trades and Contractors
Ensure Communities of Color Share in the Economic Benefits of Marijuana Legalization
Incentivize Job Creation
Youth Employment
Access to Financial Institutions
Consumer Protection
Online Lending
Small Businesses Borrowers' Bill of Rights
Increase High-Speed Connectivity
JB's Plan to Protect Illinois Seniors JB will work to protect seniors across Illinois: Ensure seniors live with dignity in the environment of their choice with access to quality care
Protect access to affordable, dependable healthcare for seniors
Rebuild human services to give seniors the tools they need to live independently in their communities
JB's Priorities for Protecting Immigrant Families Unlike Bruce Rauner, I won’t stand idly by while Donald Trump tries to separate children from their parents and attacks the foundations of our American values. I will resist his attempts to build a wall along our southern border, eliminate DACA, and end Temporary Protected Status for people from El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua. Immigrant families want the same thing my great-grandfather did when he came to the United States: safety, freedom, and the opportunity to build a better life. As governor, I will support our immigrant families and speak out against xenophobia, racism, and injustice because every Illinois family deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. As governor, I will work hand-in-hand with students, advocates, and elected officials to improve educational opportunities, increase healthcare options, and foster economic opportunity for immigrant youth and their families. JB will fight to protect immigrant families:
JB's Priorities for Protecting the Environment Unlike Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner, I stand on the side of science and believe climate change is real. The transition to a clean energy economy has already begun, and Illinois will be left behind if we don’t act. As governor, I will bring all stakeholders to the table to put Illinois on a path toward 100% clean, renewable energy and make sure that every community justly benefits during this transition. Additionally, I will invest in clean water infrastructure, expand energy efficiency efforts, and support the agencies that protect our environment. Most importantly, I will honor the Paris Climate agreement and join the U.S. Climate Alliance. Here are my priorities:
Legalizing Marijuana There is an abundance of evidence that shows we can legalize marijuana in a safe way. It would have real benefits for Illinois, including reducing opioid overdoses and bringing in much needed revenue from taxation. Most importantly, legalizing marijuana is a step forward in reforming our broken criminal justice system. Criminalizing marijuana hasn’t made our communities safer. What it has done is disproportionately impact black and brown communities. There are way too many people who have gone to prison or are currently sitting in prison for marijuana related offenses. The criminalization of marijuana has never been and never will be enforced fairly and it’s time to bring that to an end. JB will work to legalize marijuana, reduce mass incarceration, and reinvest in Illinois communities:
A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence People resort to violence when they lose hope and are closed off from opportunity. Systemic racism and disinvestment has closed communities off from economic opportunity for decades and this has only been compounded by Bruce Rauner. Unemployment in the five Chicago communities most affected by gun violence is as high as 35%. Unemployment in other regions of the state most affected by gun violence exceeds the state average too. Bruce Rauner’s 736-day budget crisis decimated funding for violence prevention, after school programs, and mental health services, all of which contribute to more resilient communities. We need to fight for all communities to be healthy and safe, and we need to partner with those already doing this work. As governor, I will work with all communities affected by gun violence. Together, we will lead efforts to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic, rebuild healthy communities, and increase firearm safety. JB will treat gun violence as a public health epidemic:
JB will work to rebuild healthy communities:
JB will increase firearm safety:
JB's Commitment to LGBTQ Rights My mother was an LGBTQ activist during the mid-1970’s in San Francisco. She instilled in me a spirit of inclusivity and respect for the humanity of all people. That’s why I’ve been a staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights my entire life. I marched in the Chicago Pride Parade long before it was a celebration, but instead was a protest march. And 20 years before it was legal, MK and I hosted a gay wedding in our backyard not to make a statement, but because Stephen and Dale were our friends and were in love. We have made historic strides towards equality in Illinois, but we still have a long way to go. Especially today as Donald Trump threatens to undermine the civil rights of LGBTQ people and Bruce Rauner remains silent. Rauner’s 736-day manufactured budget crisis threatened the lives of LGBTQ people by cutting critical funding for HIV testing and prevention and by gutting homeless youth services, substance abuse services, and mental health services all critically important to LGBTQ people. We need a governor who will restore stability and defend the rights of every person in Illinois. My administration will fight hate wherever it occurs in our state by rooting out bullying in our schools and enforcing workplace nondiscrimination laws. I will work with the legislature to pass annual budgets that invest in social service agencies that address the unique challenges facing the LGBTQ community. When I’m governor, the LGBTQ community won’t just have a seat at the table, they will be equal partners in the fight to make equality a lived reality for all. JB will fight for LGBTQ rights:
JB's Priorities to Raise Wages in Illinois Protect Collective Bargaining Rights Governor Rauner’s extreme agenda is a direct attack on Illinois’ working families. Governor Rauner favors right to work legislation, which would destroy unions in this state, and has proposed legislation that would significantly limit collective bargaining by preventing workers from bargaining over central tenets of employment—wages and healthcare. JB knows workers are the heart of every organization and must be treated with respect. JB will fight to protect collective bargaining rights because he believes unions are key to building a strong middle class. JB will protect fair share agreements and will be a good faith partner for labor unions and workers. Support a Living Wage Governor Rauner is holding the minimum wage hostage to his extreme agenda. Governor Rauner pays lip service to a minimum wage increase, but does not support a living wage for Illinois’ working families. JB supports raising the minimum wage to $15. JB understands that respect for workers means paying them a living wage. A person making Illinois’ current minimum wage of $8.25 an hour earns just $17,160 annually to work full time. Raising the minimum wage will help reverse the growing wage gap. Fight for Equal Pay JB will fight to strengthen Illinois’s Equal Pay Act. Women not only deserve equal pay, but they also deserve to know when they’re being paid less than their male counterparts. Equal pay laws should include harsher penalties for companies that are not in compliance. JB will also fight to make sure progress toward equal pay isn’t rolled back on the federal level. Enforce Laws Protecting Workers from Misclassification and Wage Theft Governor Rauner wants to help business at the expense of workers. Governor Rauner’s extreme “turnaround agenda” fails to acknowledge the enforcement and investigative work that must be done to protect workers. JB understands that worker misclassification and wage theft hurt workers and business. JB supports full enforcement of the 2010 Illinois Wage Theft Enforcement Act, which strengthens worker protections, and improving accountability measures for employers that improperly pay their employees. JB will appoint a Director of the Department of Labor who will relentlessly enforce all laws and direct the Joint Misclassification Enforcement Task Force to actively investigate and penalize employers who are in violation of the law. Fight for an Enforceable Prevailing Wage Governor Rauner wants to repeal the Illinois Prevailing Wage law. Under Governor Rauner’s administration, the Illinois Department of Labor hasn’t updated wage rates depriving workers of what’s owed to them. JB will fight to protect prevailing wage law in Illinois. JB supports a law that would formalize wage determinations, just as the federal prevailing wage law does. Studies show that prevailing wage laws do not drive up construction costs. Instead, they elevate worker skills in the construction industry, promote better workplace safety, and increase government revenues. Strengthen Project Labor Agreements Governor Rauner wants to repeal the Illinois Project Labor Agreements Act. Governor Rauner would prohibit the use of project labor agreements on state-funded projects, except where required by federal law. JB believes that Project Labor Agreements help ensure a skilled and experienced workforce and foster greater employment opportunities for women and people of color in the construction industry. JB will promote diversity in union apprenticeship programs and will sign an executive order to advocate the use of PLAs by all State agencies. JB's Plan for the Opioid Epidemic Unfortunately, Governor Bruce Rauner is once again failing to lead. In 2015, bipartisan members of the General Assembly came together to pass the Heroin Crisis Act, a forward-thinking and comprehensive bill to combat the epidemic. Rauner vetoed the bill – forcing legislators to override his veto – the only override of that legislative session. Rauner also proposed slashing funding for addiction treatment by 20 percent, with Illinois already in the bottom three states for providing publicly funded addiction treatment. Rauner’s 736-day manufactured budget crisis made the problem worse, devastating the state’s addiction and mental health treatment services and forcing 27 public health departments to reduce staff or services. All the while, Illinois’ opioid crisis spiraled out of control. We can’t afford to ignore this crisis. We need a governor who will recognize this emergency and prioritize addressing it. My plan is focused on six key priorities:
Focus on Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Education As governor, I will work with the medical and mental health communities to make sure that pediatricians discuss the serious dangers of opioids with parents and patients, both during routine check-ups and when writing prescriptions. I will also encourage regular mental health screenings, and work to ensure that psychiatrists discuss drug abuse with adolescent patients, given the increased danger of drug addiction in patients with mental illness. Finally, I support a greater public health campaign in schools. This will allow for the dangers of opioids to be taught at a younger age and ensure the stigma of addiction will not prevent those who need it from seeking treatment. Reduce the Risks of Prescription Opioids To combat prescription opioid abuse, I will work with physicians to put in place measures that help keep people safe. I will fight to strengthen Illinois’ prescription monitoring program so that physicians and pharmacies have access to accurate information about the quantity of opioids their patients receive. I will also work to ensure that physicians are better trained in the dangers of opioid addiction and treatment options as part of continuing medical education. Finally, as called for in the updated prescribing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I will support legislation to implement comprehensive prescribing guidelines that further limit the number of days of an initial opioid prescription, which can reduce the risk for addiction. Remove Barriers to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery As governor, I will use a multi-pronged approach to remove barriers to addiction and mental health treatment and recovery. I will restore the treatment, housing, and workforce development supports that were decimated under Bruce Rauner and look for ways to expand capacity across the state for treatment services. Additionally, I will facilitate coordination between hospitals and social service agencies to ensure that individuals who receive emergency treatment for drug use are directed to treatment programs when they’re discharged. We also need to expand jail and prison substance use disorder case management systems to connect individuals to community treatment upon release. This coordination will give those suffering from drug addiction the tools they need to transition into recovery. Work with the Criminal Justice System to Prioritize Treatment Over Incarceration As governor, I will work to increase access to problem-solving drug courts, ensure that judges understand the available treatment options, and ensure those options are more readily available. That means having enough space to meet demand in rehabilitation programs, including both inpatient or medication-assisted treatment programs. Providing access to this treatment will help formerly incarcerated people ease back in to the community, increasing their chances to rehabilitate their lives and reducing the likelihood of recidivism. Ensure Health Insurance Companies Cover Addiction Treatment Fairly However, a recent report found that 75 percent of Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) denied coverage for a range of treatments. This is in addition to almost half of commercial insurance companies that deny coverage for inpatient treatment and nearly one-third that deny coverage for partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and medication-assisted treatment. The report also found that both Medicaid MCOs and commercial insurance companies regularly use other barriers to care for mental health and substance use disorder treatment short of outright denial. As governor, I will work to ensure that insurance companies provide the coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment that they are lawfully required to cover. I will strengthen enforcement of the state’s parity laws and close loopholes that still allow insurance companies and MCOs to partially deny coverage based on a range of non-quantitative treatment limitations. I will also work to expand healthcare across our state, through my first-in-the-nation public option health insurance program, IllinoisCares. Leverage Federal Funding Opportunities to Fight the Opioid Epidemic Locally As governor, I will fight to ensure that the state is capturing as much federal funding as possible. I will focus on matching opportunities, where a modest state investment can unlock federal funding. I will also find ways for the state to assist local governments and non-profit organizations in taking advantage of federal grant opportunities. This is especially true for many of our small and rural communities that may need more technical assistance on grant applications. Finally, I will help local governments form intergovernmental task forces, so that police departments, schools, and public health departments can work together to combat opioid abuse across our state. Conclusion JB's Priorities for Economic Stability We must undo the harm caused by Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and systemic disinvestment in Illinois’ communities. We can do this by empowering local community lenders and small business owners, and establishing innovative financing models that increase and expand access to capital to those who need it the most. I am committed to working with leaders, like Kurt Summers, who have fought to expand economic opportunity for the people of our state. Together, we can achieve these goals if we: Restore and Expand Small Business Development Centers Across the State Empower Under-Served Communities by Giving Them a Seat at the Table Reenvision Investment Incentives for Distressed Communities End the Rauner Era of Systemic Disinvestment through innovative funding models Small businesses employ approximately 2.4 million people in Illinois, that’s nearly 46% of the private workforce. In order to restore economic stability and vibrancy to underserved communities, small business development must be a core solution. That means expanding access to capital for small business owners and entrepreneurs, providing training and mentorship, and incentivizing investment. I remain dedicated to the revitalization of all communities across Illinois, and the programs above represent one important aspect of my economic development plan. JB's Plan to Support Illinois Veterans As the son and grandson of Navy Veterans, I have a very personal commitment to uphold the sacred obligation to those who risk their lives so that we can live in a free and democratic society. Illinois should help smooth the transition for Veterans and their families as they return to communities as civilians, and we also need to make sure that once they are home they are supported with housing, employment, healthcare, education and any additional services they need. To make this a reality, we need to increase access to social and economic opportunity. We must make it easier for Veterans and their spouses to get and keep good paying jobs so they can take care of their families. Access to affordable housing and healthcare options for Veterans and their families must also be increased. It is unacceptable that our Illinois Veterans’ homes – homes that care for our frail, elderly Veterans – have caused the death of over a dozen Veteran heroes. Over the past three years, we have lost too many Veterans to Legionnaires Disease and deaths continue to be reported. Our heroes deserve to live out their remaining years in dignity, not in fear of unsafe or unhealthy living conditions. We must address ongoing health and safety issues in Illinois Veteran’s homes. It’s unacceptable that cases of Legionnaires disease continue to be reported, and that lives continue to be lost. Increase opportunities for education and employment for Veterans and their families
Ensure Illinois Veterans of all ages have safe, stable, and affordable housing options
Improve healthcare options for Veterans across the state
Better manage and coordinate Veteran's services
JB's Criminal Justice Reform Plan As governor, I will propose an office of Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Opportunity, spearheaded by my pick for Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. This office will focus on evidence-based solutions to move us forward. We will build economic opportunity to keep people out of the criminal justice system and help Illinoisans transition back to their communities. We’re going to support youth and adults so they don’t enter the justice system in the first place. We’re going to reform sentencing to match the offense and support rehabilitation. Finally, we’re going to reduce gun violence with the public health approach we need to keep our communities safe. Long term, we must reverse Bruce Rauner’s systemic disinvestment in communities across our state. Bruce Rauner decimated human services in Illinois, blocked public education funding, and undermined economic opportunity for so many of our communities. These are the services and foundations that enable communities to build better lives and as governor, I will fight every day to reverse this damage. My plan focuses on four key areas:
Legalize Marijuana and Modernize Sentencing We must start with Illinois’ sentencing laws. We need sentencing guidelines that not only match the offense, but also work to deter crime and build safer communities. We also need to reform the bail system and partner with communities across the state to bolster successful diversion programs and robust data collection. As governor, I will work to reverse the foundational causes of mass incarceration. Under Bruce Rauner, we’ve seen steady disinvestment in our communities, human services decimated, and economic opportunity for our middle class and those striving to get into the middle class disappear. Yet, Illinois will spend over $1.4 billion in FY17 incarcerating its citizens. We need to modernize our approach to sentencing to focus on public safety and smart sentencing. The savings obtained from modernizing the sentencing system should be invested directly back to our communities to fund programs that reduce incarceration in the first place and expand opportunity for all Illinois communities.
Reducing Recidivism Our state government should partner with communities to help people released from prison thrive. We need to build strong social connections and create economic opportunity in our communities and that can’t just start when people are released. It means rehabilitative services, job training, and re-entry services that begin in prison and extend after release. Expanding these programs in our prisons and in our communities will build that bridge between incarceration and re-entry. It will connect individuals to the social and economic opportunities they need to thrive and reduce recidivism. It’s a long-term investment in our state that will help lower future incarceration costs, which currently cost over $23,000 per inmate. Let’s spend money educating instead of incarcerating Illinoisans.
Juvenile Justice Reform While adolescents are more likely to take risks and behave impulsively, their brains are also more open and responsive to education and rehabilitation. Recognizing this, we should focus on rehabilitative alternatives to prosecution and incarceration in our juvenile justice system. Keeping adolescents out of the system will not only improve their own well-being, it also frees up resources we can use to invest in education and building community capacity. In 2016, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice spent $172,000 annually to incarcerate each youth. That is a staggering 29 times more than effective community-based alternatives to incarceration that cost an average of only $6,000 per youth, per year.
A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence and Holding Law Enforcement Accountable There is no single cause for this epidemic and there is no single solution. Access to guns and where they come from is one factor. Over half of guns recovered by the Chicago Police Department can be traced to a state outside of Illinois. Without better data collection and law enforcement coordination across the state, it’s hard to know the same about crime guns recovered from Peoria and East St. Louis to Cairo. That’s a problem. Systemic disinvestment in our communities leading to adverse economic outcomes is also a key factor. Unemployment in the five Chicago communities most affected by gun violence is as high as 35%. Unemployment in other regions of the state most affected by gun violence exceeds the state average too. This has only been compounded by Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership. His 736-day budget crisis decimated funding for violence prevention, after-school programs, and mental health services. We need to fight for all communities to be healthy and safe, and we need to partner with those already doing this work. As governor, I will work with all communities affected by gun violence. Together, we will lead efforts to treat gun violence as a public health epidemic, rebuild healthy communities, increase firearm safety, and support the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Conclusion JB's Domestic Violence Prevention Plan We know that counseling and therapy, legal services, shelter, and job training provide survivors of domestic violence with the resources to successfully leave abusive relationships. But instead of setting children and families up for success, Bruce Rauner did long-term damage to the tools domestic violence survivors need to build a path toward self-sufficiency. Due to Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis, payments to domestic violence shelters were delayed or cut, resulting in many agencies reducing staff hours, laying people off, and taking out lines of credit. In July, Governor Rauner vetoed all funding for domestic violence services, jeopardizing life-saving services for more than 53,000 adults and children who receive support from community-based providers each year. Even after the legislature overrode Governor Rauner’s dangerous veto, the Department of Human Services continued to drag its feet in getting payments to domestic violence shelters. My Plan: Putting our children on a path to success
Tools for parents to rebuild their lives
JB's Plan to Resist Trump Illinois will be deeply impacted by this administration’s devastating agenda, and Governor Bruce Rauner is asleep at the wheel. Rauner is silent in the face of Trump’s attacks and refuses to put in place policies that will protect Illinois families. Worse, Rauner is actively working to force a special interest agenda on Illinois that will amplify Donald Trump’s destruction. After a 736-day budget crisis, with a state economy in turmoil, and with public school funding at risk, Illinois simply can’t afford Trump’s agenda or more of Rauner’s failed leadership. My parents raised me with a commitment to social justice. I’ve spent my life fighting for Illinois families and bringing people together to solve big problems for this state. Those values are under attack and I am ready to fight every day to make sure Illinois is a firewall against Donald Trump’s destructive agenda and hateful rhetoric. We will protect and expand health care for all of our families, invest in education, defend our environment, stand with our immigrant families, and fight for civil rights. I’m running for governor because the values that I care about are under siege by Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner and I am ready to stand with passionate Illinoisans and resist. After Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership, there is so much work to do and this my plan to resist Trump as Illinois’ next governor. Protecting Health Care Rauner How We Resist Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are ramming through mean-spirited and deeply unpopular legislation to overhaul the progress we’ve made to make health care more accessible and affordable under the Affordable Care Act. If they are successful, the impact on Illinois would be nothing short of devastating. Millions of Illinoisan’s health care could be jeopardized, 650,000 of our neighbors would be automatically stripped of Medicaid in 2021, and 46,000 Illinois workers could lose their jobs. Premiums would skyrocket, with seniors bearing the brunt of the cost, and Illinois women could lose access to critical health services through Planned Parenthood. Trumpcare is a direct attack on the health care of millions of families, seniors, and women in Illinois. But even after bipartisan governors across the country criticized the legislation, Bruce Rauner refuses to take a principled stand. Instead, Donald Trump’s partner in Illinois is working to force his special interest agenda on our state through his own destructive Medicaid proposal and his threat to veto HB40. I’m running for governor to fight for Illinois families and that means doing everything in my power to protect their health care. I will resist Trump in Washington and stand with governors across the nation to provide meaningful leadership that will protect and expand health care for all Illinoisans. That means working to expand access to care, increase patient choice, and keep costs down by providing a public option health insurance plan. This public option will provide another choice in the health insurance marketplace and protect Illinoisans from rising premiums at no additional cost to taxpayers. I will also stand with Illinois women in the fight to protect women’s health care and their right to choose. Unlike Rauner, that is a promise I will never waiver on. Funding Education Rauner How We Resist Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos want to reduce the federal government’s investment in our greatest asset – our children – by threatening to cut more than $9 billion from the U.S. Department of Education. Their assault on public education will directly and disproportionately hurt low-income students. Rather than invest in programs that provide everyone with an opportunity to achieve their academic potential, Trump plans to drastically reduce funding and funnel savings into school choice programs. Bruce Rauner has a long history with Betsy DeVos, which comes as no surprise given their overlapping agendas. Young children missed out on opportunities to learn and grow as a result of Rauner’s changes to the Child Care Assistance Program. High school graduates left the state in part because of the financial instability surrounding public universities and lack of MAP grants. The ‘short term pain’ associated with Rauner’s budget crisis came at the expense of children and families across our state. Like Donald Trump, Rauner’s narrow, special interest agenda threatens the well-being of children and families across the state. In order to build a globally competitive workforce, we have to provide a world class education to every Illinois child. For over 20 years, I have been fighting for increased access to early childhood education and I won’t stop as governor. I’m going to take a two-generation approach to building a comprehensive, birth-to-five system of early childhood education. I plan to raise the state’s investment in K-12 schools to address the imbalance that exists between the share of state and local school funding. Finally, I will give our high school graduates a reason to stay in Illinois by making public universities more affordable, supporting our community colleges, and investing in our financial aid programs. We can achieve these goals by implementing a progressive income tax, where those who can afford it, pay more. Restoring the Environment Rauner How We Resist Donald Trump is compromising our future and our children’s future in his quest to disregard science and lead us to environmental ruin. Trump and his climate change denier EPA Director Scott Pruitt are systematically working to gut the EPA, proposing $2.6 billion in cuts to the agency that would slash 3,200 jobs. Trump is simultaneously working to eliminate the Clean Water Rule, which would ensure safe drinking water, as well as the Clean Power Plan, which set out to regulate energy plants powered by fossil fuels. On June 1, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, a historic international agreement between 195 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Trump’s withdrawal was a striking statement that the U.S. will not partner to reduce the impacts of climate change. Bruce Rauner has been silent as Donald Trump wages war on our environment. While leaders of cities and states across the country stepped forward to say that they will continue to uphold the provisions of the Paris agreement, Bruce Rauner failed to act. Rauner has done nothing to push back on Trump’s proposed cuts to the EPA, which could lead the Illinois regional office to close entirely or cut critical jobs and programs. In fact, Bruce Rauner’s director of the Illinois EPA is a former registered lobbyist who represented some of this state’s largest polluters. And, of course, the damage done by Rauner’s budget crisis has decimated conservation programs across the state. As governor, I will stand with science, not with Donald Trump. One of my first acts will be joining responsible leaders across the country to ensure that Illinois upholds the provisions of the Paris Climate Agreement. I will fight Donald Trump’s cuts to the EPA and ensure our regional office keeps its doors open. I will work to expand clean energy production and invest in green jobs. Finally, I will pass a budget that restores funding to the conservation programs that keep our environment safe and clean. Climate change is a real threat, and we have a responsibility to our children to act. I’m ready to do that as governor. Fighting for Immigration Reform Rauner How we Resist The United States is a nation of immigrants. Every generation, our country is strengthened by men and women from across the globe seeking freedom and opportunity here. Rather than welcome this generation of immigrant children and families, our president has demonized Mexicans, turned his back on Syrian refugees, and has implemented a modified travel ban to several Muslim-majority nations. Estimates from 2015 found that if Donald Trump were to succeed in deporting every undocumented immigrant in Illinois, the state could lose $25.6 billion in economic activity, $11.4 billion in gross state product, and approximately 119,214 jobs. We must protect our ideals and do everything possible to make the promise of America the practice of America. Illinois should serve as a beacon of hope, a place where every person is given the tools to build a better life, contribute to their community, and help strengthen our economy. Illinois is home to approximately 1.8 million immigrants, but Bruce Rauner has done nothing to protect them from Donald Trump’s hateful agenda. In fact, he’s proactively taken steps to jettison immigrant integration programs and dilute pro-immigrant bills. Immigrants were nearly 18% of Illinois’ workforce in 2013, and in 2012 undocumented immigrants in Illinois paid approximately $793.7 million in state and local taxes. Today’s immigrant families want the same thing my great-grandfather did when he came to the United States: safety, freedom, and the opportunity to build a better life. As governor, I will strive to build the social and economic infrastructure necessary to create opportunities for everyone, regardless of citizenship. Unlike our governor, I will welcome refugees with open arms and send a message to the president that Illinois is a welcoming state. I will restore and expand funding for immigrant integration services. Finally, I will proudly sign pro-immigrant bills like the Illinois Trust Act into law and look forward to standing with immigrant families to rebuild trust in our communities. Standing Up to Intolerance Rauner How we Resist Donald Trump and his administration have supported and enacted flagrantly racist policies, from pledging to build a wall on the Mexican border to placing a travel ban on Muslims who want to come to the U.S. Trump rescinded a Department of Education guidance designed to protect transgender students. A new policy by Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinds a 2013 memo from then-Attorney General Eric Holder, which sought to reduce the use of mandatory minimums for non-violent offenders. Long sentences for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders have not been proven to increase public safety, deter violence, or effectuate greater rehabilitation. However, they have been found to criminalize communities of color and drive up incarceration costs. Under Bruce Rauner, hate crimes against Jews, Muslims, Arabs and Hispanics in Chicago hit five-year highs in 2016. His administration has decimated social services in Illinois that primarily serve communities that need it the most. After-school programs for at-risk youth and preventative HIV programs for LGBTQ populations have been particularly devastated, despite clear evidence of their effectiveness. Rauner has done nothing to stand up for transgender Illinoisans in the face of Donald Trump’s blatant discrimination. I’m proud to have worked with Holocaust survivors to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum, which educates tens of thousands of Illinois students and teachers on how to fight intolerance and hate every year. As governor, I will listen to the diverse experiences and views of Illinoisans and ensure those who have gone voiceless for far too long have a seat at the table. l will fund our social services and ensure access in communities that need them the most. I will stand with our transgender students and all Illinoisans against bigotry. Finally, I will fix our school funding formula and provide access to capital in communities that have been left behind. Illinoisans deserve a governor fighting to give all communities the opportunity to thrive. Join Me In the days that followed, my greatest hope was that Trump would prove me wrong. For the sake of our country, I hoped that Trump would rise to the responsibility of holding our country’s highest office. Those hopes were quickly dashed. I won’t mince words. Donald Trump’s administration has been plagued by staggering incompetence on his best days and a flagrant disregard for our values, ethics, and the rule of law on his worst. Our basic values and way of life here in Illinois are under threat. The long-term stability of this state and the well-being of our families is at stake if we don’t act. We need a governor ready to resist Donald Trump with every tool at their disposal and I am ready to be that governor. I hope you will join me. Illinois Cares: JB's Healthcare Plan Meanwhile, hard-working Illinois families could face losing healthcare coverage, rising premiums, and limited selection in the health insurance marketplace. As governor, I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure that Illinoisans have the healthcare coverage they need, and the first step is introducing a healthcare option called IllinoisCares. I propose a public health insurance option that would allow every Illinois resident the chance to buy low-cost health insurance. I will work with legislators and the health care community to design this public option to provide another choice in the health insurance marketplace, to lower the cost of premiums and mitigate market uncertainty – at no cost to taxpayers. If the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains the law of the land, my plan would provide an important avenue to expand access to affordable healthcare in Illinois. But if Republicans in Washington are successful in repealing ACA, IllinoisCares would become even more necessary and could give Illinois a path to expanded innovative healthcare coverage at the state level. I hope there continues to be conversation about how we can expand healthcare coverage across our country, including the consideration of a federal single payer system, which I support. But with Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans in control of the House and Senate, it’s now up to the states to innovate. That’s why I’m proposing a public option for Illinois, which would be the first in the nation leading in this way. IllinoisCares would allow Illinois residents to buy into the state’s Medicaid system:
“As Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington try to destroy the progress made by the ACA, Bruce Rauner sits in Springfield doing nothing for the more than 1 million Illinoisans whose coverage is at risk,” said JB Pritzker. “Our state has the chance to lead the nation with a progressive idea that expands coverage while offering residents an affordable healthcare option. My proposal, IllinoisCares, is a public health insurance option for the people of Illinois. As governor, I will do everything I can to make sure that all Illinoisans have quality, affordable healthcare coverage at the best price possible.” Early Childhood Education My plan includes the following: 1. Ensure every child participates in kindergarten In Illinois, roughly half of kindergarten-age children live in low-income households, around 20 percent speak a language other than English at home, around 14 percent have special needs, and several thousand are homeless. Research indicates that during kindergarten, there is a clear achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged kids. While evidence suggests that participation in kindergarten, particularly full-day kindergarten, improves academic outcomes, self-confidence, and the ability to interact with others, it is estimated that 5,000 school-age children are not enrolled in kindergarten across the state. Lowering the compulsory age of education from six to five will ensure that every child is able to benefit from the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of kindergarten. It will also build upon the investment the state is making in birth-to-five early learning services. Unfortunately, Bruce Rauner put the education of kindergarten children in jeopardy by trying to use school funding as leverage to score a political win. Illinois needs to fully fund its schools and ensure that school districts across the state equitably receive the resources they need to provide kindergarteners with a high-quality education. 2. Put Illinois on a path towards universal preschool for 3 and 4-year-olds Illinois is currently serving approximately 110,000 3 and 4-year-olds through the state’s Preschool for All and the federally-funded Head Start Program. In order to provide every parent with the opportunity to enroll their 3 and 4-year-olds in a high-quality preschool program, Illinois would have to serve over 200,000 more children, 50,000 of which are considered low-income. The state should make bold moves to accomplish that goal, but it has to be done incrementally because there aren’t enough teachers or classroom space to do this overnight. We need to increase the state’s investment in the Early Childhood Block Grant so that Illinois can serve at least 12,500 more children every year, while investing in training the teachers we’ll need to expand access even further. This would enable the state to enroll every low-income child within four years and put Illinois on path towards serving 100,000 more children in eight years. Illinois is currently in the middle of a five-year preschool expansion plan initiated under Governor Pat Quinn and supported by a federal grant from the Obama Administration. Despite state efforts, Illinois is currently ranked 21st in the nation in preschool access for 4-year-olds. Even though he claims to support early learning programs, Bruce Rauner vetoed the state’s FY18 budget allocating $443.7 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant. 3. Increase access to the Child Care Assistance Program Increasing income eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program to 200 percent of the federal poverty level would allow a family of three to qualify for assistance with an annual salary of about $40,000. Today, Child Care Assistance Program eligibility is capped at 185 percent of the federal poverty limit, which would leave a family of three outside of the system if they earn more than roughly $38,000. We would also create an exit ramp that allows those who qualify for it to continue receiving assistance as their wages increase up to 300 percent of the FPL which is roughly $61,000 annual earnings for a family of three. Increasing access to the Child Care Assistance Program is critical to a two-generation approach to supporting children and their parents. Under my plan, working parents can avoid having their assistance abruptly taken away when they get better paying jobs or get a raise. Working parents who receive child care assistance are more likely to maintain stable employment, earn more money, and reduce their debt. When families don’t have access to affordable, high-quality child care, they are more likely to place their children in inferior settings. This can contribute to the 30-million-word gap that already exists between higher-income families who can afford high-quality child care and those from lower-income families who cannot. Unfortunately, more than 30,000 children lost access to high-quality child care over the last few years because of Bruce Rauner’s assault on working families. On July 1, 2015, Rauner made Illinois’ Child Care Assistance Program the least accessible program in the nation when he lowered income eligibility to 50 percent of the federal poverty limit, or no more than $10,045 a year for a family of three. This change in policy denied child care assistance to 90 percent of the working families who typically apply for the program. Under pressure from the public and the legislature, Rauner increased income eligibility up to 162 of the federal poverty limit in November 2017 and promised to elevate it back up to 185 percent of the federal poverty limit when a full budget was authorized – a promise Rauner failed to fulfill until October 2017 – 84 days after lawmakers voted to override his veto of the fiscal year 2018 budget. 4. Expand birth-to-three services and create a new "Family Engagement Portal" Evidence-based home visiting programs have shown positive long-term impacts on children through increased school readiness, reduced child maltreatment, and reduced lifetime arrests and convictions. Evidence-based home-visiting programs also show positive impacts for families, such as increased parental income and increased percentages of parents who live together. Illinois currently has several birth-to-three home-visiting programs administered by the Department of Human Services and the State Board of Education. As governor, I will work to expand the reach of those programs and create a new ‘Family Engagement Portal.’ This new, parent-centered mobile and online portal will provide parents and caregivers with information about publicly available local child development resources for children and families. We’ll also strive to reach all new and expecting parents through health care providers and urge them to sign-up to receive mobile messaging about maternal and child health, positive parenting practices, and early learning programs. Focusing on assisting parents will help build stronger families and enhance the learning environment for young children. Bruce Rauner’s 736-day budget crisis has debilitated families’ access to birth-to-three home-visiting programs, which did not receive a full-year appropriation in FY16 or FY17. Instability surrounding the state budget and late payments from the state resulted in a 30 percent decline in home-visiting funding. Bruce Rauner even proposed restricting access to the Early Intervention Program, which helps infants and toddlers overcome developmental delays. Thankfully, parents, medical professionals, and advocates fought back against this proposal and succeeded in protecting critical services for young children. 5. Invest in adding more teachers and classrooms Early childhood education is a critically important part of a successful education system that strengthens families and communities. Research clearly shows that investments in high-quality early learning opportunities, starting at birth and through age five, increases children’s school readiness, raises high school graduation rates, boosts labor participation, and improves health outcomes. It also saves money by reducing expenditures later in life on remedial programs, job training, and incarceration. In fact, it’s fiscally responsible to invest in early learning. Inspired by experts like Barbara Bowman and Irving Harris, for almost two decades, I’ve been at the forefront of local and national efforts to increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities. As a national activist, I provided Congressional testimony, spoke at the National Governors Association and numerous other organizations, and I supported the creation of the First Five Years Fund, a national advocacy organization advancing high-quality early childhood education. In 2014, I helped lead President Obama’s White House Summit on Early Childhood Education. This is a priority for me and as governor, I will make Illinois a national leader in early childhood education. Conclusion Our children deserve better. As governor, I will work to provide a strong early educational environment for every Illinois child starting at birth and will assist parents and caregivers in their desire to strengthen families. Think Big: A Plan for Illinois Jobs I’m running to be a governor who represents our entire state and my plans for our economy reflect that. There are unique assets and needs in Central and Southern Illinois that must be a part of any plan to create jobs in our state. My plan will invest in infrastructure so we can make Illinois a place where people want to do business again. It will provide capital and support for small businesses, the number one job creators in our state. It will lift up our community colleges and public universities as engines of economic growth and incubators for start-ups and new businesses. All while supporting longstanding pillars of Illinois’ economy like agriculture and manufacturing. The challenges across our state are real, the needs are large, but I’m ready to create jobs in Illinois again. Here’s my plan: Infrastructure for Our Future Rauner's Record My Plan Create jobs statewide by employing Illinoisans on new construction projects. I will ensure these are good-paying jobs by supporting Project Labor Agreements and prevailing wage. Support our farmers and manufacturers and attract new businesses by creating the transportation and logistics network they need to thrive. Upgrading our roads, rail, and water will be critical to getting goods to market and allowing manufacturers to expand. Build up our high-speed broadband infrastructure to ensure statewide access for businesses and entrepreneurs. Small businesses need high-speed broadband to succeed, and we need to make access throughout the entire state a priority. Ensure safe drinking water by updating our lead service lines and water infrastructure. New Business Creation Rauner's Record My Plan Expand availability of microloans to increase access to capital for small businesses. I will help chartered community banks and certified Community Development Financial Institutions deploy more capital and tie state assistance to benchmarks in order to ensure effectiveness. Restore and expand Small Business Development Centers to help small businesses navigate regulatory requirements and connect with lenders. Business owners need mentorship, training, and support to succeed and SBDCs are critical in making that happen. Introduce a Truth in Lending Act to protect small business owners from online and alternative lending products that are detrimental to their fiscal health. Invest in Higher Education Rauner's Record My Plan Empower community colleges as hubs of economic growth, workforce training, and innovation. The National Sequestration Education Center at Richland Community College in Decatur offers associate degrees and training in carbon sequestration technology. This is the type of innovative education that grows and develops our economy. Richland Community College and community colleges across our state need a partner in the governor’s office who will pursue federal dollars, create public-private partnerships, and pursue private investments in technology and innovation. Support university-based start-ups by reinstating matching funds and modest seed grants to help start-ups better leverage federal money. I will also bring together university and business leaders to promote private capital investment in growth stage companies. University incubators and the start-ups they create are a critical resource for economic growth and deserve support from the state. Expand youth apprenticeship programs by promoting partnerships between high schools and trades unions and encouraging companies to establish multi-year commitments for apprenticeship programs. We should also leverage federal dollars as new federal apprenticeship funding opportunities become available. Promote environmentally responsible energy development by investing in renewable energy cooperatives, promoting the widespread development of wind and solar power, and supporting the Advanced Coal and Energy Research Center at SIU Carbondale and other innovative research efforts. Nurture our Agricultural Economy Rauner's Record My Plan Improve farm to market infrastructure by upgrading rural roads, nearly half of which are rated in poor, mediocre, or fair condition. Upgrading the locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers by using federal dollars will also support the $54 billion in agricultural products that flow through the Mississippi River watershed to get to market. Expand access to capital for family farmers so they can invest in new technology that keeps their businesses competitive. Defend agricultural education to ensure that these programs remain a vibrant part of our vocational education programs and that Illinois has well-trained future farmers. Support agricultural research at our universities and colleges to find value-added ways to expand the use and marketability of our state’s natural resources, like soybeans and corn. Jumpstart Manufacturing Rauner's Record My Plan Support Illinois’ growing manufacturing export industry through infrastructure upgrades to the roads, rails, bridges, and waterways that transport these goods. Nurture advanced manufacturing by extending quality, high-speed internet access to rural communities across the state. Support manufacturers in securing access to capital and create training opportunities to meet their unique needs. Manufacturing employs 10 percent of the state’s workforce and deserves continued support. Foster the growth of manufacturing incubators like mHUB across the state and allow local manufacturers, academic researchers, and entrepreneurs to innovate, create jobs, and meet workforce demands.[140] |
” |
| —JB for Governor[141] | ||
Bruce Rauner
Rauner's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Illinois is worth fighting for The people of our state deserve a government that works for them instead of the politically-connected. With bipartisan reforms, we’ll grow good jobs, deliver value for taxpayers, give every child access to world-class schools, and enact term limits to get rid of career politicians. We’ll make Illinois a state where families and businesses thrive once again. Let’s get to work – because Illinois is worth fighting for. Standing Up for Taxpayers For decades, special interests and political insiders controlled Illinois for their benefit and left taxpayers holding the bill. I want to make sure that taxpayers come first, and that state government delivers value for your hard-earned tax dollars. That’s why I was proud to veto Mike Madigan’s permanent 32 percent income tax hike and to have proposed a plan to roll it back with a $1 billion tax cut. And it’s why I’m fighting for lasting property tax relief by freezing property taxes and giving local communities more flexibility to control their costs and lower taxes. We’ve also saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by rooting out fraud, cutting wasteful spending in state operating costs, and negotiating innovative government contracts. Criminal Justice Reform For too long, an ineffective and counterproductive criminal justice system plagued our state, tearing families apart and hurting communities of color. That’s why I worked to bring Republicans, Democrats, and law enforcement together to begin to fix it. Unlike past Governors, my priority is on rehabilitation, not dangerous early release programs. In just the past two years, I’ve signed over two-dozen bipartisan criminal justice reform bills. We’re increasing access to job training and opportunities, giving offenders the tools to lead productive lives after they’ve served their time. We’re making the criminal justice system fairer because everyone, no matter their background, deserves to be treated equally before the law. 21st Century Jobs Illinois’ central location, fertile agriculture lands, and world-class communities, combined with the best, hardest-working people in America means our state should be thriving. We have everything going for us except decades of crony politics and bad policy has held us back. I am working hard to make Illinois more competitive and to help create more good-paying jobs. That means working to lower the cost of doing business by reforming Illinois’ expensive workers compensation system, reining in out-of-control lawsuit abuse, and freezing property taxes. It also means modernizing Illinois’ economic development efforts so they move at the speed of business. Even though the career politicians and special interests are trying to block these reforms, we’ve worked to bring thousands of new, good-paying jobs to Illinois. We brought nearly 8,000 Amazon jobs to Joliet, Monee and Romeoville. We brought Rivian Automotive to Normal, where 1,500 jobs will be created. We brought Flex-N-Gate and hundreds of quality jobs to Chicago’s South Side. And with the Future Energy Jobs Act, we are now leading the Midwest in clean energy jobs and will continue to create thousands of new green energy jobs throughout the state in addition to saving thousands of jobs across Illinois. Cleaning Up Government Illinois’ political system is broken, and it’s going to take real reforms to fix it. Our state is controlled by a political machine and special interests who will do anything to protect the status quo. I’m working to clean up Springfield by getting rid of illegal patronage hires and implementing ethics reforms to stop the revolving door between lobbyists and government. Illinois voters deserve to choose their elected officials, not the other way around. That’s why I’m fighting for term limits and fair maps to make elections more competitive and ensure politicians are genuinely accountable to voters. Improving Education We’ve fully funded education for the first time in years, increasing K-12 education funding by $1.2 billion, and we brought early childhood education funding to historic levels. And this year, we signed a historic education reform law that provides tax credits for scholarship programs which gives educational choice to low-income families, provides more funding for school districts most in need, brings parity in funding for charter schools, and removes onerous state mandates to give local communities more control.[140] |
” |
| —Citizens for Rauner[142] | ||
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Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Eleven of 102 Illinois counties—10.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. These are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Alexander County, Illinois | 8.30% | 13.65% | 12.62% | ||||
| Carroll County, Illinois | 26.69% | 1.49% | 4.81% | ||||
| Fulton County, Illinois | 14.93% | 11.04% | 21.33% | ||||
| Henderson County, Illinois | 28.43% | 12.25% | 17.67% | ||||
| Henry County, Illinois | 20.99% | 3.08% | 7.74% | ||||
| Jo Daviess County, Illinois | 14.64% | 1.16% | 10.49% | ||||
| Knox County, Illinois | 2.91% | 17.37% | 19.89% | ||||
| Mercer County, Illinois | 20.36% | 7.39% | 11.91% | ||||
| Putnam County, Illinois | 19.92% | 1.82% | 15.64% | ||||
| Warren County, Illinois | 16.50% | 5.47% | 8.08% | ||||
| Whiteside County, Illinois | 6.18% | 17.02% | 17.56% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Illinois with 55.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 38.8 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Illinois voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 50 percent of the time. Illinois voted Democratic in all five elections from 2000 to 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Illinois. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[143][144]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 75 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 39.2 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 76 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 42.1 points. Clinton won 13 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 43 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 15 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 42 out of 118 state House districts in Illinois with an average margin of victory of 22.1 points. Trump won four districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 83.62% | 15.21% | D+68.4 | 82.32% | 14.37% | D+68 | D |
| 2 | 82.39% | 15.42% | D+67 | 80.05% | 14.65% | D+65.4 | D |
| 3 | 79.93% | 18.51% | D+61.4 | 79.31% | 17.11% | D+62.2 | D |
| 4 | 85.70% | 11.51% | D+74.2 | 86.74% | 8.01% | D+78.7 | D |
| 5 | 85.51% | 13.50% | D+72 | 86.81% | 9.67% | D+77.1 | D |
| 6 | 87.98% | 11.09% | D+76.9 | 85.82% | 10.82% | D+75 | D |
| 7 | 80.06% | 18.99% | D+61.1 | 80.62% | 15.84% | D+64.8 | D |
| 8 | 86.10% | 13.03% | D+73.1 | 85.11% | 11.52% | D+73.6 | D |
| 9 | 87.33% | 11.58% | D+75.8 | 87.72% | 8.52% | D+79.2 | D |
| 10 | 89.16% | 9.51% | D+79.7 | 89.44% | 6.93% | D+82.5 | D |
| 11 | 70.89% | 26.65% | D+44.2 | 80.64% | 13.16% | D+67.5 | D |
| 12 | 72.73% | 24.96% | D+47.8 | 81.23% | 13.31% | D+67.9 | D |
| 13 | 83.32% | 14.08% | D+69.2 | 85.26% | 10.09% | D+75.2 | D |
| 14 | 86.60% | 10.95% | D+75.7 | 86.67% | 8.59% | D+78.1 | D |
| 15 | 61.08% | 37.44% | D+23.6 | 63.15% | 32.35% | D+30.8 | D |
| 16 | 67.28% | 31.33% | D+36 | 70.19% | 26.06% | D+44.1 | D |
| 17 | 61.83% | 36.93% | D+24.9 | 69.97% | 25.22% | D+44.8 | D |
| 18 | 66.52% | 31.94% | D+34.6 | 76.28% | 18.12% | D+58.2 | D |
| 19 | 63.32% | 34.68% | D+28.6 | 60.22% | 34.98% | D+25.2 | D |
| 20 | 52.74% | 45.64% | D+7.1 | 51.65% | 43.61% | D+8 | R |
| 21 | 74.33% | 24.11% | D+50.2 | 74.36% | 21.32% | D+53 | D |
| 22 | 71.92% | 26.75% | D+45.2 | 72.11% | 24.01% | D+48.1 | D |
| 23 | 68.15% | 30.25% | D+37.9 | 68.21% | 27.01% | D+41.2 | D |
| 24 | 76.56% | 21.82% | D+54.7 | 78.51% | 17.01% | D+61.5 | D |
| 25 | 93.09% | 5.86% | D+87.2 | 91.45% | 5.66% | D+85.8 | D |
| 26 | 85.59% | 13.65% | D+71.9 | 86.53% | 10.16% | D+76.4 | D |
| 27 | 81.90% | 17.46% | D+64.4 | 79.07% | 18.14% | D+60.9 | D |
| 28 | 79.41% | 19.90% | D+59.5 | 75.46% | 21.59% | D+53.9 | D |
| 29 | 83.65% | 15.75% | D+67.9 | 81.69% | 15.87% | D+65.8 | D |
| 30 | 82.89% | 16.29% | D+66.6 | 79.99% | 16.71% | D+63.3 | D |
| 31 | 82.49% | 16.80% | D+65.7 | 77.74% | 19.39% | D+58.4 | D |
| 32 | 87.17% | 12.26% | D+74.9 | 82.32% | 15.18% | D+67.1 | D |
| 33 | 87.38% | 12.10% | D+75.3 | 85.39% | 12.24% | D+73.2 | D |
| 34 | 80.42% | 18.91% | D+61.5 | 76.17% | 21.23% | D+54.9 | D |
| 35 | 56.71% | 41.96% | D+14.8 | 53.87% | 41.66% | D+12.2 | D |
| 36 | 56.82% | 41.83% | D+15 | 56.15% | 39.16% | D+17 | D |
| 37 | 39.72% | 58.89% | R+19.2 | 39.49% | 55.32% | R+15.8 | R |
| 38 | 78.87% | 20.34% | D+58.5 | 76.44% | 20.51% | D+55.9 | D |
| 39 | 82.46% | 14.81% | D+67.7 | 82.71% | 12.52% | D+70.2 | D |
| 40 | 81.75% | 15.46% | D+66.3 | 82.84% | 11.67% | D+71.2 | D |
| 41 | 47.44% | 51.05% | R+3.6 | 55.32% | 38.20% | D+17.1 | R |
| 42 | 45.06% | 53.21% | R+8.2 | 51.28% | 41.48% | D+9.8 | R |
| 43 | 65.55% | 32.50% | D+33.1 | 65.81% | 28.61% | D+37.2 | D |
| 44 | 62.30% | 36.05% | D+26.3 | 62.48% | 32.17% | D+30.3 | D |
| 45 | 48.18% | 50.30% | R+2.1 | 48.39% | 46.46% | D+1.9 | R |
| 46 | 58.46% | 39.71% | D+18.8 | 59.07% | 35.26% | D+23.8 | D |
| 47 | 43.33% | 55.30% | R+12 | 51.72% | 41.63% | D+10.1 | R |
| 48 | 49.08% | 49.10% | R+0 | 55.13% | 37.66% | D+17.5 | R |
| 49 | 47.84% | 50.47% | R+2.6 | 52.14% | 40.94% | D+11.2 | R |
| 50 | 42.69% | 55.72% | R+13 | 44.59% | 48.88% | R+4.3 | R |
| 51 | 42.13% | 56.55% | R+14.4 | 50.03% | 43.68% | D+6.3 | R |
| 52 | 44.02% | 54.27% | R+10.3 | 45.31% | 48.09% | R+2.8 | R |
| 53 | 49.78% | 48.75% | D+1 | 55.58% | 38.54% | D+17 | R |
| 54 | 47.53% | 50.89% | R+3.4 | 53.16% | 40.31% | D+12.9 | R |
| 55 | 55.26% | 43.04% | D+12.2 | 57.50% | 37.06% | D+20.4 | D |
| 56 | 55.72% | 42.70% | D+13 | 56.72% | 37.77% | D+19 | D |
| 57 | 57.78% | 40.95% | D+16.8 | 61.54% | 33.50% | D+28 | D |
| 58 | 56.67% | 42.28% | D+14.4 | 67.90% | 27.15% | D+40.8 | D |
| 59 | 59.17% | 39.44% | D+19.7 | 64.53% | 30.30% | D+34.2 | D |
| 60 | 75.70% | 23.34% | D+52.4 | 75.53% | 20.08% | D+55.5 | D |
| 61 | 50.84% | 47.70% | D+3.1 | 51.76% | 42.09% | D+9.7 | R |
| 62 | 54.69% | 43.51% | D+11.2 | 55.13% | 38.21% | D+16.9 | D |
| 63 | 45.16% | 52.83% | R+7.7 | 40.55% | 52.68% | R+12.1 | R |
| 64 | 44.10% | 54.17% | R+10.1 | 41.29% | 52.51% | R+11.2 | R |
| 65 | 43.52% | 55.10% | R+11.6 | 46.78% | 47.37% | R+0.6 | R |
| 66 | 46.19% | 52.24% | R+6.1 | 46.91% | 46.96% | R+0.1 | R |
| 67 | 70.11% | 28.12% | D+42 | 64.34% | 30.36% | D+34 | D |
| 68 | 48.13% | 50.10% | R+2 | 44.36% | 49.75% | R+5.4 | R |
| 69 | 43.41% | 54.91% | R+11.5 | 38.97% | 55.13% | R+16.2 | R |
| 70 | 49.12% | 48.75% | D+0.4 | 46.09% | 46.77% | R+0.7 | R |
| 71 | 56.68% | 41.68% | D+15 | 43.93% | 50.00% | R+6.1 | R |
| 72 | 62.60% | 35.95% | D+26.7 | 53.78% | 40.19% | D+13.6 | D |
| 73 | 37.57% | 60.78% | R+23.2 | 34.45% | 59.10% | R+24.7 | R |
| 74 | 50.34% | 47.90% | D+2.4 | 37.36% | 56.41% | R+19.1 | R |
| 75 | 43.44% | 54.51% | R+11.1 | 36.58% | 57.17% | R+20.6 | R |
| 76 | 52.08% | 46.00% | D+6.1 | 42.52% | 51.68% | R+9.2 | R |
| 77 | 64.97% | 33.66% | D+31.3 | 64.89% | 30.98% | D+33.9 | D |
| 78 | 80.57% | 18.10% | D+62.5 | 80.12% | 15.92% | D+64.2 | D |
| 79 | 48.61% | 49.64% | R+1 | 41.25% | 53.07% | R+11.8 | R |
| 80 | 66.23% | 32.75% | D+33.5 | 64.99% | 31.42% | D+33.6 | D |
| 81 | 49.98% | 48.31% | D+1.7 | 54.80% | 38.55% | D+16.3 | R |
| 82 | 41.03% | 57.68% | R+16.7 | 43.86% | 50.67% | R+6.8 | R |
| 83 | 69.12% | 29.20% | D+39.9 | 69.54% | 24.80% | D+44.7 | D |
| 84 | 59.63% | 38.93% | D+20.7 | 63.03% | 31.19% | D+31.8 | D |
| 85 | 63.64% | 34.81% | D+28.8 | 60.90% | 33.45% | D+27.5 | D |
| 86 | 65.21% | 33.17% | D+32 | 61.15% | 34.04% | D+27.1 | D |
| 87 | 36.99% | 60.88% | R+23.9 | 30.62% | 63.34% | R+32.7 | R |
| 88 | 40.02% | 57.84% | R+17.8 | 38.41% | 54.54% | R+16.1 | R |
| 89 | 45.79% | 52.18% | R+6.4 | 35.99% | 57.98% | R+22 | R |
| 90 | 42.91% | 55.12% | R+12.2 | 36.05% | 57.26% | R+21.2 | R |
| 91 | 50.46% | 47.13% | D+3.3 | 37.74% | 55.81% | R+18.1 | R |
| 92 | 63.44% | 34.67% | D+28.8 | 59.86% | 34.18% | D+25.7 | D |
| 93 | 49.27% | 48.45% | D+0.8 | 36.82% | 57.40% | R+20.6 | R |
| 94 | 37.54% | 60.67% | R+23.1 | 26.64% | 68.63% | R+42 | R |
| 95 | 42.49% | 54.95% | R+12.5 | 28.84% | 65.74% | R+36.9 | R |
| 96 | 58.74% | 39.47% | D+19.3 | 50.73% | 44.13% | D+6.6 | D |
| 97 | 46.85% | 51.64% | R+4.8 | 47.31% | 46.94% | D+0.4 | R |
| 98 | 59.53% | 39.10% | D+20.4 | 58.02% | 36.87% | D+21.2 | D |
| 99 | 41.40% | 56.65% | R+15.3 | 41.34% | 52.43% | R+11.1 | R |
| 100 | 37.26% | 60.42% | R+23.2 | 25.75% | 69.57% | R+43.8 | R |
| 101 | 33.91% | 64.22% | R+30.3 | 28.70% | 65.31% | R+36.6 | R |
| 102 | 33.32% | 64.74% | R+31.4 | 26.87% | 67.69% | R+40.8 | R |
| 103 | 67.85% | 28.35% | D+39.5 | 71.56% | 20.92% | D+50.6 | D |
| 104 | 46.02% | 52.10% | R+6.1 | 42.48% | 52.16% | R+9.7 | R |
| 105 | 41.33% | 56.81% | R+15.5 | 45.19% | 47.11% | R+1.9 | R |
| 106 | 29.26% | 68.84% | R+39.6 | 22.90% | 71.51% | R+48.6 | R |
| 107 | 34.01% | 64.10% | R+30.1 | 22.81% | 72.62% | R+49.8 | R |
| 108 | 34.28% | 63.51% | R+29.2 | 26.75% | 67.49% | R+40.7 | R |
| 109 | 27.23% | 70.75% | R+43.5 | 17.21% | 79.13% | R+61.9 | R |
| 110 | 37.75% | 60.20% | R+22.5 | 27.66% | 67.10% | R+39.4 | R |
| 111 | 51.31% | 46.13% | D+5.2 | 39.05% | 55.40% | R+16.4 | D |
| 112 | 48.97% | 48.87% | D+0.1 | 44.35% | 49.85% | R+5.5 | D |
| 113 | 58.59% | 39.41% | D+19.2 | 53.73% | 41.03% | D+12.7 | D |
| 114 | 63.89% | 34.84% | D+29.1 | 57.60% | 38.35% | D+19.3 | D |
| 115 | 43.13% | 53.93% | R+10.8 | 33.20% | 61.29% | R+28.1 | R |
| 116 | 41.16% | 56.77% | R+15.6 | 29.39% | 66.21% | R+36.8 | D |
| 117 | 37.92% | 59.99% | R+22.1 | 26.42% | 69.38% | R+43 | R |
| 118 | 39.86% | 58.03% | R+18.2 | 28.44% | 67.59% | R+39.2 | D |
| Total | 57.61% | 40.74% | D+16.9 | 55.96% | 38.85% | D+17.1 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Election history
2014
- See also: Illinois Gubernatorial election, 2014
In the 2014 gubernatorial election, incumbent Pat Quinn (D) was defeated by Bruce Rauner (R).
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Bruce Rauner/Evelyn Sanguinetti |
50.3% | 1,823,627 | |
| Democratic | Pat Quinn/Paul Vallas Incumbent | 46.3% | 1,681,343 | |
| Libertarian | Chad Grimm/Alex Cummings | 3.4% | 121,534 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0% | 1,186 | |
| Total Votes | 3,627,690 | |||
| Election results via Illinois State Board of Elections | ||||
2010
- See also: Illinois gubernatorial election, 2010
In the 2010 gubernatorial election, incumbent Pat Quinn (D) defeated Bill Brady (R).
| Governor and Lt. Governor of Illinois, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Pat Quinn & Sheila Simon Incumbent |
46.8% | 1,745,219 | |
| Republican | Bill Brady & Jason Plummer | 45.9% | 1,713,385 | |
| Independent | Scott Lee Cohen & Baxter Swilley | 3.6% | 135,705 | |
| Green | Rich Whitney & Don Crawford | 2.7% | 100,756 | |
| Libertarian | Lex Green & Ed Ruthledge | 0.9% | 34,681 | |
| None | Write-in | 0% | 243 | |
| Total Votes | 3,729,989 | |||
Wave election analysis
- See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
| Gubernatorial wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | Gubernatorial seats change | Elections analyzed[145] | |
| 1970 | Nixon | R | First midterm | -12 | 35 | |
| 1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -11 | 33 | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -10 | 35 | |
| 1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -10 | 36 | |
| 1994 | Clinton | D | First midterm | -10 | 36 | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | First midterm | -9 | 33 | |
| 1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -9 | 33 | |
| 1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[146] | -9 | 35 | |
| 1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -8 | 33 | |
| 1982 | Reagan | R | First midterm | -7 | 36 | |
| 2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -7 | 33 | |
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Illinois heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Illinois.
- Democrats held 11 of 18 U.S. House seats in Illinois.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Democrats held four of 7 state executive positions, Republicans held two, and the remaining position was officially nonpartisan.
- The governor of Illinois was Republican Bruce Rauner. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Democrats controlled both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. They had a 67-51 majority in the state House and a 37-22 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Illinois was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Bruce Rauner (R) served as governor, while Democrats controlled the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: Illinois elections, 2018
Illinois held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- 18 U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Four lower state executive positions
- 39 of 59 state Senate seats
- 118 state House seats
- Municipal elections in Cook County
Demographics
| Demographic data for Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 12,839,047 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 55,519 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 72.3% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 14.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 5% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 16.5% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 87.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 32.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $57,574 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 16.8% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Illinois. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2016, Illinois' three largest cities were Chicago (pop. est. 2.7 million), Aurora (pop. est. 200,000), and Joliet (pop. est. 150,000).[147][148]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Illinois from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Illinois every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Illinois 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Hillary Clinton |
55.8% | Donald Trump |
38.8% | 17.0% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
57.6% | Mitt Romney |
40.7% | 16.9% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
61.9% | John McCain |
36.8% | 25.1% |
| 2004 | John Kerry |
54.8% | George W. Bush |
44.5% | 10.3% |
| 2000 | Al Gore |
54.6% | George W. Bush |
42.6% | 12.0% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Illinois from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Illinois 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Tammy Duckworth |
54.9% | Mark Kirk |
39.8% | 15.1% |
| 2014 | Dick Durbin |
53.5% | Jim Oberweis |
42.7% | 10.8% |
| 2010 | Mark Kirk |
48.0% | Alexander Giannoulias |
46.4% | 1.6% |
| 2008 | Dick Durbin |
67.8% | Steve Sauerberg |
28.5% | 39.3% |
| 2004 | Barack Obama |
70.0% | Alan Keyes |
27.0% | 43.0% |
| 2002 | Dick Durbin |
60.3% | Jim Durkin |
38.0% | 22.3% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Illinois.
| Election results (Governor), Illinois 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Bruce Rauner |
50.3% | Pat Quinn |
46.3% | 4.0% |
| 2010 | Pat Quinn |
46.8% | Bill Brady |
45.9% | 0.9% |
| 2006 | Rod Blagojevich |
49.8% | Judy Baar Topinka |
39.3% | 10.5% |
| 2002 | Rod Blagojevich |
52.2% | Jim Ryan |
45.1% | 7.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Illinois in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Illinois 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 7 |
38.9% | 11 |
61.1% | D+4 |
| 2014 | 8 |
44.4% | 10 |
55.6% | D+2 |
| 2012 | 6 |
33.3% | 12 |
66.7% | D+6 |
| 2010 | 11 |
57.9% | 8 |
42.1% | R+3 |
| 2008 | 7 |
36.8% | 12 |
63.2% | D+5 |
| 2006 | 9 |
47.4% | 10 |
52.6% | D+1 |
| 2004 | 9 |
47.4% | 10 |
52.6% | D+1 |
| 2002 | 10 |
52.6% | 9 |
47.4% | R+1 |
| 2000 | 10 |
50.0% | 10 |
50.0% | Even |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Illinois Party Control: 1992-2025
Nineteen years of Democratic trifectas • Two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Illinois governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
|
Illinois government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Contributions Search - By Candidates," accessed August 27, 2018
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Primary Sets Up Expensive Showdown Between Billionaires Rauner And Pritzker," March 21, 2018
- ↑ JB for Governor, "Home," accessed September 16, 2018
- ↑ JB for Governor, "Meet JB," accessed September 16, 2018
- ↑ JB for Governor, "JB’s Plan to Resist Trump," accessed September 16, 2018
- ↑ Herald & Review, "Gov. Bruce Rauner: 'We have to change the system slowly. It takes time.'" September 14, 2018
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ WGN 9, "Super PAC tied to Trump’s Illinois Campaign Finance Chair Jumps into Race for Governor," July 2, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "ENDORSEMENT: J.B. Pritzker for governor, to get Illinois moving again," October 12, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Re-elect Gov. Bruce Rauner to give Illinois a fighting chance," October 5, 2018
- ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "J.B. Pritzker for governor," October 5, 2018
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "For governor: Bruce Rauner," October 3, 2018
- ↑ Rockford Register Star, "Our View: J.B. Pritzker is best choice for Illinois governor," November 3, 2018
- ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "Past divisions forgotten, Obama endorses J.B. Pritzker," August 20, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Business groups put weight behind Rauner," September 19, 2018
- ↑ Central Illinois Proud, "FOP endorses Pritzker for Illinois governor," June 29, 2018
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Crain's Chicago Business, "J.B. Pritzker collects senators' support," December 8, 2017
- ↑ Kennedy for Illinois, "SUN-TIMES: KENNEDY LANDS ENDORSEMENT FROM DANNY K. DAVIS," November 21, 2017
- ↑ Illinois Capitol Fax, "Quigley endorses Pritzker," October 30, 2017
- ↑ Week.com, "Bustos endorses JB Pritzker for governor," October 9, 2017
- ↑ Belleville News-Democrat, "Former congressman Jerry Costello makes endorsement in Democratic gubernatorial race," October 4, 2017
- ↑ WSIL 3, "EXCLUSIVE: Former Illinois congressman Glenn Poshard endorses J.B. Pritzker for governor," September 21, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "CONGRESSWOMAN ROBIN KELLY ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," August 17, 2017
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Congressman Bobby Rush Endorses Chris Kennedy for Illinois Governor," June 19, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "ADLAI STEVENSON III ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," January 18, 2018
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "LES LEOPOLD ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," January 6, 2018
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "LAWRENCE LESSIG ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 28, 2017
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 JB for Governor, "Legislative leaders unite behind JB Pritzker," March 16, 2018
- ↑ Biss Wallace for Illinois, "Who's on Team Biss?" accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "J.B. Pritzker Lands High-Profile Endorsement From Sen. Toi Hutchinson," February 18, 2018
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 Kennedy for Illinois, "#StandwithKennedy," accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 Belleville News-Democrat, "Democratic metro-east legislators announce their choice for governor," December 18, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "WILL DAVIS ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," December 15, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE SENATOR BILL CUNNINGHAM ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," December 8, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE REP. THERESA MAH ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," December 5, 2017
- ↑ GoPride, "Rep. Harris endorses Pritzker for governor," December 2, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE SENATOR LAURA MURPHY ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 17, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "CAROL AMMONS IS JOINING OUR FIGHT," November 15, 2017
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "UPDATE: Ammons, Frerichs endorse different gubernatorial candidates," November 15, 2017
- ↑ Illinois Channel, "JB Pritzker is Endorsed by Sen Andy Manar for Governor," November 10, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "SENATOR JOHN MULROE ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 10, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "SENATOR DON HARMON ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," November 3, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "ANN WILLIAMS ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," October 23, 2017
- ↑ The State Journal-Register, "Pritzker picks up endorsement from Mendoza in governor’s race," September 27, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STEVE STADELMAN ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," September 19, 2017
- ↑ Quad-City Times, "House endorses Pritzker," September 13, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Donna Miller," August 26, 2017
- ↑ Capitol Fax, "Sheila Simon endorses Biss," August 25, 2017
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Pritzker nabs another endorsement: Secretary of State Jesse White," August 23, 2017
- ↑ August 8, 2017, "SENATOR PAT MCGUIRE ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," August 8, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE SENATOR OMAR AQUINO ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," July 21, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE SENATOR DAVID KOEHLER ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," July 6, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE REPRESENTATIVE KELLY CASSIDY ENDORSES DANIEL," June 28, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "STATE REPRESENTATIVE WILL GUZZARDI ENDORSES DANIEL," June 16, 2017
- ↑ Biss Wallace for Illinois, "Daniel Biss announces endorsement of Alderwoman Sue Sadlowski Garza," February 12, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Debra Shore," accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "County Board President Toni Preckwinkle endorses J.B. Pritzker for governor," February 7, 2018
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "DICK SIMPSON ENDORSES DANIEL BISS, HOSTS FACEBOOK LIVE TO DISCUSS GOOD GOVERNMENT REFORMS," December 12, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "CHICAGO ALDERMAN SCOTT WAGUESPACK ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 29, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "CHICAGO ALDERMAN ROBERTO MALDONADO ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 20, 2017
- ↑ 67.0 67.1 Illinois Capitol Fax, "Dem candidates announce endorsements," November 14, 2017
- ↑ 68.0 68.1 Biss for Illinois, "CHICAGO ALDERMAN JOHN ARENA ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," November 7, 2017
- ↑ Kennedy for Illinois, "JESUS “CHUY” GARCIA ENDORSES KENNEDY FOR GOVERNOR," September 28, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "TARI RENNER ENDORSES DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR," July 26, 2017
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmaroonendorse - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedqctendorse - ↑ JB for Governor, "In the News: Shaw Media endorses JB Pritzker for governor," March 14, 2018
- ↑ 74.0 74.1 74.2 Biss Wallace for Illinois, "Multiple Indivisible Chicago neighborhood groups endorse Daniel Biss," March 13, 2018
- ↑ The Columbia Chronicle, "Gubernatorial endorsement: Daniel Biss is the governor Illinois needs," March 12, 2018
- ↑ The Daily Northwestern, "Editorial: For governor, vote Biss. More importantly, just vote." March 9, 2018
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Editorial: Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat J.B. Pritzker are our choices in the Illinois gubernatorial primary," March 8, 2018
- ↑ Peoria Journal Star, "Endorsement: Kennedy for governor, Democrats," March 2, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "ENDORSEMENT: J.B. Pritzker and the future of Illinois," February 25, 2018
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "For the Democrats: Chris Kennedy," February 25, 2018
- ↑ The Pantagraph, "Pantagraph endorsement: Biss is best choice among Democrats," February 25, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Berwyn United on February 22, 2018," accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "City Council veterans caucus endorses Pritzker, urges reforms," February 22, 2018
- ↑ Capitol Fax, "National 'Our Revolution' endorses Biss," February 22, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "For the Democrats, Chris Kennedy," February 21, 2018
- ↑ Biss Wallace for Illinois, "Sierra Club endorses Daniel Biss for Illinois governor," February 20, 2018
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Endorsement: Kennedy for governor in Democratic primary," February 16, 2018
- ↑ Common Dreams, "People’s Action and Reclaim Chicago Endorse Daniel Biss for Illinois Governor," February 15, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Illini Democrats on February 8, 2018," accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "DANIEL BISS EARNS ENDORSEMENT OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS ILLINOIS," February 7, 2018
- ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "Gay rights group singles out Pritzker," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "DANIEL BISS RECEIVES THE ENDORSEMENT OF BLACKROOTS RESISTANCE," January 30, 2018
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Biss Lands Major Progressive Group's Endorsement," January 29, 2018
- ↑ CBS Chicago, "Planned Parenthood Endorses Three For Governor," January 25, 2018
- ↑ WVIK, "Daniel Biss Lands MoveOn.org Endorsement For Illinois Governor," January 25, 2018
- ↑ 96.0 96.1 Daniel Biss for Governor, "NATIONAL NURSES UNITED AND RECLAIM CHICAGO ENDORSE DANIEL BISS FOR GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Evanston Now, "DPOE Endorses Biss for Governor," January 22, 2018
- ↑ The Daily Northwestern, "New Trier Democrats endorse Biss for governor," January 15, 2018
- ↑ Capitol Fax, "Personal PAC endorses Pritzker," January 11, 2018
- ↑ NBC Chicago, "Illinois Education Association Endorsing Pritzker for Governor," January 10, 2018
- ↑ Capitol Fax, "IFT endorses Pritzker," December 9, 2017
- ↑ Biss Wallace for Illinois, "Northside DFA overwhelmingly endorses Daniel Biss," November 9, 2017
- ↑ Biss for Illinois, "THE INDO-AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION ENDORSES DANIEL BISS," November 6, 2017
- ↑ Labor Tribune, "Pritzker adds Laborers’ endorsement, promotes jobs plan," September 25, 2017
- ↑ Kennedy for Illinois, "ARAB DAILY NEWS: AMERICAN ARABS ENDORSE KENNEDY FOR GOVERNOR," September 15, 2017
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Pritzker endorsed by Cook County Democrats," August 11, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "Champaign County Young Democrats on July 31, 2017," accessed March 17, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Illinois labor group endorses Pritzker, cementing Democratic front-runner status," June 6, 2017
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Morning Spin: Union that endorsed Democrat J.B. Pritzker gives Conservative Party candidate Sam McCann nearly $80K," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ Belleville News-Democrat, "St. Clair County Democrats endorse Pritzker in governor’s race," May 9, 2017
- ↑ Kennedy for Illinois, "KENNEDY RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC COUNTY CHAIRMEN’S ASSOCIATION," March 1, 2017
- ↑ 112.0 112.1 112.2 Chicago Tribune, "Rauner recruits neighboring governors to rip Madigan on tax hike," October 24, 2017
- ↑ 113.0 113.1 113.2 113.3 113.4 My Stateline, "Republican Legislators Including Rep. Tim Bivins Endorse Ives for Governor," January 24, 2018
- ↑ 114.0 114.1 114.2 114.3 114.4 114.5 114.6 114.7 114.8 Bruce Rauner, "DuPage County Elected Leaders Endorse Governor Rauner," January 22, 2018
- ↑ Ives for Illinois, "GOP Rep. McSweeney: 'The ‘fringe candidate’ is Bruce Rauner. He stands for nothing.'," December 11, 2017
- ↑ Belleville News-Democrat, "McCarter endorses Republican for governor — and it’s not Rauner," November 17, 2017
- ↑ WJBC, "Brady opponent backs Ives to oust Rauner," November 15, 2017
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "Tom Kacich: Rauner primary threat 'awkward' for some," November 1, 2017
- ↑ The News-Gazette, "Tom Kacich: Rauner primary threat 'awkward' for some," November 1, 2017
- ↑ Northwest Herald, "State Rep. Allen Skillicorn announces support for Rep. Jeanne Ives over Rauner for governor," October 31, 2017
- ↑ National Review, "Jeanne Ives for Governor," March 16, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "ENDORSEMENT: Bruce Rauner for governor in the Republican primary," February 20, 2018
- ↑ Kankakee Daily Journal, "Who is Jeanne Ives?" February 17, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "For the Republicans, Bruce Rauner," February 16, 2018
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Endorsement: Rauner for governor in Republican primary," February 16, 2018
- ↑ Breitbart, "Pro-Life Susan B. Anthony List Endorses Illinois Conservative Governor Candidate Jeanne Ives," February 16, 2018
- ↑ Daily Herald, "Palatine Township GOP endorses Rauner," February 13, 2018
- ↑ Prairie State Wire, "FRC Action PAC endorses Ives for governor," February 12, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Morning Spin: Rauner gets backing over Ives from Cook County Republicans," February 7, 2018
- ↑ Daily Northwestern, "Local Republicans endorse Rauner for governor ahead of March primary," February 11, 2018
- ↑ Taxpayers United of America, "Tax Accountability Endorses Jeanne Ives in Illinois’ GOP Gubernatorial Primary," January 16, 2018
- ↑ Illinois Capitol Fax, "Chicago GOP follows its leader and endorses Ives," January 11, 2018
- ↑ Lake County Gazette, "Fremont Township GOP backing Ives' governor bid," January 8, 2018
- ↑ The Herald-News, "Wheatland Township Republicans endorse Jeanne Ives for governor," November 15, 2017
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Former President Barack Obama in Chicago today for J.B. Pritzker, Kwame Raoul and other Democrats," November 4, 2018
- ↑ ABC 7 Chicago, "Hillary Clinton campaigns for governor hopeful JB Pritzker," October 1, 2018
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Rauner calls Pritzker attack ad about Trump immigration policy 'dishonest'," July 11, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Democrats meddle in Illinois GOP primary," March 15, 2018
- ↑ WGN TV, "Pritzker, Rauner clash in final showdown during Quincy debate," October 11, 2018
- ↑ 140.0 140.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ JB Pritzker for Governor, "Issues Archives," accessed September 13, 2018
- ↑ Bruce Rauner for Governor, "Issues," accessed September 13, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.
- ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
- ↑ Illinois Demographics, "Illinois Cities by Population," accessed December 11, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts Illinois," accessed December 11, 2017
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