By Dave Dahl
WASHINGTON – Two Republican candidates for governor, on stage in Tazewell County Monday night, stressed the importance of their Christian faith.
“If we have to do one thing to save our great state of Illinois,” said Jesse Sullivan, “it’s this: we need to deepen our relationship with God: as individuals, as a community, as a state.”
Max Solomon, a Nigerian-born lawyer from Hazel Crest who has received the least publicity among the six still-active candidates, said Illinois needs a Christian conservative Republican as governor. “Christian, because I believe that it’s time to bring God back into politics.”
Incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker happens to be Jewish.
State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), on more than one occasion, called attention to the only absence among the six: that of Aurora mayor Richard Irvin. “We don’t lie,” said Bailey. “So I sit here, and I look at this empty seat tonight, and I think of the mayor of the highest-taxed city in the state of Illinois, and I think of someone who prefers to stay in his basement, rather than have to come and face me.”
An Irvin spokeswoman cited a scheduling conflict and issued a statement that Irvin looks forward to sharing the stage with the other primary candidates. Bailey’s remarks about Irvin’s absence were really the only negative statements any candidate made about any other Monday, save for the incumbent Democrat, Pritzker.
Gary Rabine, emphasizing Illinois’ uncompetitiveness, invoked the name of a weight-loss television show of a few years ago. “We’re the biggest losers when it comes to violence. We’re the biggest losers when it comes to the highest taxes, and we’re the biggest losers when it comes to the highest unfunded pension liabilities,” he said.
“We’re going to make a fundamental change to property taxes,” said Paul Schimpf. “In fact, you cannot even have your property values re-assessed, unless you either sell your house or you rezone your property.”
The primary election is June 28.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]
