First Republican launches bid for Gov. of Illinois

Posted on February 15, 2021
Republican Paul Schimpf, a former state senator from Waterloo, in southern Illinois. (Photo courtesy: Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Campaign 2022 is on!

Republican Paul Schimpf, a former state senator from Waterloo, in southern Illinois, says he has a better way — if Illinoisans make him governor next year.

My vision for Illinois involves a return to responsible government, safe communities, and economic growth through the free market,” Schimpf said Monday in an online news conference to launch his campaign. “A responsible government realizes that local experts, not state bureaucrats, are in the best position to assess the safety and education needs of Illinois families.”

Schimpf, a former Marine lawyer and onetime attorney general candidate, says he can’t match Gov. JB Pritzker’s money but says he’ll have enough to win, anyway.

The primary is March 15, 2022.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]. 

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