Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is accusing Gov. J.B. Pritzker of being behind negative ads about Republican gubernatorial candidate, and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin.
“He paraded around the state to tout his accomplishments and now when his re-election is in trouble ... he hides behind the Democratic insider groups to meddle in the Republican primary and try to stop the strongest candidate in the race," Rezin said at a March 31 press conference. "Pritzker can hide behind the (Democratic Governors Association) but he can’t hide behind his dangerous record on public safety and that has put many of our communities across the state at risk. Illinois deserves better.”
“The simple truth is that Pritzker is weak and he knows it. He knows he can’t match Richard Irvin’s strong record when it comes to crime and his support of law enforcement," Rezin said. "That early January morning in the middle of the night I watched the Senate Democrats jam through a bill that would devastate our law enforcement community across the state. That bill was a slap in the face for the law enforcement community and Pritzker proudly signed it into law.”
A political analyst sees the motivation behind the ad campaign.
“You wouldn’t think J. B. Pritzker wouldn’t need help with advertising,” ABC 7 Chicago political analyst Laura Washington said. “He’s got all the money in the world, but he has allies in the Democratic Party that want to see him stay in office. And so they’re lending him a hand with these ads. And it gives J. B. Pritzker the ability to say ‘I had nothing to do with it' and to be hands off.”
The attack ad against Irvin is part of a $700,000 ad campaign by the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), according to ABC 7 Chicago.
ABC 7 Chicago reported that Pritzker has contributed more than $3 million to the DGA since 2017, with his most recent contribution being $250,000 at the end of 2021.
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