New Ratings: Rauner is the Most Vulnerable Incumbent Governor in America

Roll Call Analyst: Dems Now Favored in Illinois Gov. Race

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is the most vulnerable incumbent governor in 2018, according to new national election rankings today from Roll Call analyst Nathan Gonzales.
Rauner is the only incumbent governor currently projected to lose in 2018, according to the non-partisan rankings. Gonzales lists Illinois as “Tilt Democratic,” citing difficult headwinds for Rauner.
“The governor is willing and able to spend tens of millions of dollars to get re-elected. But that doesn’t change the distinct Democratic lean of the state. … The state and political environment will likely work against the governor. Tilt D.” 
The announcement caps off another tough week for the embattled governor. Newspapers around the state have grown weary of Rauner’s dearth of answers to the state’s problems.
From the excuses over the budget impasse, to the thinly veiled campaign trips, to his flip-flops on reproductive rights, Rauner has done little to inspire confidence.
To recap:

• The Quad-City Times slammed Rauner for his “political ineptitude” around the budget negotiations:

“It’s become increasingly clear that Rauner’s only interest is in winning political battles. Through his rhetoric, he’s all but admitted defeat on the policy end. Consensus isn’t built through rhetorical bomb throwing. Now, it’s about pointing fingers for the historic levels of failure.”

• The Rockford Register Star called the governor out for his self-serving campaign trip:

“This dog-and-pony show is not playing in Illinois. Get off the campaign trail, governor. We’ll talk to you about re-election next year. Come see us when you have a record to run on.”

• Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune said Rauner changed stance on abortion with his “finger to the political winds”:

“Rauner, who was elected governor that fall, is now under fire for doing a complete 180 on this point. He announced recently that he now opposes a legislative effort to reverse the very law he once pledged to reverse. … Rauner has disappointed many of the moderate Democrats who decided to take a chance on him in 2014, thinking he had an actual plan to get the state back on its feet.
On top of the plentiful criticisms this week, S&P downgraded six of Illinois’s public universities, and an Associated Press analysis showed Rauner’s budget plan “falls short.”
It’s no wonder Rauner is considered vulnerable. With each Rauner-led failure, the electorate’s patience wears thinner and thinner.

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