Day 28: Rauner & Ives Feud Moves to State Party Fight
It’s officially four weeks since the GOP primary, and Governor Bruce Rauner has done little but lie about his efforts to patch up the Republican Party. While Rauner continues to ignore state Representative Jeanne Ives’ supporters in public, Rauner’s allies are working to oust Ives’ behind the scenes — and she didn’t miss a beat.
The Prairie State Wire and NBC Chicago reported that Rauner’s allies are attempting to push out Ives allies from the Illinois Republican State Central Committee, which is in charge of electing the state party chairman. The current chairman inserted himself into the recent GOP primary by calling on Ives to take down an ad.
“It’s ironic that just when Bruce Rauner desperately needs Jeanne Ives’ supporters, his allies are systematically working to oust them from the party,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Bruce Rauner failure to move on from the primary and his inability to unify his party will continue to be a drag on his failing reelection campaign.”